This is a song that I learned at Purdue, at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center. It's been 17 years since we sang it, but it still comes to my mind often.
15 years ago, I did the first set of short-term travel from Houston; 5-6 weeks here in Huntsville, Alabama to ensure the ISS Lab and Airlock would be ready to fly.
One weekend driving in downtown Huntsville, I passed the traveling Vietnam Memorial, and I stopped to walk it.
It was solemn, and massive even at 1/2 scale.
Near the Wall in the area was a cart, part of the traveling display, which showed photographs of rallies and activists from that era. I was intrigued to see, in close proximity, signs from Catholics and Unitarian Universalists, protesting Vietnam together.
Four of the faith traditions that inform my personal path (Catholic Liberation Theology, Unitarian Universalism, Egalitarian-Feminist Wicca, and the United Church of Christ), connect our faith and spiritual beliefs to our actions in this world. They seek to drive some level of alignment between our faith and our actions.
"Be the change you want to see in the world."
I know I can't do everything. As Stephen Covey describes, my circle of concern is larger than my circle of influence, and my circle of control is pretty much just myself. But I can do something.
A small group of committed people can change the world, for the better. If the influence of what I share inspires you to be one of those active and committed people, then my posts have done some good.
And if the articles are not convincing, then no harm is done.
I do my best to avoid the partisan mocking and biting in most of what I share, especially to the bigger "friends" group. That aspect of politics, I'd just as soon do without. I know that I have friends and family who are conservative, Republican, and/or Libertarian. Those things alone don't offend me.
What does offend me is intolerance, the -isms and -phobias that come from fear and lead to violence.
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