A weekend of growth

Dear friends,

The Pax Christi weekend was a blast! God was totally around. I don’t own enough words to express my thanks to Pax Christi Florida for this mind expanding two days. Five speakers witnessed their activism and we were swept away by what they offer the world. Take a look at God’s professionals who addressed us:

Patrick Finn-Schultz, a member of our Pax Christi board, became a recent father, and is a dedicated Coordinator of Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE). He let us in on the way our prison system is unfairly going, calling for a paradigm shift in the way we think about prison reform. We used to regard prison as a form of societal protection. Now its all about fear based social control. The United States has really gone “coo coo”(my words) in increasing prison buildings rather than rehabilitating men and women, especially young blacks living behind bars. I weep at our loss.

Second, Samar Jarrah, International speaker, a Palestinian-American Muslim, and Professor at USF, addresses American and Arab audiences everywhere. She hosts a regular radio show in the Tampa St. Pete Area. The title of her book says it all: Arab voices speak to American Hearts. So articulate, she was a bright Muslim light to all listeners. Emails constantly pour into her university, asking her to come, to answer questions about Islam. Her words and her book grew from the sad fact we call 9/11. Her talk made me more proud to be an Arab American. Yeah, Samar!

As if all of that weren’t enough, we heard an attorney and a very Catholic John Hushon, speak of current renewal going on among disenchanted Catholics, citing the Pew Foundation Research: a hefty thirty million have left the church.

Called The American Catholic Council, it’s a coalition of organizations, communities and individuals attempting to restore the promises of Vatican II documents.

Since Jim and I no longer attend Sunday Mass, we again discovered that our authentic Catholic roots are still very much alive. As a result, we said yes to John Hushon’s call to attend the conference in Detroit on June 2011. Ya’ll come! I know it promises to be another expanding mind and spirit journey.

Then there is Haiti. Daniel Tillias’s moving presentation, Hear the Cry of My Haiti revealed how much work is still needed. Daniel comes from Citi Soleil slums, the poorest section of the capitol to lead the Pax Christi chapter. What was amazing in his talk that no matter how much work lies ahead, thirty-two year old Daniel personifies the positive spirit of the surviving Haitians as they put their lives back together. In his own words, Daniel says, “I have a big ambition that the world one day would be inspired by Haiti in the path to justice and peace.”

Finally, OhMyGod, More? (We did eat!) We learned of The Trail of Dreams! Two young undocumented men who walked 1500 miles from South Florida to Washington D.C. They brought the immigration message and, tired as we were, these youngsters captured our close attention. Tall and handsome, Carlos Roa and Juan Rodriguez, men in their twenties, shared their story when as kids, their families brought them to the United States, and it was only here that they have been schooled. They are as American as you and me. This land is the only home they know. Yet, our country denies them citizenship. Does it make any sense? Not to me. Let’s fix this unfair system which strips them of the opportunity to participate in our society. Go to Trail of Dreams.org and learn much more.

So, dear friends, as you can imagine, much pulsating life was poured into our hearts and brains this weekend. I’m tired, body wants more sleep, but totally thrilled and filled with hope, glad that so many activists are out there engaged in work which obviously, is the sacred work of Christ.

Oh, Golly. Can I offer another “Finally?” A plug for my beloved husband. He’ll be leaving for a 300 mile plus bike ride in California for Climate Change on Saturday. I ask your prayers that he’ll be totally okay riding those steep mountains on his beloved bicycle and come back safely to me.

Adele