Editor's Request

My editor, Annie O'Shaughnessy of Soul Flares magazine, asked me to back track and tell her how and when Thomas Merton,spiritual writer came to be such an influence in my life. I took a few minutes to simply stream my thoughts:

"I still remember the day. I was a novice in the Sisters of St. Joseph, standing before the side book case looking for a good read. I caught the title: The Sign of Jonas. I pulled it down, opened it at random to read a journal entry about two black men observed by the author, Merton, who were sitting outside on a long log reading a newspaper, and happily laughing at something, maybe what they were reading? Merton commented: These men were having more fun than we who are supposed to know so much, like these uneducated guys knew more than the monastery gurus..

I took the book out on the long dock over the St. Lucie River in Jensen Beach, to the edge where the wind really blows. This wild monk and writer was blessedly piercing my soul, teaching me how to find more of God. Merton made it sound so easy, so fluid. But of course, it was tough work. Here he was saying I could just be me, as I was, with my stuff out of place, with my dreams askew. Yes, I could trust God. But more, I could trust myself.

And after that, I read every Merton book we had in the convent.

Years later, as a single woman with my own name, Ms Azar, I initiated a Merton Group in my home. People were drawn to his idea of holiness which, simply put, meant being and becoming more of who we were, which any fool knows is the hardest of holy paths to follow. That group ran for almost twelve years. Some friends stayed for all those years.

And of course, Annie, I met my future husband, Jim because of Merton. His mother had read Merton, and he easily contracted the spiritual disease.

I have, and can't seem to let go of them, almost every book Merton ever wrote. I read him still, almost daily. His journals make me think and pray and yes, despair about the way governments lead us into destruction. His government at the time was the Nixon era, the bomb shelter buildup, and the horror of the Vietnam War.

But how we just can't give up. He poo pooed Television, but was so inflamed when he saw police dogs going after black people in Selma (was that the place?) he decided that TV had a place since good television was able to affect hearts.

Merton believed that a spark of God lived in all of us, and we could never, no matter how bad we were, (Hitler included), extinguish that spark. I think because of Merton I was lead to work for peace, for prejudice reduction, for feeding the homeless, for Middle East resolution... well... you get the idea.

Enough said???

Blessings,

Adele

Branching To Another Desperately Needed Peace

I am an Arab American women who writes about making peace with our money. I'm also involved in praying for peace in the Middle East. In the 90's, I worked long and hard with devoted American Jews to bring Jews and Arabs, both Arab Christians and Arab Muslims to a greater understanding of each other. Many times, we succeeded and groups that had once been alienated from each other became friends.

I received this essay a few days ago. I weep that it is so, that the Middle East carnage continues. The essay was signed by over 109 Jews. I want to honor their word and print their sadness on my blog. I wanted you to know, many of my own Jewish friends mourn this reality as well.

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On the subject of celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel.

This article appeared in the Guardian (UK) on Wednesday April 30
2008

. It was last updated at00:00 on April 30 2008.
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In May, Jewish organisations will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel. This is understandable in the context of centuries of persecution culminating in the Holocaust. Nevertheless, we are Jews who will not be celebrating. Surely it is now time to acknowledge the narrative of the other, the price paid by another people for European anti-semitism and Hitler's genocidal policies. As Edward Said emphasised, what the Holocaust is to the Jews, the Naqba is to the Palestinians.
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In April 1948, the same month as the infamous massacre at Deir Yassin and the mortar attack on Palestinian civilians in Haifa's market square, Plan Dalet was put into operation. This authorised the destruction of Palestinian villages and the expulsion of the indigenous population outside the borders of the state. We will not be celebrating.

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In July 1948, 70,000 Palestinians were driven from their homes in Lydda andRamleh in the heat of the summer with no food or water. Hundreds died. It was known as the Death March. We will not be celebrating.

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In all, 750,000 Palestinians became refugees. Some 400 villages were wiped off the map. That did not end the ethnic cleansing. Thousands of Palestinians (Israeli citizens) were expelled from the Galilee in 1956. Many thousands more when Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza. Under international law and sanctioned by UN resolution 194, refugees from war have a right to return or compensation. Israel has never accepted that right. We will not be celebrating.

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We cannot celebrate the birthday of a state founded on terrorism, massacres and the dispossession of another people from their land. We cannot celebrate the birthday of a state that even now engages in ethnic cleansing, that violates international law, that is inflicting a monstrous collective punishment on the civilian population of Gaza and that continues to deny to Palestinians their human rights and national aspirations.


>We will celebrate when Arab and Jew live as equals in a peaceful Middle East.