Living Peace Connecting Your Spirituality With Your Work For Justice

Longtime labor and immigration rights activist Victor Narro believes it's time to bring spirituality into social justice work. To that end, his book Living Peace provokes dialogue for the sharing and integration of spirituality among those working for peace and justice. Narro reveals how the life and teachings of St. Francis of Assisi shape his work, teaching him the way of peace, love, and service, and how through interaction with other activists, his Franciscan spirituality has also been enriched by that of others, such as Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. As he shares his reflections on various ways spirituality can nourish social activism, Narro invites readers to contemplate and then express what's inside their own hearts as they awaken to the power of shared spirituality as a force for social justice. The book's simple, elegant structure presents each reflection along with several questions and the space to write responses. Each book will become a personal spiritual tool for activists, providing guidance that can make the struggle for justice more compassionate, more fulfilling, and healthier for everyone.

"To take care of each other should be our primary concern in this 21st century and Father Dear is steady on this course." --Thich Nhat Hanh For John Dear, a Jesuit priest and respected leader of the ecumenical peace movement, the spiritual life is a combination of contemplation and action, of maintaining inner peace and projecting that peace into the greater world. It is the spirituality exemplified by the lives of Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, and others throughout history who remained true to the highest ideals while addressing the most difficult problems and conflicts of the real world. As a tireless advocate for social justice and human rights, Dear has followed that path in his own life, and in Living Peace he describes his journey. Breaking down the life of peace into three parts an inner journey, a public journey, and the journey of all humanity he shares the spiritual practices that have sustained him and teaches readers how to integrate these practices into their own lives. From the Hardcover edition.

There is a spiritual core within social justice activism from which we can deepen our solidarity with each other, our interconnectedness, our creativity and our compassion. The work for justice is filled with the values attributed to spirituality - love, compassion, empathy for those in need, and a lifetime commitment to bring justice into their lives. Tapping into this spiritual core to find sustenance and meaning is both instrumental and necessary if we are to carry on. This book is a call for all of us to integrate that inner spiritual core into our work to make the struggle for justice more compassionate, fulfilling, caring, and sustainable for all of us. To be an activist for justice is to love humanity and all of creation.

Jim Wallis, well-known justice advocate and author, has stated that the two great hungers in the world today are for spirituality and social justice. Although social work and related fields have increasingly recognized the importance of addressing spirituality within clinical practice, less attention has been paid to the role of spirituality in promoting social justice or supporting social change within macropractice. The contributions in this edited collection highlight current developments in this area, including emerging conceptual frameworks, practice applications and research findings. Theoretical approaches to understanding the link between spirituality and justice are explored in analyses of alternative models of social justice and justice orientations of major faith traditions. The critical role of spirituality in larger system change is illustrated through exemplars of research on vulnerable populations, community practice, legislative advocacy, development of social movements, and ecological social work. The importance of including content on religion and spirituality in professional curricula is explored through research on students’ attitudes toward spirituality and social advocacy. Noting the resonating themes within all of these contributions, the volume concludes with an overview of emerging principles for spiritual activism. This book aims to stimulate further development in the vital connection between spirituality and social justice. It was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work.

Living peace is a journey that includes introspection and self-awareness. Fox encourages readers to embrace five principles: - forgiveness, - confidence, - compassion, - gratitude, - and integrity. She explores what each principle requires of us and shares her personal journey toward understanding how to live these principles that promote inner peace. Fox says that peace is a present-moment attitude and action. Living peacefully requires decision-making, self-observation, and the courage of our convictions.

In his work as a spiritual teacher interacting with seekers and activists from around the world, Chris Saade has witnessed a remarkable recent phenomenon: an emerging wave of spirituality that is socially and globally engaged in the pursuit of justice, earth care, and solidarity. Saade calls this movement "second wave spirituality," and in this book he maps out the cutting-edge ideas that are fueling this burgeoning wave of engaged spirituality. He challenges us to rise to our spiritual task and join the millions of all faiths who are awakening to the suffering and social struggles of all living beings. According to Saade, second wave spirituality holds a vision of the intrinsic values of love: justice, global peace, solidarity, inclusion, democratic freedom, compassion, and reconciliation. Saade explores current trends of thought that are shaking the foundations of our belief systems and propelling us toward an evolutionary leap. We are in the midst of a spiritual renaissance, Saade asserts, a universal reawakening that will steer us away from the abysmal global dangers we are facing. The book also includes a collection of quotations as a resource for those working for peace, justice, and inclusion. By dividing the selections into theme-specific chapters, Saade helps us easily access the wisdom and companionship of other souls committed to our diversity, our oneness, and our pursuit of justice. Contents Foreword by Andrew Harvey Introduction 1. The Emergence of Second Wave Spirituality 2. A Brief Historical Overview of "First Wave" Spirituality 3. Crossing the Threshold 4. The Flowering of the Feminine in Theological and Spiritual Thinking 5. The Great Convergence of Spiritual Development and Action for Peace and Justice 6. The Six Crucial Ideas that Converged and Generated the Global Awakening of Second Wave Spirituality 7. Fourteen Additional Characteristics Essential to Second Wave Spirituality 8. A Response to the Escalating Global Crisis: Love in Action 9. Implications of Second Wave Spirituality for the Individual 10. Practical Suggestions for Spiritual Activism 11. Summary and A Blessing for the Reader 12. Engaged Spirituality and Sacred Activism: Writings and Quotes

The world, contrary to popular understanding, is not less religious but in many ways more religious than ever. Two issues seem to be emerging in this resurgence. One is the need for a spiritual center that gives integration, a sense of inner peace, ethical guidance, and meaning and direction in life. It is present in most of the world’s great religious traditions and present elsewhere as humans seek to find their way in a confusing, conflicted, and rapidly changing world. Accompanying this quest for a deeper spirituality is the “God question” and a desire to understand the divine in new ways that match a contemporary worldview. This book, Mindful Spirituality, invites the reader to find a thoughtful, credible, and satisfying way to address these two major concerns. While starting within a Christian frame of reference, the book is not exclusive, but ecumenical and interfaith in spirit. It is especially helpful to those with no set spiritual pathway and those disenchanted with traditional approaches that seem out of date and for another era. In a deep and sacred way, it invites the reader to reach upward for a thoughtful way of understanding transcendence, to open inward for a mature and gratifying spirituality, and to expand outward in responsible and loving service.

Living Liturgy™ 2021 provides practical, sound, and inspiring content from expert authors to enrich your parish liturgy and ministry. This best-selling annual resource is ideal for parish ministers, liturgists, pastors, planning committees, and RCIA programs. A unique and robust formation program, Living Liturgy™ offers the readings, plus insightful reflections and contextual background information for Sundays, Solemnities, and additional feasts of liturgical and national importance. A fresh resource each liturgical year, Living Liturgy™ gives your team the spiritual preparation they need to serve in their ministries, integrating daily living, prayer, and study in an inviting and easy-to-use format. Engaging new art by Ruberval Monteiro da Silva, OSB, complements the text and invites further reflection on the Gospel of the day. This indispensable guide deepens a liturgical spirituality and strengthens the worship experience for the whole parish.