Bye Bo

What Is Wanted and Needed – Part 2

Cross Without a Savior

A candelabra, submerged in a southern swamp,
where punished slaves once disappeared with

alligators, beneath slime and muck, and now hard-
earned votes are invisible, as though thrown into

a dark, watery cage. Life can be full of promises,
yet no indicator of truth, based on our nation’s

confusion, such as when white folks pretend they
always deserve more. The evening begins with

whispers of lilac, rain enough to extinguish all fire.
How falsely then will we witness the burning cross?

Our darker brothers gather in hope, in church—
but when they prophesy, they just make us mad.

What Is Wanted and Needed – Part 1

“What is wanted [and needed] now is not simply the Christian who takes an inner complacency in the words and example of Christ, but who seeks to follow Christ perfectly, not only in his own personal life, not only in prayer and penance, but also in his political commitments and in all social responsibilities.

We have certainly no need for a pseudo-contemplative spirituality that claims to ignore the world and its problems entirely, and devotes itself supposedly to the things of God, without concern for human society. All true Christian spirituality, even that of the Christian contemplative, is and must always be deeply concerned with man, since “God became man in order that man might become God” (St. Irenaeus). The Christian spirit is one of compassion, of responsibility and of commitment. It cannot be indifferent to suffering, to injustice, error, and untruth.”

Thomas Merton. Peace in the Post-Christian Era. Edited by Patricia A. Burton (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2004): 135.

Emphasis mine.

Prayer For Kennedy

“Sen. Edward M. Kennedy will undergo surgery [today] at Duke University Medical Center for his cancerous brain tumor and then faces chemotherapy and radiation treatment, his office said.” Read more.

Please pray for Ted Kennedy’s recovery.

UPDATE:

“DURHAM, N.C. — Sen. Edward M. Kennedy is out of surgery at Duke University Medical Center for a malignant brain tumor and his doctor said the procedure “was successful and accomplished our goals.”

Kennedy surgeon Dr. Allan Friedman said his patient was awake during the 31/2-hour procedure, and should experience no permanent neurological effects from the surgery.”

Read more.