As we prepare to say goodbye to July and welcome August, we find both comfort and challenge in the reminder of what it is to be “one in the Spirit” through these words of inspiration and encouragement from Bishop Steven Charleston.
They are words that call us to the common cause of hope even as we face together the challenges of a polarized and divided nation moving out of a global pandemic back to a future we have yet to imagine in a world simultaneously threatened by the climate crisis attacking our planet and the rise of authoritarian oligarchies attacking our democracy.
And they remind us that the power behind and within us is greater than the challenges ahead of us.
I will not surrender history
Bishop Steven Charleston: July 26, 2021
to those who would take it for themselves
or deny it to others.
I will not remain silent
so leaders who love the sound of their own voice
may do all the talking.
I will not accept the sacrifice of justice
on the altar of ideology.
I will commit my time and resources
to support the good work in which I believe.
I will work alongside others
from all backgrounds who share common cause with hope.
I will listen and learn and grow in my resolve
to see a better tomorrow.
My faith life is a simple creed: do unto others.
My spirit life is a single action: keep balance with the Spirit.
Who I am, I commit to the Spirit.
What I have, I commit to my human family.
Where I go, I commit to love.
[Photo: Matt Howard via Unsplash]
One in the Spirit EDLA 