Education for Justice Resources the Following Resources Are Included in This File

Education for Justice Resources The following resources are included in this file:

1. Prayer for countries in political distress In light o the recent uprising in Iraq, this prayer challenges us to be present to the violence and unrest in our world and to become agents of peace and change.

2. World Refugee Day June 20th is World Refugee Day. This backgrounder provides an overview of the plight of refugees and internally displaced persons. As people of faith, we are called to remember that these are women, men, and children with human dignity. They are not simply statistics.

3. Women Refugees On June 20th World Refugee Day, the global community gives special attention to the plight of refugees. This prayer calls for healing of women refugees from around the world who search for safety and security for their families.

4. World Refugee Prayer Service This two-page resource for World Refugee Day (June 20), contains an opening prayer, scripture reading, litany for refugees, signs of hope, and reflections on the reality of refugees today.

5. U.N. Day in Support of Torture Victims On June 26th, the U.N. International Day in Support of Victims and Survivors of Torture, we pause to reflect on the horrors of torture in today's world. This prayer invites us to search our souls and ask for a forgiveness that will reach into the very prison cells of our brothers at Guantánamo.

6. Feast of Kateri Tekakwitha July 14th is the feast day of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Lily of the Mohawks, the first Native American of North America to be canonized a saint. This backgrounder features a short biography of Kateri and her faith journey.

7. Nelson Mandela: A Cosmic Presence of Action This prayer is in honor of Nelson Mandela who was a model of perseverance and nonviolence in the quest for justice and equality.

8. Mandela: The Making of a Leader On July 18th, the global community will honor the life of Nelson Mandela. This prayer was written in his honor. Like Jesus, Mandela modeled Gospel values showing us that perseverance and nonviolence can result in justice and equality. PRAYER

Prayer for Countries in Political Distress Take pity on your people, O God, Take pity on them, For your people need refuge Until the destruction is past.

Rescue your people In Iraq, in Ukraine, in Syria, In the Central Africa Republic, in Ethiopia, In Honduras, in Venezuela, In Thailand, in Pakistan, In North Korea, in China, In every place where communities clash. From harm and violence, save them.

Be their stronghold from assailants And the misuse of force. From those who would ignore justice, save them. From those who trample upon peace, save them.

Help us sing of your teachings And become your voice That rings out and echoes amid the hills, “Peace be with you” Shaming the wicked And bringing strength To those who feel abandoned or threatened.

We cry out, God of life, So the just may be delivered And peace may be restored. Amen. By Jane Deren

1 / 1 Copyright © 2014 l Education for Justice, a Project of the Center of Concern BACKGROUNDER HUMAN DIGNITY OF REFUGEES “A change of attitude towards migrants and refugees is needed, moving away from attitudes of fear, indifference and marginalization, typical of a throwaway culture, towards attitudes based on a culture of encounter, the only culture capable of building a better, more just and fraternal world.” ~ Pope Francis, January, 2014

In the last year, approximately 7.6 million people were newly displaced by war and sudden-outset disasters around the world. Many have sought refuge in neighboring countries; some remain in their country of origin but have been displaced from their homes. According to the United Nations, 2012 was one of the worst periods for forced displacement of people in decades. With the crisis in Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, and elsewhere, the numbers have reached an all-time high: approximately 28.8 million human beings were forced to flee their homes within their own country. Antonio Guterres, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that “These truly are alarming numbers. They reflect individual suffering on a huge scale and they reflect the difficulties of the international community in preventing conflicts and promoting timely solutions for them.”

By the end of 2012, the total of persons with refugee and IDP status world-wide was almost 47 million, the highest level on record. While statistics have not yet been released for 2013, the increase of refugees is not expected to decline. As people of faith, we are called to remember that these are women, men, and children with human dignity. They are not simply statistics. On June 20, World Refugee Day seeks to spotlight these persons by honoring the courage, strength, and determination of women, men, and children who are forced to flee their homes under threat of persecution, conflict and violence, and climate change.

Rarely do refugees have the chance to make plans for their departure: to pack their belongings, to gather food, and to bid farewell to their friends and families. Refugees have had a variety of experiences, and every individual’s “refugee journey” is unique. Most have faced deeply distressing and harrowing experiences and many have survived a range of physical, psychological, and emotional traumas. Others have had to flee because of persecution, torture, and conflict-related injuries. Many refugees have known fear and have spent months, years or even decades living in refugee camps.

Women refugees, often traveling alone with their children, may have experienced rape in their home countries and some are raped in or near refugee camps, as was the case in Darfur. There have been reports that women in the Syrian refugee camps who were made widows during the conflict or who had to leave without their hus- bands have been forced into prostitution.

Almost half (around 46 percent) of the world’s forcibly displaced are children, and many spend their entire childhood far from home. Whether they are refugees or internally displaced, children are at a greater risk of abuse, neglect, violence, exploitation, trafficking, or forced military recruitment. They may have witnessed or experienced violent acts and/or been separated from their families. While many of these children have demonstrated great resiliency, many also suffer long-term trauma.

Source: UNHCR - http://www.unhcr.org/51c071816.html

REFLECTION QUESTIONS PRAYER FOR REFUGEES

• Is it surprising to learn that there are more than 40 For all those who see “home” million refugees and internally displaced persons in And all it means the world today? Why or why not? Disappear behind them As they flee; • Pope Francis calls us to have encounters of some For all those who cannot see a home kind with refugees and to recognize their human In the days ahead of them; dignity; he does not want us to turn our backs to For all those who dwell in them. How can we respond to the Pope’s call? Daily insecurity What can motivate us to respond? In tents and camps; For all those who are weary and • The World Refugee Day website and the Jesuit Refu- Without hope for the days ahead; gee Service website listed below both have videos For all members of of refugees talking about their lives. Watch one or Refugee families we pray. more of these videos. What can you learn from personal accounts of the refugee experience? May the image of the Holy Family Fleeing oppression • Are there refugees living in your area or region? Do Stay with us as we pray you know anything about their lives in their new For your displaced children homes? How can you befriend them? How can you During the day and learn more about their lives as refugees and the Stay with us each night challenges they face daily? As we are blessed With returning to a home. • Do you know of any faith-based and/or community groups who are working in your area to support May we also be blessed refugees in resettlement? Can you envision ways With compassion for those that you, your family, your parish, and/or your Still weary, still uprooted, school can reach out to these groups in their work Still looking far from home. with refugees? Amen.

FAITH IN ACTION • Show support for Refugees. Send an E-card for World Refugee Day: http://www.unhcr.ca/ecards/default.htm • Organize an event in your school or parish community. Invite a refuge to share his/her experiences. You could also gather to watch videos on refugee stories. http://www.worldrefugeeday.us/site/c.arKKI1MLIjI0E/b.8092105/k.B369/World_Refugee_Day.htm • Learn more about the work of Catholic Relief Services and its work in refugee camps around the world. http://www.crs.org • Learn about the work of the Jesuit Refugee Service USA and how to support their work: http://www.jrsusa.org

Prayer for Women Refugees

On the road, seeking safe shelter; In makeshift tents, feeding children; In resettlement centers, rebuilding community; In strange neighborhoods, looking for a compassionate face: Long lines of women refugees, Thousands, millions, all searching for that grace called home.

Grant them healing and wholeness, God of the vulnerable. As you cherished Mary, cherish these women.

Grant us eyes to see them and the will to reach out, So that they may know they are not forgotten But are welcomed in the global community, Sisters to us all. Amen.

By Jane Deren

World Refugee Day - June 2014: “A Place to Call Home” CALL TO PRAYER

Leader:

We remember the journey of the Holy Family who became refugees in Egypt before returning home.

We recognize the similar journeys that are taken by millions of families in the world today. May refugees rebuild their lives in safety and dignity.

Wherever possible, may they return to the homes and communities they were forced to abandon.

When they cannot return home because of war, poverty, or persecution may they be welcomed and allowed new lives in new lands. End their homelessness and bring them to safe harbor. Amen

Reader 1: Voices from Exile

Mary, Mother and Companion of Refugees, We weep beside the rivers and we long for an end to our exile. We weep and our tears mingle in the waters that flow by us but do not take us home. Our children have no roots to nourish them. Our elders have been lost to us. The land we cherished is gone. How long will we wander? How long will we yearn to return? How long will we weep beside the rivers of exile?

Reader 2: Scripture Reflection

As the travelers to Emmaus walked, “Jesus himself came up and walked beside them, but they did not recognize him.” The travelers invited Jesus to stay with them, and “while He was with them at the table, he took the bread and blessed it; then He broke it and handed it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him...” (Luke 24: 30-31).

Reader 3: Background

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) an estimated 15.4 million internationally displaced refugees, 937,000 asylum seekers, and 28.8 million people are forced to flee their homes within their own countries. António Guterres, head of UNHCR announced: “These truly are alarming numbers. They reflect individual suffering on a huge scale and they reflect the difficulties of the international community in preventing conflicts and promoting timely solutions for them.”

(Leader invites participants to pause for a moment of silence.)

All: I seek forgiveness, O God, for the times that I

have to failed to recognize your son Jesus in others.

(Leader invites participants to pause for a moment of silence. Shared reflection is optional.)

All: I ask forgiveness, O God, for the times I have not welcomed those different from me.

Litany for Homeless Refugees

Left: Mary, Mother and Companion of Refugees, For the more than 5 million Palestinians who have been refugees for over half a century, Give them a place to call home.

Right: Mary, Mother and Companion of Refugees, For the 2,585,600 refugees from Afghanistan, Give them a place to call home.

Left: Mary, Mother and Companion of Refugees, For the 568,800 refugees from the Sudan, Give them a place to call home.

Right: Mary, Mother and Companion of Refugees, For the 1,136,600 refugees from Somalia, Give them a place to call home.

Left: Mary, Mother and Companion of Refugees, For the 509,400 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Give them a place to call home.

Right: Mary, Mother and Companion of Refugees, For the 415,300 refugees from Myanmar (Burma), Give them a place to call home.

Left: Mary, Mother and Companion of Refugees, For the 394,100 refugees from Colombia, Give them a place to call home.

Right: Mary, Mother and Companion of Refugees, For the 746,100 refugees from Iraq, Give them a place to call home.

Left: Mary, Mother and Companion of Refugees, For the 728,500 refugees from the Arab Republic, Give them a place to call home.

Right: Mary, Mother and Companion of Refugees, For the 336,900 refugees from Viet Nam, Give them a place to call home.

Left: Mary, Mother and Companion of Refugees, For the 285,300 refugees from Eritrea, Give them a place to call home.

Right: Mary, Mother and Companion of Refugees, For the more than 2.6 million refugees from Syria, Give them a place to call home.

Left: Mary, Mother and Companion of Refugees, For the hundreds of thousands of other refugees from countries around the world, Give them a place to call home. (Source: “UNHCR Population Statistics,” 2012, accessed June 16, 2014, http://popstats.unhcr.org/PSQ_POC.aspx)

Right: Mary, Mother and Companion of Refugees, For the 47,000 unaccompanied refugee children apprehended at the U.S. southwest border, Give them a home. (Source: “Dramatic increase of unaccompanied children seeking to enter the United States,” UNICEF 2014, accessed June 16, 2013, http://www.unicef.org/media/media_73755.html.) Reader 1: “I will make a highway across the mountains and prepare a road for my people to travel . . . Sing, heavens! Shout for joy, earth! The Lord will comfort his people . . . Look around you and see what is happening! Your people are assembling, they are coming home” (Isaiah 49:11-13, 18).

For Now Tev Soeun, who has come home to Cambodia after years as a refugee, we rejoice and give thanks to God.

Reader 2: For Simon Akatari, who is beginning to rebuild his life in Mozambique after living in a refugee camp in Zimbabwe, we rejoice and give thanks to God.

Reader 3: For Jasenko Selimovic, who has found a new home in Sweden after fleeing Bosnia during the war, we rejoice and give thanks to God.

Reader 1: For Alfredo Chivunda, who was born in a refugee camp in Zambia, and has returned 14 years later to Angola, we rejoice and give thanks to God.

Reader 2: For William Kolong Pioth, one of the lost boys in the Sudan who received an education and a new home in Canada, we rejoice and give thanks to God.

Reader 3: For Esperanza Kabiba, who has returned with her family to Angola after living for years in a refugee camp in the Congo, we rejoice and give thanks to God.

Reader 1: For Nolvia Dominquez, who fled from political persecution in Chile and now has a family, home, and welcoming community in Norway, we rejoice and give thanks to God.

Reader 2: For Dr. Joseph Nsengiyumva, who has returned to his home in Rwanda to practice medicine after being a refugee, we rejoice and give thanks to God.

Reader 3: For the refugees in our local community, in our state, and in our country who have been welcomed as we welcome Christ, we rejoice and give thanks to God.

Reflection from Catholic Social Teaching Leader: “We call on all who follow Christ not to turn away from those who are the strangers on the road, but to see them as our brothers and sisters, and to support efforts to help them return to their homes, and where this is not possible, to welcome them without fear and aid them in creating new homes.” (Pontifical Council, “Cor Unum,”1998)

(Leader invites participants to decide on a collective action to support refugees in the community.)

Prayers for Places to Call Home

All: We pray for roofs that safely shelter refugees. We pray for walls that offer security for refugees. We pray for rooms in which the dignity of refugees can flourish. We pray for the beauty of nature to restore the broken hearts of refugees. We pray for communities that celebrate the presence and gifts of refugees.

Hear our prayers, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. Help us see you in all those who have had to flee their lands Grant all refugees the grace and support to rebuild their homes and their lives. Amen.

Guantánamo Brothers, Forgive Us

O single Source from which all love and light flows, We gather as a people united in the name of dignity and transparency. As people of conscience, we look into the mirror of our souls, Mindful of your words, “What you have done To the least of my brothers, you have done to me.”

Once again we have failed you. We have allowed seeds of fear to blind us to what is truly right and just.

We have been duped by the luring words of our leaders To see our Guantánamo brothers as the worst of the worst.

We have watched as our leaders impugn the truth that these men are a threat to national security and to the global community.

How long, O Sacred Vision of Justice, how long, Will we allow these men, who have had no charges brought against them, To be hidden away from our consciences, and the requirements of our collective faith?

How long, O Sacred Vision of Justice, how long, Will we let them wither away in despair, a testament not to the promises of justice, But to the violation of the sacredness and dignity of the human person?

In your name, we acknowledge that we have disgraced ourselves In our treatment of our Guantánamo brothers.

In your name, we admit that we have encouraged seeds of hatred To despoil the garden of the common good.

In your name, we recognize that we have played a role In tearing families apart.

In your name, we confess that we have crucified You, once again, In our treatment of our Guantánamo brothers,

Pain-bearer, Life-giver, we have failed you And we have failed one another.

We ask for a forgiveness that will reach into the very prison cells Of our brothers at Guantánamo. Only when we have done this, May we turn and ask for forgiveness from You. Amen.

1 / 1 Copyright © 2014 l Education for Justice, a Project of the Center of Concern BACKGROUDER St. Kateri Tekakwitha: Patronness of Loss of Parents, Ecology, and the Environment Kateri Tekakwitha, also called “Lily of the Mohawks” is known as the Catholic patroness of loss of parents, ecology, and environment. She was born in1656 in what is now upstate New York. She was the daughter of a non-Christian Mohawk chief of the Turtle clan, and her mother was a Christian Algonquin. After her birth, her people named her Tekakwitha, which means, “She puts all things in order” or “The One Who Walks Grop- ing for Her Way.”

At the age of four, a smallpox epidemic ravaged her village leaving her orphaned, disfigured, and visually impaired. Tekakwitha was raised by two aunts and an uncle, who was also a Mohawk chief who opposed Christianity because he believed the European settlers Statue of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Santa Fe, NM who subscribed to the religion had brought the smallpox virus and other deadly diseases into their village.

In 1667, Jesuit missionaries came to the village where “I am no longer Tekakwitha lived. The natives christened them “black robes” because that is what they wore at all times. She my own. believed that these visitors brought the village the mes- sage of the one true God.

I have given myself When Kateri was eighteen years old, she began instruc- tions in the Catholic faith in secret. Her uncle finally re- entirely to lented and gave his consent for her to become a Chris- tian, provided that she did not try to leave the village. She was scorned by the villagers for joining the Catholic Jesus Christ.” Church and was threatened because of her beliefs.

~ Saint Kateri Tekakwitha As a young woman, she had strong and deep convic- tions. She dared to challenge some tribal values in order to pursue her goal. In 1676 she was baptized and given the name Kateri (Catherine).

After her baptism, she escaped to the Mission of St. Francis Xavier, a settlement of Christian Indians in Canada. Here she was known for her gentleness, kindness, and good wit.

On Christmas Day 1677, Kateri made her first holy communion and on the Feast of the Annunciation in 1679, she made a vow of celibacy and offered herself to Mother Mary to accept her as a daughter. During her time in Canada, Kateri taught prayers to children and worked with the elderly and sick. She died on April 17th, 1680, shortly before her 24th birthday. Her last words were, “Jesos Konoronkwa.” “Jesus, I Love You.” Shortly after her death, in the presence of two Jesuits, the scars on her face suddenly disappeared and her face shone with radiant loveliness.

Kateri yearned for a strong and healthy relationship with the Creator (ne son kwa iat te son), God of the Christian Black robes. From an early age, as a member of the Mohawk Turtle clan, she lived a spirituality of her sacred animal. Just as a turtle moves straight ahead and is not deterred by obstacles along the way, she over- came countless stumbling blocks so that she could know God. Like her sacred animal spirit, the turtle, Kateri was close to Mother Earth. The rhythmic heartbeat of the land, where new life comes forth, sus- tained her as she sought to walk in harmony with nature, with creation, and with the Creator. Like the turtle that gently and deliberately moves with the land and enjoys learning from the whole of creation, Kateri lived and walked in harmony with nature and the Creator.

Kateri Tekakwitha was a person of strength, dignity, and hope. She walked the sacred circle of wholeness and desired fullness of life with the Creator God. As a faithful follower of Christ, Kateri showed much determination and conviction in her journey to deepen her relationship with God. The drumbeat of her life became much clearer and in harmony with her desire and hope that Jesus be the center of her life.

Today, many Native American Catholics see St. Kateri Tekakwitha as a role model, one who continues to be in close relationship with her people and one who challenges people of all walks of life to live in harmony with one another and the environment. On October 21, 2012, Pope Benedict canonized Kateri as the first Native American woman to be honored with sainthood. Her feast day falls on April 17 (Canada) and July 14 (United States).

(Source: “Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha,” The People: Reflections of Native Peoples on the Catholic Experience in North America. National Catholic Education Association, Washington DC: 1992.)

Litany to Saint Kateri Tekakwitha

Lord, have mercy on us. T Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the World have mercy on us. God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Kateri, lily of purity, pray for us. Kateri, consoler of the heart of Jesus, pray for us. Kateri, bright light for all Indians, pray for us. Kateri, courage of the afflicted, pray for us. Kateri, lover of the cross of Jesus, pray for us. Kateri, flower of fortitude for the persecuted, pray for us. Kateri, unshakable in temptations, pray for us. Kateri, full of patience in suffering, pray for us. Kateri, leader of many Indians to the true faith through your love for Mary, pray for us.

Kateri, who loved Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, pray for us. Kateri, lover of penance, pray for us. Kateri, who traveled many miles to learn the faith, pray for us. Kateri, steadfast in all prayer, pray for us. Kateri, who loved to pray the rosary for all people, pray for us. Kateri, example to your people in all virtues, pray for us. Kateri, humble servant to the sick, pray for us. Kateri, who by your love of humility, gave joy to the angels, pray for us. Kateri, your holy death gave strength to all Indians to love Jesus and Mary, pray for us. Kateri, whose scarred face in life became beautiful after death, pray for us. Amen.

Source: Catholic Information Network (CIN) http://www.cin.org/saints/katerlit.html

Nelson Mandela: A Cosmic Presence of Action in Our Midst Good and gracious, God, we give thanks for the witness of Nelson Mandela.

Like Jesus, Mandela’s cosmic presence Continues to touch our lives, Allowing us to hear the pulsing needs of our sisters and brothers.

Like your son Jesus, Mandela taught by example That walking the path of justice Requires honoring the life that we have been given And finding the courage to pick up one’s cross Marching fearlessly toward the New Jerusalem.

Mandela, like your son Jesus, was a man of integrity who honored the dignity of all peoples Believing that to deny a people of their God-given right to the fullness of life Was to challenge their very humanity.

Like your son Jesus, Mandela was no bystander. Rather than watching dispassionately as others suffered, He chose to stand on the side of the sufferers and not with those who caused their pain.

Mandela, like your son Jesus was despised, feared, and labeled a radical; One who had to be silenced.

Like your son Jesus, Mandela suffered injustice at the hands of the powerful. Still, he refused to let the seeds of bitterness, hatred, and vengeance grow in the garden of his soul.

Mandela, like your son Jesus, forgave his offenders And transformed his experience of oppression To bring peace and unity to his divided South Africa.

And, like your son, Jesus, Mandela celebrated life, Breathed peacefully, And laughed hysterically.

God, let us never forget that each of us is created in your image And that we are called to continue the ministries of Jesus and Mandela.

Through their examples, may we learn to be women and men of integrity, Great peacemakers, and leaders of change, Walking the roads of justice, peace, forgiveness, and goodness. Amen.

SUGGESTIONS FOR PRAYER SERVICE: You may want to set up a ritual table with symbols of separation: a fence, wall, photo torn in half, as well as symbols of inclusion, photos of happy, loving people, an open door, or whatever helps you to imagine both exclusion and full equality. MUSIC: Choose a piece of music either for reflection or congregational singing. • “Mother Africa” or “The Power of One” from The Power of One; “Building the Barn” from Witness • “Light and Shadow” or “Conquest of Paradise” from 1492; “Ubi Caritas” from Stay With Me

“I was not a Messiah, but an ordinary man who had become a leader because of extraordinary circumstances.”

~ Nelson Mandela

Opening Prayer: Creating and sustaining God, your love for your people has carried us through the ages. Open our eyes, O God, that we may see your strong hand of freedom. Open our ears that we may hear your words of justice. Open our hearts that we may forever remember the stories of your people. Amen.

Proclaiming Mandela’s Story: (Leader invite someone to proclaim the overview of Mandela’s life and witness.)

Rolihlahla Mandela was born on July 18, 1918 in the black homeland of Transkei. After a peaceful childhood he entered the missionary College of Fort Hare where he became involved in student protests against the white colonial rule of the institution. This experience appears to have set him on the road toward personal and national liberation.

Andre Brink, the author of A Dry White Season, notes that, “Years of daily exposure to the inhumanities of apartheid, where being black reduced one to the status of a nonperson, kindled in him a kind of absurd courage to change the world. It meant that instead of the easy life in a rural setting he’d been

brought up for, or even a modest measure of success as a lawyer, his only future certainties would be sacrifice and suffering, with little hope of success in a country in which centuries of colonial rule had concentrated all political and military power, all access to education, and most of the wealth in the hands of the white minor- ity.” (Brink, 1980). Mandela joined the Youth League of the African National Congress (A.N.C.) where he became involved in resisting South Africa’s apartheid laws. Against Mandela and other activists, the government mounted a massive treason trial, which ended five years later in an acquittal. By that time, after the massacre of peaceful black demonstrators in 1960, the government was intent on crushing all opposition.

Mandela was arrested and sentenced to imprison- ment on Robben Island along with others leaders of the A.N.C. His response to the indignities of the prison was a creative denial of victimhood. After more than two decades in prison, Mandela was able to negoti- ate with the State President’s office not only his own release but also the nation’s transition from apartheid to democracy. On February 2, 1990, President F.W. de Klerk announced Mandela’s release and also lifted the ban against the A.N.C.

“It was during those long and lonely years,” Mandela Robben Island Prison, South Africa, wrote in his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, where President Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. “...my hunger for the freedom of my own people became a hunger for the freedom of all people, white and black. I knew as well as I knew anything that the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as the oppressed...When I walked out of prison, that was my mission, to liber- ate the oppressed and the oppressor both. Some say that has now been achieved. But I know that that is not the case. The truth is that we are not yet free; we have merely achieved the freedom to be free, the right not to be oppressed. We have not taken the final step of our journey, but the first step on a longer and even more difficult road. For to be free is not merely to cast offone’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhanc- es the freedom of others. The true test of our devotion to freedom is just beginning” (Mandela, 1994).

In the years since his release, Mandela’s witness of moral integrity and his faithfulness to the struggle of equality for all people resulted in his selection as the country’s first democratically elected President. Andre Brink notes that, “Camus once said one man’s chains imply that we are all enslaved; Mandela proves through his own example that faith, hope and charity are qualities attainable by humanity as a whole. Through his willing- ness to walk the road of sacrifice, he has reaffirmed our common potential to move toward a new age” (Brink, 1980).

Proclaiming Mandela’s Words of Challenge: (Leader invites someone to proclaim Mandela’s words of challenge.) “We understand it still that there is no easy road to freedom. We know it well that none of us acting alone can achieve success. We must therefore act together as a united people, for national reconciliation, for nation building, for the birth of a new world. Let there be justice for all. Let there be peace for all. Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all. Let each know that for each the body, the mind and the soul have been freed to fulfill themselves. Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world. Let freedom reign. The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement!” (Mandela, 1994 Inaugural Speech).

Response: Make us one people, O God.

Leader: “Our history is filled with the setting of boundaries, denying visas, proclaiming homelands, creating reservations and ghettos, dividing people. We are still creating division” (Pile, 1998).

All: Make us one people, O God.

Leader: “There are some things within our social order to which I am proud to be maladjusted and to which I call you to be maladjusted. I never intend to adjust myself to segregation and discrimination. I never intend to adjust myself to mob rule. I never intend to adjust myself to the tragic effects of the methods of physical violence and to tragic militarism. I call upon you to be maladjusted to such things” (King, n.d.).

All: Make us one people, O God.

Leader: “We, too, must acknowledge that in our world there are victims of injustice and unfair laws and tradi- tions who cannot heal themselves. Under their burden of our privileged places, they cannot stand upright... Jesus challenges us to make their struggle our struggle... As long as anyone remains bent over, no one stands fully upright. When one is lifted, all are lifted...” (Pearson, 1992).

All: Make us one people, O God.

Leader: “One of the tragedies of humanity’s long trek has been the limiting of neighborly concern to tribe, race, class, or nation...Our world is a neighborhood. We must learn to live together as brothers [and sisters], or we will perish as fools. For I submit nothing will be done until people put their bodies and souls into this.” (King, n.d.).

All: Make us one people, O God.

“During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to the struggle of the African people. I have fought against white discrimination and I have fought against black discrimination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die” -Nelson Mandela (Gary and Rubin, 2013).

All: Make us one people, O God. Leader invites participants to reflect quietly and with the group • What moved within you as you listened to these statements? Are there privileges which come to you because of your race? Name some of them. • Do you have friends of other races? How did they become part of your life? • How do you imagine the abundant life to which Jesus calls all people?

Invite the gathering to share a sign of peace with one another

Closing Song: “We shall Overcome” or any song that expresses the equality of all people and a sense of empowerment.

(Used with permission: Prayer service by Chris Koellhoffer, IHM /Updated)

References

Brink, Andre. A Dry White Season. New York: Harper Perennial, 1980.

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