Spirit in Action

There's a long history of trying to convince folks to go vegetarian or vegan by argument, but Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA) (or on FaceBook) is trying something different - emphasizing the sheer fun of it.

In an atmosphere where so often there is religious intolerence & distrust, it's beautiful to see diverse spiritual communities sharing deeply together. At Eau Claire's Interfaith Prayer Service for Peace & Unity, conceived by Bob Lesniewski, a Benedictine oblate, prayers were shared from Presbyterian, Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist, Ba'hai, Catholic, & Quaker representatives. It was a rich sharing of diverse faiths, warming a cold winter night. The next Eau Claire Interfaith Prayer Service will be May 23, 2018. When will yours be?

We mostly take it for granted in the USA, but many places in the world are risking their lives to have a drink of water. In the midst of rape, war, & crushing poverty, Friendly Water for the World performs & witnesses miracles. Using appropriate technology & native ingenuity, the organization helps people in decimated areas of Africa & India to find new, transformed life. David Albert is co-founder and board chairman.

We want a better world, and Gordon Whitman shows us how in Stand Up! How to get involved, speak out, and win in a world on fire. With 25 years experience in Chile & the USA, and as deputy director of Faith in Action, Gordon is well-situated to see what works and how to guide willing hands to more powerful work.

Past/current religious/spiritual influences:

Jewish 

Steve Chase did a major course correction about Israel/Palestine, a journey he shares in a 30-page pamphlet Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions? A Quaker Zionist Rethinks Palestinian Rights.

Conclusion of a musical adventure into awakening men via Ebenezer's Make Over, Peter Alsop's eye-opening reconceptualization of Ebenezer Scrooge facing dysfunctional manhood presented by the 3 ghosts of the Christmas Carol, rewritten. How do men support one another & our kids, and not kill each other & themselves, own their bodies, and work together.

A different type of Spirit In Action show, where we do our learning about dead-end and promising directions for men's growth in a kind of musical called Ebenezer's Make Over. Peter Alsop master-minded the project and contributed a lot of the songs, along with many of his friends in the feminist men's and women's movements. Whole lot of eye-opening in a reconceptualization of Ebenezer Scrooge facing dysfunctional manhood presented by the 3 ghosts.

Occasionally big issues, like sexual abuse, are tackled through fiction - all the better when enhanced through an alternative detective approach. In St. Mary's Private Dancer, Blair Hull explores the underworld of sex work in a murder mystery, and in Quaker Witness the issues are sexual harassment, rape, & murder, written by E. Kirsten Peters under the pen-name Irene Allen. Kirsten's Ph.D.

When we find that even well-loved and previously-respected icons are dropping left & right, we need to be asking what we can do to encourage healthy, thoughtful, & non-predatory male sexuality. Fortunately, Peter Alsop has been exploring & walking just such a path with his music for decades, taking on all the related, thorny issues with wit, insight, & song. After all, Peter is an educational psychologist, as well as a wonderful musician. Also find him on Facebook.

In Keeping It Halal: The Everyday Lives of Muslim American Teenage Boys, John O'Brien looks at the lives of the Legendz, a small group of members of the Muslim Youth Program of a mosque John worked with. The tensions of be a member of a too-often-feared religion and to be accepted as a teenager in the USA can be a real challenge, and John explores the way it works. John is Assistant Professor of Sociology at NY University - Abu Dhabi.