Swords into plowshares

July 2011

July 29, 2011

Peace and the Debt Ceiling

Religious leaders kneel in the Capitol Hill Rotunda to pray for a just and compassionate budget. —Photo by Matthew Dimick

Presbyterians have been neither silent nor gone unnoticed this week as Congress has continued its struggle with the debt ceiling and the possibility of budget cuts to programs that serve the poorest and most vulnerable of Americans. Prayers and prayer vigils to God and letters, phone calls, and emails to congressional representatives have all been acts of peacemaking. Our Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons, along with other religious leaders, met on Tuesday with Republican and Democratic Congressional leaders. You can read ...

Posted at 2:29 p.m.
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July 28, 2011

A reminder

I led morning prayers at the Church Center for the United Nations on Thursday morning. I shared a story about a member of the Communion of Saints - Samuel Johnson. I was reading the Bible, not Boswell. I met Samuel in Orangeburg, SC some fifteen years ago. It was good to remember him.

During the service, those present were invited to pray. The prayers touched on a variety of concerns - the Horn of Africa, the deadlock on the debt ceiling in the United States, family with illness, friends who had died, Norway, Sudan and South Sudan, Malawi, human rights and religious ...

Posted at 11:23 a.m.
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July 27, 2011

Numbers and the Horn of Africa

Reports from UN the Horn of Africa estimate that 10,000,000 people are experiencing a severe food crisis.

That's more people than live in New York City (not including urban area).

That's more people than live in Wyoming, Washington D.C., Vermont, North Dakota, Alaska, South Dakota, Delaware, Montana, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine combined.

Here are some ideas of how to respond:

10 Ways You Can Help

Give to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

Pray

Learn more

Posted at 7:24 p.m.
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July 27, 2011

Official summary of UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East and Palestine

Below is the official summary from the United Nations Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East and the question of Palestine held yesterday.

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6590th meeting of the Security Council

The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question

The agenda was adopted without objection.

The President, with the consent of the Council, invited the representatives of Bangladesh, Cuba, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Egypt, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Pakistan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, Uganda and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, at their request, to participate in ...

Posted at 9:35 a.m.
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July 26, 2011

UN Security Council holds open debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question

The United Nations Security Council held an open debate on the situation in the Middle East and the question of Palestine today. Below are links to background information and statements made in the Council:

Security Council Report: Israel-Palestine

Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry

Uganda

Israel

Press Question and Answer- Palestine

United States

Links to additional statements will be posted when they become available.