Thursday, March 24, 2011

Remembering Romero

Monsignor Oscar Romero continues to inspire many to work for peace even under the yoke of poverty, poltical opposition, or social alienation.  St. Joseph's parish at 19th and Aloha, who have a Sister Parish in San Salvador, are hosting an event tonight titled "Living the Legacy of Romero" at 7pm in the Parish Center.  They invite all to join for food, conversation, and reflection on the life of Romero and how each of us can continue to live his legacy.

You can also reflect with Pax Christi USA's article on Oscar Romero available via this link.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

How Can I Keep From Singing?



Songs of peace abound in every era and in every genre.  When I'm in folk mood (churning butter or hanging long flowy skirts on the clothes line...) I like to sing Let There Be Peace On Earth.
Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on earth
The peace that was meant to be.

If I'm crooning along to Josh Groban, I go to You Are Loved (Don't Give Up) and gain strength from the knowledge that God is ever faithful in supporting our journey towards peace. 
Don't give up
Because you want to burn bright
If darkness blinds you
I will shine to guide you

Sometime I want to rock.  The reggae and hip hop groove of Michael Franti's Bomb The World is so quotable. 
We can bomb the world to pieces
But we can't bomb it into peace

Violence brings one thing
More more of the same

So i sing out to the masses
Stand up if you're still sane!
To all of us gone crazy
I sing this one refrain

We can bomb the world to pieces
But we can't bomb it into peace

You tellin' me it's unpatriotic
But i call it what i see it
When i see is idiotic
The tears of one mother
Are the same as any other
Drop food on the kids
While you're murderin' their fathers
Power to Peaceful.

He captures the frustration I feel about the wars the U.S. has engaged in over the past 10 years, but also provides a rallying cry.  Hope powers us in our quest for peace, even when the world seems so resistant to non-violence and life.  Like the oft-invoked image of a single candle in the darkness, each song is a flame quietly doing battle for peace. 
 
My life goes on in endless song:
Above earth's lamentation,
I catch the sweet, tho' far-off hymn
That hails a new creation.
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul--
How can I keep from singing?


What songs are you singing?


Thanks for the SF Weekly for the photo: blogs.sfweekly.com