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As January 6 unfolded, many of us were transfixed by the images on our screens, as we watched actions not seen since the British entered and burned the White House and Library of Congress during the War of 1812. Two pipe bombs were found on the Capitol grounds, as those carrying the flag of the Confederacy and sporting shirts that said "Camp Auschwitz" and "Civil War, January 6, 2021" roamed the halls of Congress, broke into both the House and Senate chambers, vandalized offices, and enjoyed taking selfies. For hours.

A zombie fire is a wildfire that appears to go out but really just moves underground. There, it smolders and burns unseen until the conditions on the top are ripe for the fire to erupt again in its full, destructive measure. There are zombie fires erupting now in the Arctic as the planet warms.

At Camp Canonicus with my mother

The earliest memories I have of my mother are her singing to me before bed. There are a number of songs that she sang--hymns mostly--but one was almost always in the mix, and it shaped me:

Christians often turn to the Hebrew prophets for our holy days, which has given us a rather lopsided view of their message. We relish, "Comfort, comfort my people" and all the promises of streams in the desert, mourning into dancing, a return from exile, a savior to come, and life springing from a valley of dry bones.

We all wish the times were different. Many of us are missing the comforts of sharing our rituals and traditions with others. But if you're actually mad that you can't gather for Holy Week services, let me gently suggest that you're missing the point of Holy Week. And, if you're opening your church doors and inviting people to gather, I would go as far as to say that you aren't just missing the point, you are negating it altogether.

Priorities Cover

EXPLORING JUSTICE: THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

This is a five volume series for small groups that examines justice issues through the lens of the Ten Commandments. All proceeds from the sales of these books go to support the work and mission of the Massachusetts Bible Society. The series is in production.

Volume I: Priorities--available now!

The world is on edge right now. Troops muster, missiles fly; hate and violence cast a pall of fear at home and abroad. We feel a sense of unity with those who share our views on world events but more divided than ever from those who don't. New alliances are made but often at the high cost of once-cherished relationships that now lie in the dust.

Cardinal Sean O'Malley and Rev. Anne Robertson (George Martell/Pilot New Media)

THE HISTORY

Fifty years ago, as Vatican II was sending the ecumenical spirit soaring, Cardinal Richard Cushing was invited to speak at the Sudbury United Methodist Church.  In that new spirit of Protestants and Catholics getting along, he accepted the invitation and gave the gathered congregation of Protestants and Catholics about 90 minutes of his best stuff.