Friends,

On Sunday, Sheila Foster, our Director of Intergenerational Ministries, preached about looking for the light in the midst of darkness. She shared a prayer practice for acknowledging our big feelings and giving them to God. You can listen to her sermon here.

Today, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, is a good day to revisit the work of nonviolent civil disobedience. Below, find a 'Pledge of Nonviolence' that all participants in the 1963 Birmingham Civil Rights Movement were asked to sign -- a reminder about the spiritual rigor of that movement, which we can learn from today.

Most importantly: Show up with love. On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and every day, if you are showing up at a demonstration or rally, I want to remind you of this. In the words of our bishop,

"The forces of evil want us to meet anger with anger, they want us to meet fear with fear, and they want us to meet scorn with scorn. The forces of evil in the world are always fed by anger and hatred. You can be sure those forces are out there, daring us to become their food. And beloved, we’re not going to do that. We, as followers of Jesus, are going to turn the world upside down by mobilizing for Love."

That Love has already prevailed. So when you show up in the midst of anger and fear and scorn this week, my invitation to you is to show up as a force for de-escalation, for protection, for invitation to hearts of flesh, for the dignity of every human being before you.

With love,
Susan+

Tags: Rev Susan, Light, Darkness, civil disobedience, Martin Luther King