As of this writing, the presidential inauguration is still several days away. By the time you are reading this newsletter, that event will have passed – maybe it went without a hitch, maybe there was another riot like the one on January 6, when a mob invaded our nation’s Capitol building. Or maybe the next time was worse.
Either way, our calling remains the same. Even if there were no armed conflicts that made it to the news headlines, we have a long way to go. Healing our history, being more mindful in the present, and creating a better future – those are not tasks we can check off a to-do list. Racial justice, LGBTQ rights, climate change, and poverty (just to name a few) are ongoing challenges. If we are serious about bringing into being a more just and loving world (these are words from our mission statement, and they are synonymous with Beloved Community), then we cannot rest.
Here are some musical selections related to Beloved Community, which is our theme for February: