“… prayers of solidarity & justice … sing of a life free and simple … at one with nature’s beauty …” ~ Catholic Bishops of Appalachia
Why prayers for solidarity and justice? …
Well, because they “… encourage us to stretch our hearts to embrace more of this world. They call us to stand beside the wounded and the defenseless, to acknowledge those who are despised or ostracized, and to open our hearts in solidarity. This is not just a political agenda—it is central to the meaning of our lives. What the world needs most is people who are less constricted by prejudice. It needs more love, more generosity, more mercy, and more openness. We are meant to be brothers and sisters, a family of nations …”
As part of our contribution to dissolving divisiveness and hatred we wanted to “close out” 2022 with a pair of posts that fostered peace and unity …
To that end, we “created” a foundation of peace in our “prior to last” post of 2022 – Awakening Deep Peace For All – via one of the Earth Prayers that are about hearing “… the voices of people from around the world affirming the unity of nature and spirit …” …
And, in today’s post (the last one for 2022), we “build” on this foundation with one of Life Prayers that encourage us to “… see how this sense of unity can become a potent motivating force in the world …”
This mini exploration of {Earth and} Life Prayers in this post is through the words – and work – of Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon … and is based on excerpts from their book: Life Prayers From Around The World … for more background on their prayers work, scroll to the bottom of this post (also includes attributions for this book).
In their context setting of the chapter Prayers for Solidarity and Justice, Elizabeth and Elias remind us that the voices of Life Prayers:
“… urge us to tear down the walls that separate us, to build relationships, and to work toward equality and fairness. Discovering how to pray with others we do not know, who are différent from us, or who suffer in ways beyond our comprehension, is an essential and profoundly spiritual task. When I stand in solidarity with all life my experience of living changes. I am no longer a private person concerned only with taking care of me and mine. Solidarity means recognizing that the well-being of those with whom I share this planet—all people and all species—is also my own. …”
So, here’s a sample Life Prayer from that chapter … for you to reflect on … 🙂
And, wishing everyone a Happy New Year ! … may it bring ever deepening peace and contentment in every regard.
Life Prayers: Solidarity & Justice …
I breathe in rain
I breathe out green
I breathe in wind
I breathe out sky
I breathe in laughter
I breathe out happiness
I breathe in her
I breathe out poetry
I breathe in daughters and sons
I breathe out hope
I breathe in words
I breathe out mountains
I breathe in sage
I breathe out clarity
I breathe in dust
I breathe out the bones
of my people
I breathe in oppression
I breathe out liberation
I breathe in fire
I breathe out clouds
I breathe in ink
I breathe out veins
I breathe in Buddha
I breathe out Mexican.
~ Amoldo Garcia
We started exploring these prayers from Elizabeth Roberts’ and Elias Amidon’s book Prayers for a Thousand Years earlier this year: An Invitation to Peace & Unity … via Prayers … and How To Remember We Are One: Unity Prayers for a Thousand Years … this was their 3rd book on prayers … the other two books are Earth Prayers (the 1st one) and Life Prayers (the 2nd one) …
We offered a sampling of their second book on prayers: Life Prayers From Around The World with Living Moments of Grace? Life Prayers Amidon, Roberts …
And we offered a glimpse into Earth Prayers in our previous post: Awaken Deep Peace For All: 365 Earth Prayers Poems Amidon Roberts …
All italicized text above (both poems and the text) is excerpted from Life Prayers : From Around the World : 365 Prayers, Blessings, and Affirmations to Celebrate the Human Journey.
As we contemplate these prayers, let us honor our earth family and our unity … by helping our fellow family members in Ukraine … in whatever way we can … so here are some options:
1) NPR: Want to support the people in Ukraine? Here’s how you can help
2) Washington Post: Here’s how Americans can donate to help people in Ukraine.
3) Go Fund Me: How to Help: Donate to Ukraine Relief Efforts.
4) USA Today: Want to support the people of Ukraine? These apps and websites can help you send money.
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We are all facing financial challenges but IF your situation allows you to donate and help then please do so …
THANK YOU!
Images: (edited and logo added): Featured and 1) Spectacular Kauai jungles by MNStudio, 2) Mountain Fuji in the morning at Fumotopara camping ground, Fujinomiya , Shizuoka prefecture by Torsakarin. All purchased from depositphotos or 123rtf. All are for use only on our website/social channels (these images are not permitted to be shared separate from this post).
