Youth & Activities: Highlights for February
FRI, FEB 2
- YOUTH DINNER & GAMES
6pm • Parish Hall, Jackson Community Church
Ipswich, MA Middle School youth group will hold a weekend retreat at the church. Our youth and families are welcome to come for a community meal and games on Friday.
SAT, FEB 3
- IPSWICH YOUTH OUTING
8am – Noon • Jackson XC Center - LUNCH
12:30-2pm • Parish Hall, JCC - IPSWICH YOUTH OUTING
2-5 • Black Mountain. Ipswich Middle Our youth are welcome to get outside with the Ipswich youth. who will be downhill skiing in the afternoon. - DINNER & GAMES & PRAYERS
6:30pm • Parish Hall, JCC
Ipswich Middle School youth group makes dinner and holds worship. Our youth and families are welcome to come for meal, games, and worship on Saturday evening.
SUN, FEB 4
- SUPERBOWL BRUNCH CHURCH
10:30am • Jackson Community Church
Bring a potluck breakfast/brunch/lunch item to share. We will start in the sanctuary, but spend most of our time in Parish Hall around tables for a community-style meal that also serves as our communion. Conversations at table focused on scriptures about athleticism, competition, victory and defeat, strength and resilience. Fun and family-friendly! Great way to kick off Superbowl Sunday!
MON, FEB 5
- MANDALA MONDAY
7pm • Church Library, Second Floor
Exploring expressive arts as a spiritual practice through contemplative coloring, drawing from different wisdom traditions. Church provides patterns and colored pencils. Older children, youth and families welcome.
TUE, FEB 6
- MARDI GRAS
6-8pm • Parish Hall
Food and music by KHS jazz ensemble and Miss Maybelle & Slimpickins. Take a selfie with our beads and costumes, or come decked out and ready to dance (and socialize). Family-friendly. Donations gratefully accepted.
SAT, FEB 10
- TRILLIUM SUMMIT
8:30am-5pm • Whitney Center
Trillium Summit, a one-day conference for girls and women. Admission is free and any money raised from donations will be given to Starting Point: Services for Victims of Domestic and Sexual Violence. The idea behind this is to bring together girls and women from the Valley for a day of crafts, snacks, games, speakers, networking and fun. We have an awesome roster of local leaders who are very excited to share their wisdom. Topics covered will include:- Why You? Why Now? The Importance of Getting to Know Yourself
- How to Find and Fulfill Your Wishes
- There is No One Path to Success (adult panel discussion)
- Putting Your Best Foot Forward/Creating Your Own Brand
- Choose Your Own Adventure (on Boundaries and Being an Upstander)
- We’re More Alike Than You’d Think – A Basket of Questions (youth panel discussion)
- Tried and True Tips for Taking this to Tomorrow
Registration is open and we are asking all our supporters to please pass the word. You can sign up at Eventbrite. We also have a Facebook page where we will try to post updates. Questions? Reach out to Lauren Orsini at laurenvorsini@gmail.com or at jess.dellavalla@gmail.com.HOPE on the SLOPES
Sunday, Feb 11 @ Mt Cranmore
41st Anniversary of the Race to Beat Cancer (Hope on the Slopes)
To benefit the American Cancer Society. It’s time of year to start thinking about Hope On The Slopes – The American Cancer Society’s Race to Beat Cancer! You can get involved in many ways. Our church sponsors this team, including sponsorships for our athletes and providing volunteers.- You can participate as a skier or snowboarder. If you participate to race, the Mission Committee will sponsor you $25 towards your fundraising efforts. For more information go to http://relay.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=85419
- You can serve as a volunteer for the event.
PREPARED to SERVE
Sat, Feb 24 • 8am-4pm
Youth invited to attend!Workshops on environmental and social justice issues, as well as program development for youth and families. Rev Gail will be traveling to this conference and can provide same-day ride for 1-2 people. Jackson Community Church will cover cost of registration.
This Week @ JCC: Jan 28-Feb 4
TUE, JAN 30
- SMALL GROUP STUDY & REFLECTION
4pm • Pastor’s Office. Readings from Book of Joy by Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. A few copies reserved at library under Jackson Community Church book group. This group will meet weekly through January to read and reflect on this book. 1-2 copies are also available for purchase at White Birch Books. (This gathering is subject to weather conditions, of course.) - BLUE MOON SNOW SHOE (community event)
6-8pm • Christmas Farm Inn with Jackson XC staff.
Reservations required. This guided tour is just $15.00. Meet at the Christmas Farm Inn at 6:00pm and return at 8:00pm. Space is limited to 35 people. These tours are very popular, advanced reservations are strongly recommended. The only light will be supplied by the Blue, Lunar eclipsed, super moon (and headlamps if you have one)!
WED, JAN 31
- PASTOR’S J-TOWN HOURS
7-9am • J-Town Deli.
Drop by for hot beverage, good food, and a visit. - WOMEN’S GROUP
10am-Noon • Jackson Community Church.
Food and fellowship for the first hour, kitchen cleanup for the second hour. All welcome.
THURS, FEB 1
- CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES
3:30pm • Yoga with Charlotte Doucette • Parish Hall. $10/pp fee. (Scholarships available)
4:40pm • Guided Meditation with Charlotte Doucette (if yoga class is held, dependent on attendance) • Upstairs classroom. Free. - AA
6:30pm • Church Library - DINE to DONATE
Evening • Shannon Door. Beneficiary: Hope on the Slope. $1 from the sale of every pizza will go to the American Cancer Society. You can support this great cause by eating pizza: yum! Plus enjoy great music. Lots of raffles! Fun night for a great cause!
Note: Our church has a team of volunteers and racers participating in the Sun, Feb 11 event. See below for more info.
FRI, FEB 2
- YOUTH DINNER & GAMES
6pm • Parish Hall, Jackson Community Church
Ipswich, MA Middle School youth group will hold a weekend retreat at the church. Our youth and families are welcome come for a community meal and games on Friday.
SAT, FEB 3
- YOUTH OUTING
8am – Noon • Jackson XC Center and XC fields/sledding hill. Ipswich Middle School youth group go to the XC center to get fitted for snow shoes and skis. Our youth are welcome to get outside with the Ipswich youth. They’re skiing and sledding and snow shoeing until lunch time. - YOUTH LUNCH & JUSTICE WORKSHOP
12:30pm + • Parish Hall, Jackson Community Church
Ipswich Middle School youth group workshop to plan worship and reflect on social/environmental justice issues. - YOUTH DINNER & WORSHIP
6:30pm • Parish Hall & Sanctuary
Jackson Community Church
Ipswich Middle School youth group makes dinner and holds worship. Our youth and families are welcome to come for meal, games, and worship on Saturday evening.
SUN, FEB 4
- YOUTH BREAKFAST & GOODBYE
6-7am • Parish Hall
Ipswich Middle School youth group get up, make quick breakfast, pack, and travel back to Ipswich, MA. - INTERFAITH GATHERING
8am • Madeline’s Deli, Jackson, NH
Starts indoors. Reflection & prayer using literature, sacred texts, personal sharing. Continuation of ‘outdoor gathering’ that was affectionately called ‘gazebo church.’ - BLESSINGS of BODIES, BOOTS n BINDINGS
9am • Jackson XC Ski Center. On-site blessings for skiers. - ADULT CHOIR PRACTICE
9am • Jackson Community Church - SUPERBOWL BRUNCH CHURCH
10:30am • Jackson Community Church
Bring a potluck breakfast/brunch/lunch item to share. We will start in the sanctuary, but spend most of our time in Parish Hall around tables for a community-style meal that also serves as our communion. Conversations at table focused on scriptures about athleticism, competition, victory and defeat, strength and resilience. Fun and family-friendly! Great way to kick off Superbowl Sunday!
Saturday, Feb 10 • 8:30am-5pm • Whitney Center
- Why You? Why Now? The Importance of Getting to Know Yourself
- How to Find and Fulfill Your Wishes
- There is No One Path to Success (adult panel discussion)
- Putting Your Best Foot Forward/Creating Your Own Brand
- Choose Your Own Adventure (on Boundaries and Being an Upstander)
- We’re More Alike Than You’d Think – A Basket of Questions (youth panel discussion)
- Tried and True Tips for Taking this to Tomorrow
https://www.facebook.com/events/1934714283514085/
Sunday, Feb 11 @ Mt Cranmore
41st Anniversary of the Race to Beat Cancer (Hope on the Slopes)
To benefit the American Cancer Society@ Mt. Cranmore
- You can participate as a skier or snowboarder. If you participate to race, the Mission Committee will sponsor you $25 towards your fundraising efforts. For more information go to http://relay.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=85419
- You can serve as a volunteer for the event.
MARDI GRAS CELEBRATION
TUE, FEB 6 • 6-8pm
Food & music
Featuring Miss Maybelle & Slimpickins! Plus KHS jazz ensemble.
Come dressed for Mardi Gras or don some beads and take a crazy photo. Donations gratefully accepted. Family friendly.
THIS WEEK at Jackson Community Church Jan 16-21
TUE, JAN16
- SMALL GROUP STUDY & REFLECTION
4pm • Pastor’s Office. Readings from Book of Joy by Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. A few copies reserved at library under Jackson Community Church book group. This group will meet weekly through January to read and reflect on this book. 1-2 copies are also available for purchase at White Birch Books.
WED, JAN 17
- PASTOR’S J-TOWN HOURS
7-9am • J-Town Deli. Drop by for hot beverage, good food, and a visit. - PASTOR’s OFFICE HOURS
10am-Noon • Jackson Community Church.
THURS, JAN 18
- CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES
3:30pm • Yoga with Charlotte Doucette • Parish Hall. $10/pp fee. (Scholarships available)
4:40pm • Guided Meditation with Charlotte Doucette (if yoga class is held, dependent on attendance) • Upstairs classroom. Free. - AA
6:30pm • Church Library
SAT, JAN 20
- 30K CLASSIC XC
Members and friends from the church will be participating or volunteering at this event. If you want to volunteer, please contact jxcvolunteers@gmail.com ASAP. This is a classic 30k marathon on the XC trail systems in and around Jackson Village. Entry includes food stations, post-race meal, awards and random prizes to both racers and tourers. All proceeds will benefit the JXN XC Junior Nordic Program. “IT’S ALL FOR THE KIDS!” Touring Classes are untimed. All skiers 13 and under must tour with an adult. Registration:To Register online head to www.skireg.com/white-mountain-classic-30k- Racers: $50 If received by 11:00 pm on 1/05/18
$65 1/6/18 – 1/18/17 at 12:00 pm
$100 Day of Race Registration until 9:00am. - Tourers: $40 If received by 11:00 pm on 1/05/18
$65 1/06/18 – 1/18/18 at 11:00 pm
$100 Day of Race Registration until 9:00am. - Kids 13 and under and touring with a participating adult: $20 if received by 1/19/18.
On line Registration is officially closed for everyone at noon the day before the event, or earlier if the 400-person limit is reached. More info can be found at the Jackson XC website.
- Racers: $50 If received by 11:00 pm on 1/05/18
SUN, JAN 21
- INTERFAITH GATHERING
8am • Madeline’s Deli, Jackson, NH
Starts indoors. Reflection & prayer using literature, sacred texts, personal sharing. Continuation of ‘outdoor gathering’ that was affectionately called ‘gazebo church.’ - BLESSINGS of BODIES, BOOTS n BINDINGS
9am • Jackson XC Ski Center. On-site blessings for skiers. - ADULT CHOIR PRACTICE
9am • Jackson Community Church - WORSHIP
10:30am • Jackson Community Church with Membership Celebration - PUBLIC RALLY/MARCH
11:45am/Noon • Jackson Covered Bridge
Reminder about the public gathering at the covered bridge for a peaceful rally about environmental, economic, and social justice issues. Inspired by 2018 Women’s March in various US locations and last year’s public rally in coordination with the 2017 Women’s March.
Reflections from Psalm 139 & MLK Weekend: Being Human
Pink Moon — the Pond (excerpt) — Mary Oliver
… You walk down to the shore.
Your coming stills them,
but little by little the silence lifts
until song is everywhere
and your soul rises from your bones
and strides out over the water.
It is a crazy thing to do —
for no one can live like that,
floating around in the darkness
over the gauzy water.
Left on the shore your bones
keep shouting come back!
But your soul won’t listen;
in the distance it is unfolding
like a pair of wings, it is sparking
like hot wires. So,
like a good friend,
you decide to follow.
You step off the shore
and plummet to your knees …
and now you are caught …
And that’s when it happens —
you see everything
through their eyes,
their joy, their necessity;
… And that’s when you know
you will live whether you will or not,
one way or another,
because everything is everything else,
one long muscle.
It’s no more mysterious than that.
So you relax, you don’t fight it anymore,
… in the moonlight, as it says
yes.
On Being Human
I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing Light of your own Being. — Hafiz
Challenging the meaning of life is the truest expression of being human. — Victor Frankl
Our existence was for the white man’s comfort and well-being; we had to accept being deprived of just being human. — Rosa Parks
Who am I? They mock me, these lonely questions of mine. Whoever I am, thou knowest, O [God], I am thine. — Deitrich Bonhoeffer
We have a tendency to think in terms of doing and not in terms of being. … Our time is first of all for us to be. To be what? To be alive, to be peaceful, to be joyful, to be loving. ― Thich Nhat Hanh, The Art of Living
You’ve got to keep asserting the complexity and the originality of life, and the multiplicity of it, and the facets of it. This is about being a complex human being in the world, not about finding a villain. This is no time for anything else than the best that you’ve got. ― Toni Morrison
Well, there is good news, and that is why they call it the gospel. The news is not that we are worse than we think, it is that we are better than we think, and better than we deserve to be. Why? Because at the very bottom of the whole enterprise is the indisputable fact that we are created, made, formed, invented, patented in the image of goodness itself … People … cannot take away from you the fact that you are a child of God and bear the impression of God in your very soul. — Peter Gomes
More than one writer calls Psalm 139 a creation psalm, but not one about the vast mysteries of the heavens and earth or even the marvelous workings of nature around us. This creation is God’s own ongoing work in bringing the human person to fullness of life, unwrapping the mystery of us and loving us all the while. — Kathryn Matthews
Just Imagine
Imagination opens up possibility, but sometimes we do not dare to imagine something as beautiful as God. — Nanette Sawyer, (in The Hyphenateds)
We live in a world where bad stories are told, stories that teach us life doesn’t mean anything and that humanity has no great purpose. It’s a good calling, then, to speak a better story. How brightly a better story shines. How easily the world looks to it in wonder. How grateful we are to hear these stories, and how happy it makes us to repeat them. — Donald Miller, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life
What a stunning vocation for the church, to stand free and hope-filled in a world gone fearful – and to think, imagine, dream, vision a future that God will yet enact. — Walter Brueggemann
From wonder into wonder existence opens. — Lao Tzu
From every mountainside, let freedom ring. When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, ‘Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!’ — Martin Luther King Jr., ‘I Have a Dream’ speech
On this day we commemorate Dr. King’s great dream of a vibrant, multiracial nation united in justice, peace and reconciliation; a nation that has a place at the table for children of every race and room at the inn for every needy child. We are called on this holiday, not merely to honor, but to celebrate the values of equality, tolerance and interracial sister and brotherhood he so compellingly expressed in his great dream for America. — Coretta Scott King
Commentary about the significance of this holiday from New York Times contributor Chris Lebron: What, To the Black American, Is Martin Luther King Jr. Day?
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only skyImagine all the people living for today
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace, you
But I’m not the only one
I hope some day you’ll join us
And the world will be as one
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people sharing all the world, you
But I’m not the only one
I hope some day you’ll join us
And the world will be as one
Reflections on second week of Advent theme – Peace: inner, relational, communal, national/political
Peace begins inside us, then in our relationships, our communities, and our world. All of it relies on connection to something greater than ourselves: Godself.
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.
— Lao Tse
Making Peace — Denise Levertov
A voice from the dark called out,
‘The poets must give us
imagination of peace, to oust the intense, familiar
imagination of disaster. Peace, not only
the absence of war.’
But peace, like a poem,
is not there ahead of itself,
can’t be imagined before it is made,
can’t be known except
in the words of its making,
grammar of justice,
syntax of mutual aid.
A feeling towards it,
dimly sensing a rhythm, is all we have
until we begin to utter its metaphors,
learning them as we speak.
A line of peace might appear
if we restructured the sentence our lives are making,
revoked its reaffirmation of profit and power,
questioned our needs, allowed
long pauses . . .
A cadence of peace might balance its weight
on that different fulcrum; peace, a presence,
an energy field more intense than war,
might pulse then,
stanza by stanza into the world,
each act of living
one of its words, each word
a vibration of light—facets
of the forming crystal.
On Inner PeaceThe first step is to come home to ourselves. You don’t need to become a Buddha. You need to become yourself. — Thich Nhat Hanh
Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding. — Albert Einstein
Spirituality is not to be learned by flight from the world, or by running away from things, or by turning solitary and going apart from the world. Rather, we must learn an inner solitude wherever or with whomsoever we may be. We must learn to penetrate things and find God there. ― Meister Eckhart
We are mirrors of our world. The world appears to us as we see ourselves. If it is a harsh place, we have, perhaps without understanding, nurtured a harsh place within. If it is a place of beauty, it is beauty we have nurtured within. — J. Wickham
Peace of mind is not the absence of conflict from life, but the ability to cope with it. — Unknown
Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without. ― Gautama Buddha
Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart … live in the question. ― Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet
We don’t realize that, somewhere within us all, there does exist a supreme self who is eternally at peace. ― Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love
We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves. ― Dalai Lama XIV
“Peace” can sound merely sentimental or clichéd (“visualize whirled peas”). But deep down, it’s what most of us long for. Consider the proverb: The highest happiness is peace. Not a peace inside that ignores pain in oneself or others, or is acquired by shutting down. This is a durable peace, a peace you can come home to even if it’s been covered over by fear, frustration, or heartache. When you’re at peace — when you are engaged with life while also feeling relatively relaxed, calm, and safe — you are protected from stress, your immune system grows stronger, and you become more resilient. Your outlook brightens and you see more opportunities. In relationships, feeling at peace prevents overreactions, increases the odds of being treated well by others, and supports you in being clear and direct when you need to be. — Dr. Rick Hanson, Huffington Post
Relational Peace
Happiness in relationships thrives when it involves people that already feel whole, secure and happy. These people do not depend on a relationship to give them anything. All of their relationships then reflect the wholeness of what they are. — Adam Oakley
If you approach someone with compassion, you will open their heart and mind. Show them you understand where they’re coming from, and they’ll be willing to see your side. That gives you a chance to express yourself and your expectations clearly. And when you let people know what you need at the right time in the right way, they’re more likely to give that to you. — Lori Deschene, tinybuddha.com
Sometimes you need to know that you have good people at your back when things go awry in your life. Good relationships can bring peace of mind, not to mention longer life, companionship, health, happiness, and a host of other benefits. At bottom, we are social creatures who need each other. — Meg Selig, Psychology Today
Conflicts can’t be avoided. But we can learn to navigate them more confidently and use the tension as an opportunity to express our views honestly and peacefully. … When you have incorrect perceptions of others, it’s easier to fear, even hate them. Get to know the genuine in others. Find shared experiences, hopes, and beliefs. Connect on that holy ground, and peace will flow out from those moments.— Susan Skog, Beliefnet
Take steps to build better relationships (below). — The Living Well Network
- Make a list of people you would like to see regularly.
- Remove distractions, like cell phones, when you visit.
- Be a better listener.
- Support them in their own efforts.
Communal Peace
Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world. — Desmond Tutu
It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance. — Robert F. Kennedy
Children, youth, and adults, even in communities in conflict, are choosing compassion and practicing peace, and they are learning to do this through the joy of play. Few things can provide a common link between people like laughter and play. Through cooperative play, we have a universal and non-threatening platform around which people can come together and learn. Play creates a gateway to moments when differences dissolve, fear melts away, and we see what connects us rather than what divides us. — PlayforPeace.org
Islam, especially its divine book holy Quran, demonstrates the prominence of peace and harmony between the communities. Through its verses as in the verse 5:16 (where with Allah guides all who seeks his good pleasure to ways of peace and safety) Quran seeks a peaceful situation between the communities … All commentators of Quran urged through their works to ensure communal peace and harmony and to take forward the steps of conflict resolution in this society. Especially in secular country … — Musthafa Theyyala, Communal Peace and Harmony: Role of the Commentaries of Qu’ran with Special Reference to Risalae Nur
Communal harmony does not only mean an absence of communal tensions, strifes and riots. It is something deeper, something emotional. Communal harmony implies mutual understanding, peaceful co-existence, cooperation and coordination among all the constituents of a community. Harmony means proper conformity of the parts to one another and to the whole. — Neeraj Dubey, Daily Excelsior.com
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. — Margaret Mead
If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner. — Nelson Mandela
Peace does not mean an absence of conflicts; differences will always be there. Peace means solving these differences through peaceful means; through dialogue, education, knowledge; and through humane ways. —Dalai Lama XIV
A number of other terms and concepts are necessarily related to the creation of peace, including fairness, justice, inclusiveness, and human rights. These must be embedded into the community in order to foster agreement and harmony. Peace is strongest when derived from social justice, which can be defined as ensuring fundamental rights and equity to all. Strengthening civil society – the rules that bind us and allow us to live productively together, with established means of resolving conflict – is the means to those ends. — Charter for Compassion
Everyone must be committed in the matter of peace, to do everything that they can ….Peace is the language we must speak. — Pope Francis
Peace comes from being able to contribute the best that we have, and all that we are, toward creating a world that supports everyone. But it is also securing the space for others to contribute the best that they have and all that they are. — Hafsat Abiola
If you want to end the war then Instead of sending guns, send books. Instead of sending tanks, send pens. Instead of sending soldiers, send teachers. — Malala Yousafzai, Noble Peace Laureate
To replace the old paradigm of war with a new paradigm of waging peace, we must be pioneers who can push the boundaries of human understanding. We must be doctors who can cure the virus of violence. We must be soldiers of peace who can do more than preach to the choir. And we must be artists who will make the world our masterpiece. — Paul Chappell
What kind of peace do we seek? Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, the kind that enables men and nations to grow and to hope and to build a better life for their children . . . not merely peace in our time but peace for all time. — John F. Kennedy
More than just an end to war, we want an end to the beginnings of all wars. — Franklin D. Roosevelt
Peace does not rest in the charters and covenants alone. It lies in the hearts and minds of all people. So let us not rest all our hopes on parchment and on paper, let us strive to build peace, a desire for peace, a willingness to work for peace in the hearts and minds of all of our people. I believe that we can. I believe the problems of human destiny are not beyond the reach of human beings. — John F. Kennedy
If there is a mystical chord in democracy, it probably revolves around the notion that unexpected music can resonate from politics when people are pursuing questions larger than self… I have seen that ennobling effect in people many, many times— expressed by those who found themselves engaged in genuine acts of democratic expression, who claimed their right to define the larger destiny of their community, their nations. — William Greider
The moment we begin to fear the opinions of others and hesitate to tell the truth that is in us, and from motives of policy are silent when we should speak, the divine floods of light and life no longer flow into our souls. —Elizabeth Cady Stanton
If the human race wishes to have a prolonged and indefinite period of material prosperity, they have only got to behave in a peaceful and helpful way toward one another. — Winston Churchill
We will take direct action against injustice despite the failure of governmental and other official agencies to act first. We will not obey unjust laws or submit to unjust practices. We will do this peacefully, openly, cheerfully because our aim is to persuade. We adopt the means of nonviolence because our end is a community at peace with itself. We will try to persuade with our words, but if our words fail, we will try to persuade with our acts. We will always be willing to talk and seek fair compromise, but we are ready to suffer when necessary and even risk our lives to become witnesses to truth as we see it.(AND)
So we must fix our vision not merely on the negative expulsion of war, but upon the positive affirmation of peace. We must see that peace represents a sweeter music, a cosmic melody that is far superior to the discords of war. Somehow we must transform the dynamics of the world power struggle from the negative nuclear arms race which no one can win to a positive contest to harness man’s creative genius for the purpose of making peace and prosperity a reality for all of the nations of the world. In short, we must shift the arms race into a “peace race”. If we have the will and determination to mount such a peace offensive, we will unlock hitherto tightly sealed doors of hope and transform our imminent cosmic elegy into a psalm of creative fulfillment.— Martin Luther King, Jr., Acceptance Speech: Les Prix Nobel en 1964