Category: Uncategorized

  • Good Trouble

    GOOD TROUBLE

    by Wendell Griffen

    Today, Judge Griffen asks us to consider how ordinary people with “the Gift of Help” can make a life-changing difference in the future of others. He also challenges us to contemplate what it means to take on the cross of activism and advocacy for the people with whom Jesus spent his ministry. He writes and speaks to encourage and challenge us “in urgent terms”  to bring an imperative message of Hope and Justice to the world. 

    Judge Griffen is Division 5 judge of the Sixth Circuit, for Pulaski County in Arkansas. He earned his J.D. from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 1979. He also pastors the New Millennium Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. He is interviewed by Shine Your Light team member, Dr. Ellen Caringer of Maui, Hawai`i, USA.  You may access two of his most recent articles here:
    1) “Hard Truth about the Hateful Faith and Our Endangered World,” in Christian Ethics Today
    2) “George Floyd’s murder: knowing what cannot be seen,” in Baptist News Global 

    https://youtu.be/hUKQgSWnQfg

    Wendell Griffen is known as a lawyer, preacher, and activist who gets into “good trouble,” much in the manner of one of his heroes, the late Congressman John Lewis.  The story of his life is rooted in the nurturing, black community in Delight, in rural southwest Arkansas.  Here, his elders and ancestors partnered with God to encourage his remarkable journey.  As he relates his story we are reminded of how he grew up in the 1950s and 60s, experiencing firsthand the realities of segregation, the Ku Klux Klan, and the White Citizens Council. Framed and hanging on the wall of his office are his parents’ 1964 poll-tax receipts, required of blacks who voted.

  • Facing Our Fears

    FACING OUR FEARS

    by Rev. Volker Horstmeier

    These are rough times, in which we live.

    We are looking for comfort, we need encouragement, a hopeful view into the future. Where can I find it? What will help us up?

    I take my (German) bible and read (and translate): “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but he has given us the spirit of power, of love and of considerateness (II Timothy 1, 7).” No Fear! But there are lots of fears, and with good reasons:

    • Fires in the Western states, also in Australia and Siberia. They are a part of the climate disaster.
    • The CoVid-19 pandemic. People fear to be infected and become sick. They fear the social and economic lockdown, fear for their jobs (People are afraid here in Germany, too, even if our government did a comparatively good job and did not lie to us).
    • The divided society, deeply torn apart by injustice, racism and violence and by those, whose motto is: “Me first!” And this is a global issue.

    “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself (F.D. Roosevelt).” God has given us another, a better spirit. He already has given it; it is his gift to us, his donation. Joyfully and thankfully we can use this gift.

    The spirit of Power: Our faith is not weak. Neither is it a muscleman. It is strong, strong for others. It gives the power to carry burdens of others and to carry on. It strengthens the weak and poor. It stands up against injustice, everywhere, anytime.

    The spirit of Love: This love comes from the one, who even loved his enemies. This is the way to build bridges across the gaps between black and white, rich and poor, taxpayers and tax-avoiders. Love is able to change views and give a new sight. Love never gives up. This is how we can survive.

    The spirit of considerateness: How can we act in these rough times? It needs this attitude of calmly considering, argue rationally, act responsibly. It gives a wide horizon for your decisions, not only up to the next elections. In the Greek word of the original text, it contains “wisdom;” it is wise to act like this. In the German word for it (Besonnenheit), the word for the sun is shining through it. Like the sun, it will give you the warmth of love and the power of life.

    The Rev. Volker Horstmeier is a retired Protestant pastor, living in Arnsberg, Germany. He always has been active in the ‘Church with Children’ and been busy organizing conventions and meetings for the Protestant Church in Germany. Since his exchange year [in Alaska] as a student he is concerned about the social implications of the gospel.

  • A Message of Peace and Encouragement

    A MESSAGE OF PEACE AND ENCOURAGEMENT

    by Ellen Caringer, PhD

    This is a departure from our usual format of presenting meditations. We received this special message from the leader of the Muslim community in France. It is important that the community of Shine Your Light – those who have created meditations, art, and music, and each who has offered our full hearts in prayer and meditation – recognize the impact of our intentions and connections with the world at large, as well as our own country. Dr. Ellen Caringer, psychologist and neuropsychologist on Maui, and also a member of our Shine Your Light Team, introduces those who have sent this message to reach each member of the Shine Your Light community (this means YOU!). What you are doing matters!

    by Imam Hassen Chalghoumi, introduced by Ellen Caringer, PhD (see video above)

    In 2018 while visiting in Paris, my husband and I received an unexpected invitation to dinner through our dear friend, concert pianist, Nathalia Romanenko. Our host for the meal was Marek Halter, renowned Parisian artist and author, the founder of the International Committee for a Negotiated Peace Agreement in the Near East, and a man who played a crucial role in organizing the first official meetings between Palestinians and Israelis. He invited us to a dinner at the Municipal Drancy Mosque, near Paris.
    It was there that we were honored to meet Imam Hassen Chalghoumi, the imam of the 2000-member Drancy Mosque. We watched as prominent rabbis, imams, and members of the French Parliament gathered to work on issues of peace in their community.

    Both Marek Halter and Imam Hassen Chalghoumi are leaders internationally and in France, seeking peace between the Muslim and Jewish communities of faith. They have worked tirelessly with prominent rabbis and imams seeking to find ways to prevent the radicalization of children and youth in their community. This work, particularly in Imam Chalghoumi’s case, often means he lives with threats to his life and that of his family. But he fearlessly persists, as can be seen in the article linked below, where he and Marek Halter attend the funeral of Samuel Paty, the teacher recently murdered by terrorists in Paris.

    Today we are incredibly blessed that Imam Chalghoumi took time to encourage us in our work for peace and social justice that supports and celebrates diversity.

    Here are his words in French and in English:

    “Je m’appelle Hassen Chalghoumi et je suis président de la Conférence des Imams de France. Je tiens à vous féliciter pour votre campagne en faveur de la paix et de la différence. Le Coran dit ‘Ô vous qui croyez! Entrez tous dans la paix.’ (Sourate II, 208) Merci encore pour votre action.”

    A Translation: “My name is Hassen Chalghoumi and I am the President of the French Conference of Imams. I want to congratulate you on your efforts to pursue peace and to make a difference. The Koran states, ‘Oh you who believe! Enter all in peace.’ (Holy Quran: 2, 208)”

  • The Awesome Power of Prayer

    THE AWESOME POWER OF PRAYER

    by Rev. Dr. Allan Boesak

    In 1985, seeing the horrific carnage being caused in our communities by the police and the army and intensified by the State of Emergency, I repeated a call I made first in 1979: for the church to pray for the downfall of the apartheid regime in South Africa. It caused havoc. One church leader thought it was an issue to be discussed. The rest fiercely rejected it out of hand. Politicians, businesspersons, and even academics screamed indignation. In the media it was chaos. The regime was enraged. I, and those who agreed with me were accused of plotting the violent overthrow of the government. The abuse was terrifying.

    Our response that it was a call to prayer, not violent revolution, that we were calling for prayer precisely because we did not want violent revolution, was not even heard. Our question whether the white minority, racist, oppressive, apartheid regime was in fact legitimate, was ignored. As was our question why prayer should strike such fear in the hearts of such powerful people. The question why a call to prayer would cause more outrage in these circles than detention without trial and torture, or children and the elderly hungered to death in those concentration camps the regime called “Bantustans,” or unarmed children shot to death in the streets, could not even be answered. The answer was all too painfully clear. All of them benefited from this system of hatred, submission, and exploitation.

    But we persisted, prevailed, and prayed in churches all over the country. It was a stunning moment. Thousands of people, on their knees, praying for deliverance, justice, and peace. Across the country the terror went on. Perhaps more so, driven by the madness of fear, not of us, but for the judgment of God. Around the church where I preached as police with dogs, armored vehicles, guns and tear gas were lined up in their hundreds. Inside the church, however, there was no fear.

    We knew three things: one, the power of God is above all. Two, the power of prayer is unstoppable. Three, our prayers were righteous. We were not staging a stunt. Our prayers were rooted in the prayers going up in homes, in prison cells, and churches all over the country for years now. Separately and together, in one continuous line of fragile faith and unshakeable hope, a million candles were burning. The darkness did not know it yet, but it was already being driven away.

    That was 1985. By 1989 the walls of apartheid were crumbling and falling. 1990 saw the beginning of the end, and the glimmer of our candles became the light of the rising sun. There is awesome power in prayer. I know. I have lived it. © Allan Aubrey Boesak

    Allan Boesak is a South African Black liberation theologian who played a leading role in the anti-apartheid struggle. An author and global human rights activist, he teaches Black liberation theology and ethics at the University of Pretoria. He and his family proudly consider themselves part of the Keawala‘i Church ʻohana (family).

  • Practice Real Love

    PRACTICE REAL LOVE

    by Sister Yvette Bellerose

    We live in unprecedented times experiencing forest fires, flooding, hurricanes, and tornadoes. This ongoing pandemic is producing worldwide havoc. In the US alone, there have been nearly 7½ million confirmed cases and 212,000 deaths. News accounts record the risks of health care workers. Reporters witness also to success stories as folks are wheeled through hospital doors. We see families sharing childcare to lessen workday disruption. We hear of multiple foodbanks and food trucks supplying meals for people who cannot handle soaring food prices.

    Sadly, many cannot accompany loved-ones to death, nor ritualize losses. Yet, prayer groups and churches find creative ways to gather. Outdoor services and ZOOM fill the gap.

    We are continuously called to pray: “Let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality.” (I John 3:18, MSG* ) – Sister Yvette Bellerose

    Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

    Sr. Yvette Bellerose, SSA (Sisters of St. Anne), has served as a province leader, meeting facilitator, and designer of programs in spirituality for various religious communities in the Eastern and Southern USA, Eastern Canada, Belgium, France, and Rome, Italy. She is the co-founder of “Gatherings of Women in Faith.” Each year, The Sister Yvette Bellerose Award is presented at Anna Maria College in Paxton, MA, to a student who exhibits a commitment to the Catholic faith, service to the most vulnerable, and encouragement to all.

  • The Wings of Love

    THE WINGS OF LOVE

    by Jerry Jampolsky & Diane Cirincione; read by Ellen Carringer

    May your mind and heart be filled
    Only with thoughts of Love

    May thoughts of love and forgiveness
    Be your way of life

    May you be the Light
    That shines away the darkness of
    Pain, suffering, rejection, and loneliness

    May you listen only to the Voice of Love
    The Voice of that which Created you,
    To tell you what to think, say and do

    May you continue to remind yourself
    By the thoughts that you choose that
    We are always connected with God, each other,
    And all that is Love

    May you continue to know
    That happiness, peace,
    And joy are your natural state

    May you continue to fly
    On the Wings of Love
    And the Bliss of God
    All the time giving
    Thanks for all of your blessings

    Dr. Gerald G. Jampolsky and Dr. Diane V. Cirincione gave us special permission to use this poem from their book, “Simple Thoughts That Can Change Your Life.” Jerry, widely known for his authorship of such books as, “Love Is Letting Go of Fear,” and “Change Your Mind, Change Your Life,” is a child and adult psychiatrist who founded the Center for Attitudinal Healing, in Tiburon California. Through Jerry & Diane’s work, there are now Centers for Attitudinal Healing on five continents and in dozens of countries, offering free services for children, adolescents & adults. Diane is the founder and executive director of Attitudinal Healing International. She is a therapist in private practice, a businesswoman, author, and international lecturer. Together and independently, Jerry & Diane have authored several bestselling books, have been invited to work together in over 60 countries and are the recipients of numerous national and international awards. Dr. Ellen Caringer is a neuropsychologist and child psychologist in Kihei, Maui, Hawai‘i. She is a cofounder of
    Hui Aloha ‘O Maui Indivisible.

  • This Little Light of Mine

    THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE

    by Dustin Ebesu

    Here’s a little video to add a spark of joy to your day!

    Dustin Ebesu of Makakilo, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, and his harp, Ellie, sent us this rendition of “This Little Light of Mine.” Dustin says, “Everyone, let your candles and heart shine light, love, peace and harmony to our country and our world. Mahalo!”

  • Perfect Love

    PERFECT LOVE

    by Dr. Ellen Caringer

    Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear.
    If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this
    shows that we have not fully experienced His perfect love.
    – I John 4:18

    Love is Letting Go of Fear – Jerry Jampolsky M.D., author of the book Love is Letting Go of Fear

    You gain strength, Courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face . . . . You must do the thing you cannot do. – Eleanor Roosevelt

    And when doubt, despair and denial threaten to dismantle your dreams, Love will rear up in your defense. – Sarah Ban Breathnach

    Right now between pandemics and politics that seek to sow discord and racial divisions, it feels ever so tempting to retreat in fear. But comfort and peace cannot be found when we retreat in fear. Stepping out and taking a stand against racial hatred and the politics of division can also feel very fearful if we forget that such a stand is borne of deep love. A deep love that is pure and buoyed by a higher power that loves and cares for each of us and promises to accompany us each step of the way. It is in stepping out, in faith, that we can feel the brush of angels’ wings accompanying our flight. So today if you are feeling fearful about the next steps you face in these days of uncertainty, know there is a loving powerful spirit who does the heavy lifting, if we are willing to ask for that help. Today, as often happens, I feel those moments of fear that seem to nip at my heals in these times of trouble. But I am slowly choosing not to look behind, but ahead – at the prize – at the goal of a world where all live in peace, and in love, and without division and racial hatred. It will take work and prayer on all of our parts to hold that vision. Let us also remember that there is added strength when we step out together. And when we feel fear creep in, let’s remember the words of Sarah Ban Breathnach: “. . . courage is fear that has said her prayers.” May perfect love accompany each of our steps in the days ahead!
    – Ellen Caringer, PhD (Kihei, Maui)

    Dr. Caringer is a child psychologist and neuropsychologist on the island of Maui. She is one of the founders of Hui Aloha ʻO Maui Indivisible and a member of Keawalaʻi Congregational Church.

  • A Reflection on 9-11-2001

    A REFLECTION ON 9-11-2001

    by Sunway

    I was in LA. Sound asleep in a quiet hotel room when my phone started ringing at 5:50am. “Who in the world is calling me at this hour?” I thought. It was my friend and drummer, Shane. “Turn on the TV” was all he said. As I watched the horrific videos replay over and over of a plane slamming into the first World Trade Center tower, my mind went to my family in Hawaii. They were all asleep. I began calling. Repeating the words Shane had said to me. “Turn on the TV.” What I remember most was explaining to my 75 yr old grandfather what had happened. Somehow he didn’t want to hear about it. He said he’d check later. He said he was going back to sleep. I pleaded with him to check the news. I explained what had happened. I knew he understood what I was telling him but he would not turn on the TV, he said. Later I would come to realize it reminded him too much of the attack on Pearl Harbor. And he wasn’t ready to face that sort of horror and loss again.

    And now, 19 years later, we are faced with a new and different kind of attack. And a new and different kind of loss. An attack on our health, firstly… but also an attack on our way of living, on what we perceive to be the loss of our freedoms, on our lives before COVID…. on, many say, the loss of our democracy. How do we learn from our past? Can we allow hindsight and the pain of what we’ve endured, reach us to move forward with compassion and unity? Like we did in the days, weeks, and months after 9/11? To not rely so much on what we’re told, but more on what we know and what we feel? I still have faith in the greater good. I still believe in that light that shines deep within no matter how much chaos and destruction surrounds it. Tell someone you love them today. Attempt to listen to understand, not to respond. Our power is in our own hands. Not in some politician’s, not in some pastor’s, or rabbi’s, or some guru’s words. Definitely not in what we see in social media or on cable network TV. Trust yourself. Love your family and friends. Take care of your neighbors. And never forget.

    Sunway is a professional singer-songwriter from Honolulu, Hawaii.

  • In Preparation

    IN PREPARATION

    by Rev. Danette Kong

    We cannot prepare for what lies ahead without fully encountering our very selves. Who are we to light our candles, to meditate, to pray, and stand for justice and peace, without taking into full account the condition of our own inner being?

    None of us is able to come to this sacred act of prayer and meditation with a completely clean heart, for each of us holds knowledge of our failures and incompleteness. But let us approach these 40 days, offering our hearts in humility and love.

    Thank you for bringing yourself to this effort, along with your hope, your talent, your joys, your dreams and accomplishments — and yes, even your broken spirit, your overblown ego, and judgmentalism. Bring your whole self, and find healing in your interaction with the Divine.

    As you read these words by Hindu poet and philosopher, Rabindranath Tagore, recognize that it is not your place of worship that matters, or even the ritual you ascribe to, but the condition of your heart. Read his words as you anticipate our 40 days of prayer and meditation. How are you preparing your heart?

    “Go not to the temple to put flowers upon the feet of God, first fill your own house with the fragrance of love. Go not to the temple to light candles before the altar of God, first remove the darkness of sin from your heart. Go not to the temple to bow down your head in prayer, first learn to bow in humility before your fellow men. Go not to the temple to pray on bended knees, first bend down to lift someone who is down trodden. Go not to the temple to ask for forgiveness for your sins, first forgive from your heart those who have sinned against you.”

    — by Rabindranath Tagore, of Calcutta, India (1861–1941). He was the first lyricist, as well as the first non-European to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, in 1914.

    Danette Kong, retired hospital chaplain and ordained clergy with the United Church of Christ, is a member of Hui Aloha ʻO Maui Indivisible, and reads her meditation in the attached video.