Celebrate!
May invites us to celebrate the fertility of Mother Earth on Beltane—and to honor our biological, adoptive or otherwise mothers-in-fact on Mothers Day. At the opposite side of the cycle of life is Memorial Day, a time of honoring those who have died, particularly those who have died during wars. Cinco de Mayo also honors a war, but it’s a more cheerful celebration of a Mexican victory accomplished against great odds. Click below to find links to information, games, activities and more for these May holidays.
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We Honor… |
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| Unitarian Julia Ward Howe, who became famous for writing the words to “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” However, although the “Battle Hymn” was her most famous piece of writing, she ended up feeling embarrassed that people knew her for this song which made war seem very noble and wonderful. She wrote the “Battle Hymn” during the U.S. civil war, and was dedicated to the cause of freeing the slaves. However, she also saw the terrible cost of war—the killed or injured soldiers, the families who had to manage without loved ones, the homes and farms that were destroyed. When she saw war break out again, this time in Europe, she began speaking out on the horrors of war, as well as working for the rights of women and Arfican-Americans. In 1872 she wrote a stirring call for women to demand peace and established a yearly Mother’s Peace Day as a way for women to work for peace. Mother’s Day has since become a more general holiday honoring mothers (you can find out more about its history under the Mother’s Day link above), but we still remember Julia Ward Howe, who believed so strongly in the ability of women to change the world for the better.
If you’d like to learn a lot more about Julia Ward Howe, including her difficult marriage to Unitarian reformer and educator Samuel Gridley Howe, click here. |
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Act!
This month we honor those who have died in war, and we celebrate Mother’s Day, which was originally a day for promoting peace. So why not do a little something to make peace yourself? You can probably think of lots of peaceful things to do, but here are a few ideas to get you started:
Make paper cranes, a symbol of peace.
Click here for animated instructions on how fold a paper crane. Then mail your cranes to the president (or prime minister or other government official), along with a note or prayer for peace. Or give a crane to somebody you’ve been fighting with as a peace offering. Or hang paper cranes in your room as a reminder to live peacefully.
Make a peace pole.
Click here to find out about the Peace Poles project, and to learn about this international movement for peace. You can even make your own peace pole or banner by going to www.worldpeace.org to find “May peace prevail on earth” in 83 different languages. You can choose four versions and write them in permanent marker on the four sides of a 4x4 post, or make a banner out of felt or other fabric with these wishes for peace in various languages.
Hold a peace vigil.
Make signs with messages and pictures for peace. Invite your friends, and make sure you include some grown-ups. Go to a public place (not too close to cars!) and sing peace songs or sit in silence imagining a peaceful world.
Learn about other peacemakers and share what you learned with someone you know. You’ll find some great stories here. |
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Nurturing Your Spirit
Religions around the world and across time have used singing and chanting (simple, repeating songs) to nurture the spirit. One way to bring peace to your heart is to sing it. You can find all kinds of great peace songs online, including new songs and folk songs.
Better still, make up your own peace chant. Choose some words that are meaningful to you, and then just play with singing the words until you come up with a tune you like. Remember, chants aren’t supposed to be fancy, so just a few notes can get the job done just fine. |
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Principles in Practice
Our sixth UU principle is “The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all.” Can you even imagine a world where everyone enjoyed peace, freedom and fairness? How do you even make a start on a goal like building a world where there is peace, liberty and justice, when probably every one of the six and a half billion people in the world has experienced some kind of violence or unfairness? Well, pretty much the only way to accomplish big things is to start with little things. More than 2500 years ago the Chinese philosopher Lao-Tse put it this way:
If there is to be peace in the world,
There must be peace in the nations.
If there is to be peace in the nations,
There must be peace in the cities.
If there is to be peace in the cities,
There must be peace between neighbors.
If there is to be peace between neighbors,
There must be peace in the home.
If there is to be peace in the home,
There must be peace in the heart.
So wherever you start—with your neighbors or your nation, at home with your siblings or simply in your own heart, it’s all part of fulfilling the goal of world community with peace liberty and justice for all. |
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