Celebrate!
May seems like a good time to celebrate (and practice!) peace. After all, May brings us Mother's Day, which was started by Unitarian Julia Ward Howe as a day to work for peace. Memorial Day also comes during May, and is a time to honor all the people who have died fighting in wars. And what better way to honor those who died in battle than to work for peace?
- Beltane (Pagan)
- Cinco de Mayo (Mexican/Chicano)
- Mother's Day (U.S., or Mothering Sunday in Britain)
- Memorial Day (U.S.)
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We Honor… |
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| Linus Pauling, the only person ever to win unshared Nobel prizes in two totally different fields—one for chemistry and one for peace. Pauling helped to put together chemistry with quantum theory—the way physicists understand the very smallest particles that make up the world, and he founded the area of science now called molecular biology. Pauling, who joined the First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles because it was a church that supported people who wanted to make a difference in the world, was already famous as a scientist when he began traveling the country speaking out for peace, and against the development of nuclear bombs. He was glad to have a church where he could bring together the different parts of his life, where he was welcomed as a humanist who didn't believe in a supernatural God, but who felt strongly called to make the world a better place.
Find out more about Linus Pauling. |
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Act!
There are countless ways to practice peace, large and small, from taking a deep breath when you start to get mad to writing letters to the government asking leaders to find peaceful solutions to world problems to creating ways for people from warring countries (or warring cliques at school) to get together and talk. Maybe you'll be inspired by a few great stories.
Learn about Peace Pilgrim, a woman who spent 28 years and 25,000 miles walking on a pilgrimage for peace.
Find out about a variety of kids and adults who are doing great things to work for peace. There are short films as well as written information and pictures. Pretty inspiring! |
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Nurturing Your Spirit
In honor of Memorial Day, perhaps you'd like to do a ritual of remembrance for someone you know who has died—or for all your ancestors who you might not have met, but who are part of making you who you are. You can create a memorial altar which pictures of people (or pets) who have died, as well as small objects they owned or foods they especially liked. Sitting by this altar, your family may want to share stories of those now gone. Or, if you have family or friends who are buried nearby, you might want to visit the grave site and tidy it up, or bring flowers in honor of those who are gone. Or, you can follow the tradition from Africa, and many other places, of libation. Take a pitcher of water outside. In a place where the water can soak into the ground, pour out some water while you give thanks for your ancestors. Your family might want to pass the pitcher around, with each person naming a person who has died that they give thanks for as they pour a bit of the water on the ground. Or each person could name something they learned or quality they think they inherited from a person (friend or family) who has gone before them.
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Practicing the Principles
Our sixth UU principle is “The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.” In other words, UUs believe that we should work toward having a world where everyone can get along, and where everyone can be treated fairly. One of the best ways to work toward a world at peace is to figure out how to solve problems peacefully in your own daily life. See suggestions from this month's REsources column in Quest about how to work on peaceful solutions to problems at home, at school, or with friends.
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Ask CLiF
Ask CLiF any questions you have about religion or living
a good life.
Can you tell me more about Ramadan?
—Imogen
Dear Imogen,
Sure, happy to. Ramadan is the most sacred month of the year for Muslims. Exactly when it falls during the seasons varies, because the Muslims use a lunar calendar, with 28 days for every month. So the date of Ramadan slips around in our standard Gregorian calendar. During Ramadan Muslims fast from sun up to sun down, neither eating nor drinking. You can imagine this could be pretty hard, especially if Ramadan comes during the summer when the days are long and the weather is hot. This time of fasting is also a time of contemplation and prayer, a time for Muslims to remember the importance of their relationship with Allah (the Muslim name for God). Fasting also reminds Muslims of the sufferings of the poor, and the need to help those who are hungry. Children are not required to fast, but some of them do choose to as an act of devotion. Ramadan is also a time of community as Muslims gather after sundown to share the meal they've waited for all day. The end of the month of Ramadan is marked with a big celebration, called Eid al-Fitr, which involves feasting and presents and parties. Find links to more information and other great stuff about Ramadan.
—CLiF
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