50th Anniversary of Dr. ML King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail (plus National Card and Letter Writing Month)

April 12, 2013 by 1 Comment

APRIL to MAY 12, 2013: The annual campaign called “National Card and Letter Writing Month” runs through Mother’s Day—or, at least, this celebration is supposed to cover that period and focus on Moms. This year, however, the mid-April emphasis on letter writing has taken a dramatic turn with the April 16 milestone in American civil rights: the 50th anniversary of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail.

What is ‘National Card and Letter Writing Month?
A big-budget campaign kicked this idea into high gear for the 2008 release of the HBO mini-series John Adams. (It’s still a great choice on DVD.) The producers partnered with the US Postal Service and encouraged school children to put ink on paper. The campaign did, indeed, inspire countless letters. It’s “countless” today because the Postal Service and HBO have removed materials about the campaign from the Internet. Nevertheless, the annual “month” continues to show up on many calendars of cultural events—and, hey, it’s still a terrific idea, don’t you think? Get out a pen and paper now—or make a greeting card—and send Mom an early Mother’s Day greeting.

OTHER LETTER-WRITING FESTIVALS

If you’re scratching your head about this particular “month,” you may be recalling other festivals of letter writing that have spanned the past century. Among the many other independently proclaimed holidays is a National Letter Writing Day. There also is a National Letter Writing Week. Each indie effort, supported by various groups, still has supporters. These other festivals span the calendar—one starts each year in January, after the Christmas card flood has ebbed; another comes in autumn.

But in 2013, as in 2008, there is fresh historical fuel for April letters …

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL

TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013: The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “letter” was more of a jigsaw puzzle that now has many godfathers claiming its birth. Also, the letter should be remembered not as an impulsive note—but as a strategic step planned in advance like many of the great milestones in the civil rights movement. Today, King’s letter is dated to April 16, 1963, although the letter was completed over a longer period than that one day. The long manifesto was a rebuke of eight religious leaders who had just (on April 12) made a public appeal for an end to confrontational demonstrations. The clergymen included Catholic, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist and Baptist leaders, plus a rabbi. They called for the campaign to move from the streets to the courts. King’s famous letter told the nation why that plea was naive.

ORIGIN OF KING’S LETTER FROM THE BIRMINGHAM JAIL

Earlier this year, Americans were reminded of the letter’s origin, when poet and longtime New York Times editor Harry Shapiro died. As editor of The New York Times Magazine in the early 1960s, Shapiro telephoned the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and asked that King use a future time in jail to write a letter to the nation. This was a challenge for King, because Southern jails were notoriously inhospitable places. Nevertheless, King used his jailing in the spring of 1963 to begin jotting passages for his most famous letter—on torn-off pieces of old newspapers. These fragments were passed to his lawyers and then were assembled at SCLC headquarters and conveyed to Shapiro. Unfortunately for his career as an editor, Shapiro’s most historic acquisition was deemed unacceptable for publication by his bosses.

Perhaps understandably after half a century, everyone involved in the release of King’s letter recalls the publication through a personal lens. The Shapiro obituary in the New York Times mentions the Christian Century, among other publications that finally spread King’s letter coast to coast. Meanwhile, the Christian Century’s own in-depth history of the letter doesn’t mention Shapiro and, instead, focuses on the Christian Century’s own role.

The Christian Century history says, in part: “The Century had itself counseled moderation in the late 1950s, although not without an acute awareness that ‘to plead for time for white Americans’ education and conversion is at the same time to ask Negro Americans for more patience with the insufferable, more making-do with the present possibilities of action. It is to risk misinterpretation to knuckling under to white bitter-enders.’ By 1963, the magazine had run out of patience. ‘Why not now?’ the editors asked in March on the eve of the Birmingham demonstrations. … The Century reported and commented fully on racial politics in Birmingham and elsewhere, publishing more articles on race relations in 1963 than on any other subject.”

And the impact of King’s letter? It ignited both renewed passion among civil rights veterans—and fresh allegiance from other men and women who had been on the sidelines of the struggle until King’s eloquent letter urged them to take action. The University of Pennsylvania is one of many colleges that offers a complete online text of King’s famous letter.

Months after publishing the letter, the Christian Century reported that “it had received over 50 responses to the letter from readers, all of them favorable. ‘In all my years of reading your periodical,’ one declared, ‘I have never been more moved by a single issue. What a shaking experience! If the canon of Holy Scriptures were not closed, I would nominate Martin Luther King’s statement either as a continuation of the Acts of the Apostles or as an addition to the Epistles in the best tradition of the Pauline prison letters.’”

2013 EVENTS ON KING’S LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL

BIRMINGHAM GATHERING OF CHRISTIAN CHURCHES TOGETHER: The nationwide ecumenical organization called Christian Churches Together is convening a two-day conference in Birmingham to remember King’s letter and to sign a 2013 response on April 15, encouraging church leaders to keep King’s message alive in today’s struggles for justice. Much of this event is closed to the public, but participants later plan to publish their new joint letter.

A DETROIT READING OF KING’S LETTER FROM THE BIRMINGHAM JAIL: In this major Northern city where King also marched in the civil rights era, the 50th anniversary of the letter will be marked by readings from King’s letter every half hour from 10:30 a.m. through 5:30 p.m. The event is scheduled at the Hubbard Branch of the Detroit Public Library. This event is open to the public.

SPIRITUAL LETTER WRITING IN 2013: ‘LOVE AND SALT’

A major new memoir debuts in early 2013 called, Love & Salt: A Spiritual Friendship Shared in Letters. This inspiring collection of actual mail between two young women is fresh evidence of the power of letters to shape our lives and deepen our spiritual insights.
Coming on Monday April 15: ReadTheSpirit will publish an in-depth interview with Amy Andrews and Jessica Mesman Griffith, the two women who penned the letters found in Love & Salt.

In their book, the two women quote another great American writer, Emily Dickinson: “A letter always seemed to me like immortality.”

(Originally published at readthespirit.com, an online magazine covering religion, values and cross-cultural diversity.)

 

Equinox springs with Nowruz, Naw-Ruz, New Year

March 20, 2013 by

Depiction of an Iranian family celebrating Nowruz around the Haftsin table. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia CommonsWEDNESDAY and THURSDAY, MARCH 20 and 21: Spring has sprung as the planet passes through the vernal equinox. For millions of families around the world, this also marks the New Year usually called Nowruz or Naw-Ruz. Spellings in English vary widely but the roots are the same—deep in the cultures of the region now known as Iran. More than 3,000 years ago in that part of the world, Zoroaster pointed his followers toward patterns of celestial movement.

Today, versions of this New Year’s tradition are celebrated by Zoroastrians, Sufis, Ismailis, Alawites, Baha’is—and others. In 2010, the United Nations recognized that these religious and cultural communities are minorities around the world, often persecuted or in the midst of other conflicts. So, the UN declared an International Day of Nowruz and called on all who observe the holiday to celebrate with a focus on peace and goodwill.

A GLOBAL ‘NEW DAY’: Though rooted in Iran and Persia, Norouz is now experienced throughout the Middle East and Central Asia and with festivals in North America, Europe and Asia. The Iran Heritage Foundation will host its annual Norouz Gala in London this year, while the House of Iran Nowruz Celebration will take place in San Diego; Chicago will host its own annual Nowruz Parade, and the Iranian Association of Boston will host a New Year’s bash. (Get an overview at Asia Society. Kids can get an age-appropriate breakdown of global Noruz at Asia Society Kids.)

HOW OLD IS NOWRUZ? Some texts point to Nowruz celebrations nearly 15,000 years ago, although the exact origins are impossible to confirm. (Wikipedia has details.) Nonetheless, the Shahnameh (a poem regarded as the national epic of Iranian culture) dates Nowruz back to the reign of Jamshid—a mythical Persian king who saved mankind from a winter so harsh that it was destined to kill every living creature. Legend has it that the king constructed himself a throne of gems and that, when the harsh winter had passed, he had demons raise him from the earth to the heavens. The world’s creatures gazed at King Jamshid in wonder, calling this the “New Day,” or Nowruz.

A portion of a Haftsin tableIRANIAN NOWRUZ: For families observing these ancient customs, preparations have been underway for weeks! Just days ago, the children of Iran wrapped up pre-Nowruz traditions by parading through the streets in burial shrouds (while begging for candy from neighbors), in imitation of the ancient Iranian ritual of mourning the end of life at the end of the year.

THE HAFTSIN TABLE: Once again, English spellings vary widely in describing the symbolic table setting for the Persian New Year: Haftsin and Haft-Seen are among the renderings you’ll find. Wikipedia has settled on Haft-Seen as its standardized spelling. These gorgeous table settings often feature eggs, fruit and cakes—and the seven “S’s.” The Haftsin table, which varies slightly by region, contains seven objects that begin with the Persian sound of “s”: senjed (dried fruit); sir (garlic); serkeh (vinegar); sonbol (hyacinth flower); sekkeh (coins); sazbeh (green wheat sprouts); and samanau (sweet pudding).

Following 12 days of visits to family and friends, the 13th day commences as a day to picnic in the country. Nicknamed “the lie of the thirteenth,” it’s popular to tell white lies on the 13th day of Norouz, similar to the Western April Fool’s Day.

WORLDWIDE BAHA’I CELEBRATION OF NAW-RUZ

Baha’is approach this holiday in a different way. Regular readers of this column will recall that Baha’is have been engaged in a 19-Day Fast. On the evening of March 20, Baha’is gather with family and friends for an elaborate Now-Ruz dinner. Learn more from Wikipedia or the Baha’i Library Online. (And Naw-Ruz is currently fixed on March 21 for Baha’is outside of the Middle East.)

Prayers are recited as the faithful enter the “spiritual springtime.” Baha’is who fasted adhered to the words of Baha’u’llah’s son, Abdu’l-Baha: “Fasting is the cause of awakening man.” Feeling refreshed, Baha’is follow the Now-Ruz dinner by suspending work and school to celebrate a day of Baha—that is, splendor, glory and the Day of God. While commemorating prophets and figures of the world’s major religions, Baha’is spend the additional 18 days of their first month of the year feasting, dancing and playing music. (Access Naw-Ruz prayers here.)

Zoroastrian mythology tells that at the spring equinox, the perpetually fighting bull (earth) and lion (sun) are equal. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia CommonsZOROASTRIAN NOWRUZ

Founded by an astronomer, the Zoroastrian religion began thousands of years ago and many credit it as the starting point of modern Nowruz celebrations. Zoroaster (or Zarathustra) pointed out the movement of the sun toward Aries—which thereby signaled the spring equinox and new season of regeneration—and followers across Western and Central Asia participated in Nowruz for centuries. (Learn more from the Heritage Institute.)

The ancients offered their god, Ahura Mazda, seven trays of symbolic objects that represented such virtues as truth and justice; the tradition continues today in elements of the Haft-Seen table. Of notable difference between the Zoroastrian Iranian Haft-Seen table and the Muslim/Iranian table is the presence of wine: “shin” was changed to “sin” with the Islamic disapproval of sharab, or wine. Zoroastrians today continue to place wine on the Nowruz table, along with a copy of the sacred book, a picture of Zarathustra, coins, fruits, sprouts, a mirror and a bowl of goldfish. The original, pre-Persian table also included milk, nectar and compote.

PAGAN / WICCAN OSTARA

As the northern hemisphere welcomes the onset of spring, modern Pagans and Wiccans celebrate Ostara. Themes of renewal and new beginnings are lifted up as adherents commemorate the sacred marriage of the Sun God and the young Maiden Goddess. (Wicca.com has more.) Stories tell that the Maiden Goddess conceives and that springtime symbols, such as the rabbit and egg, symbolize her fertility. Most Pagans and Wiccans partake in leafy greens, sprouts and dairy foods during this festival, participating in activities that emphasize the beauty and bounty of nature.

NOWRUZ ROUNDUP: NEWS AND RESOURCES

Traditional dishes on a Nowruz tableHungry for a taste of Persian cuisine? Try a recipe for Persian New Year’s Soup, courtesy of epicurious. The recipe’s author, esteemed food writer Louisa Shafia, will also be releasing The New Persian Kitchen next month: check out this interview for her firsthand take on Persian culture, the role of food in holidays like Norouz and the challenges of keeping tradition alive in the Diaspora.

In Los Angeles, the Persian community will kick off the New Year with a cause: the Midnight Mission homeless shelter. After handing out clothes and toys, the Persian community will underwrite Midnight Mission’s meal service for 13 days—the number of days the holiday lasts in Iran.

Across the world in Shiraz, Iran, volunteers have cooked 220 kg of samanoo for distribution to the needy. The sweet paste, used for the Haftsin table, is made of germinated wheat and traditionally cooked by women in an all-night gathering.

Interfaith: Four Chaplains Sunday

February 3, 2013 by

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3: Many congregations and veterans’ groups nationwide are honoring the so-called Four Chaplains of World War II around this first weekend of February.

Since 1988, by an act of the U.S. Congress, February 3 has been set aside to remember these four men who gave up their lives in World War II. However, check local newsmedia in you part of the U.S. for details. For example, Mariner United Methodist Church in Spring Hill, Florida, will hold its Four Chaplain’s service on February 10 this year. In Taftville, Connecticut, the event will be February 3, but in a local American Legion post rather than a house of worship. In some towns, the event was held before February 3.

Whenever the chaplains are remembered, the focus is on selfless sacrifice and interfaith unity.

By handing over their lifejackets while aboard a sinking ship in World War II—then linking arms, praying in their own respective religious traditions, the men provided a shining example of religious unity across doctrinal boundaries. Their story has been retold in numerous documentaries, memorials, books and annual ceremonies. (Wikipedia has details.)

The Dorchester was a civilian cruise ship built in 1926 that later was converted for military service during WWII. By the time renovations and additions were finished, a ship originally built for 315 passengers could now carry more than 900. On Jan. 23, 1943, the USAT Dorchester left New York for Greenland—but it never arrived at its destination. The service ship was slammed by German submarine U-223 at 12:55 a.m. on Feb. 3; three-quarters of the men aboard the Dorchester perished that night.

The one ray of hope in this great tragedy was the four chaplains. The four were a Methodist chaplain, the Rev. George Fox, Rabbi Alexander Goode, Roman Catholic Father John Washington and Reformed Church in America Minister Clark Poling. Their example calmed down the ship’s men when the electrical system failed. They attempted to help organize the evacuation of the vessel. While passing out a short supply of life jackets, the chaplains took the jackets off their backs and gave them to other men.

Interfaith: ‘Become like children’ for World Sabbath

January 23, 2013 by

“Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Gospel of Matthew

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27: Even as conflicts rage in many parts of the world, the hopeful sounds of children’s voices rise in today’s 14th annual World Sabbath of Religious Reconciliation. From far and wide in southeast Michigan, visitors will pack into the Bharatiya (Hindu) Temple to hear a young Jew blow the shofar; an adolescent Muslim Call to Prayer; and choirs, bands and dance groups alike from Jain, Buddhist, Baha’i, Zoroastrian, Christian, Hindu, Native American, Sikh, Quaker and Unitarian backgrounds. Even those who can’t make it to Metro Detroit today can get behind its concept—and tailor the idea for any community! (Visit www.worldsabbath.org for details.)

More than a decade ago, the Rev. Rod Reinhart (an Episcopal priest now based in the Chicago area) came to the conclusion that peace would not be possible unless the world’s religions bridged their differences. He approached another priest, the Rev. Ed Mullins at Christ Church Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills, and the idea was hatched. Beginning in 2000, the last Sunday in January was set aside for this interfaith emphasis on peace. Now, the annual service now opens with a Children of Peace procession, complete with banners, posters and quilts. (Check out a video of the 2011 World Sabbath service here.)

Interested in attending World Sabbath 2013? Head to the Bharatiya Temple of Troy, at 6850 North Adams Road, 48098. Services begin at 4 p.m., and canned food donations will be accepted at the door for the needy of Metro Detroit.

EU officially lists UN Holocaust Remembrance Day

January 23, 2013 by

Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated on Jan. 27, 1945. The UN adopted a Holocaust Remembrance Day for this dateSUNDAY, JANUARY 27: International Holocaust Remembrance Day extends beyond the United Nations today, enveloping all of the European Union: for the first time since its inception, the European Union incorporated this day of memorial onto its official calendar. The United Nations established International Holocaust Remembrance Day by resolution in 2005, declaring that it would not deny any aspect of the Holocaust as an historical event. The anniversary date of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp—January 27—would mark the annual remembrance of the Holocaust. This year, UN Member Nations are creating educational programs based around the theme, “Rescue during the Holocaust: The Courage to Care.” Persistent recollection will, in hopes, prevent acts of genocide in the future.

Days before the international memorial, the UN kicked off its initiative with a speech by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Aside from discussing historical events Ki-moon brought attention to the 60,000 killed in Syria since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad in early 2011. With the conflict escalating, Ki-moon expressed concern “not simply because of the terrible suffering, but because of what may come next. Each day’s delay in resolving the crisis raises the spectre of the violence spreading along religious and ethnic lines.” Other events through the week included the Discussion Papers Journal, a compilation of 10 papers written by Holocaust and genocide studies scholars from across the globe, intended to spark discussions among students and raise awareness. Also released was a documentary film by Emmy award-winning filmmaker Michael King, entitled “The Rescuers” and highlighting the efforts of diplomats who risked their positions and lives to save tens of thousands of lives during the WWII.

National days of commemoration existed prior to the UN’s International Day, such as German’s Day of Remembrance for the victims of National Socialism, but the State of Israel desired something greater and introduced Resolution 60/7 to the UN as the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. (Wikipedia has details.) Today, the entire EU observes the memorial, as well as UN Member Nations and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC.

EU MARKS FIRST OFFICIAL HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL IN 2013

While the European Parliament hosted remembrance ceremonies on Jan. 27 in recent years, 2013 marks a significant milestone: for the first time, the date was officially placed on the EU calendar. (Israel National News has the story.) The kickoff year embraces a theme of honoring the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising heroes, and the president of the European Jewish Congress remarked that “the fact that this event is warmly embraced by the most prominent European institutions sends a strong message against hate, racism and anti-Semitism.” The 2013 ceremony is set to take place in Brussels.

Everyone can pray in 61st National Day of Prayer

May 3, 2012 by

THURSDAY, MAY 3: An American tradition continues today, as the National Day of Prayer unfolds across America for the 61st time. And remember: Of course, everyone is welcome to pray today, whever they are and however they pray—despite controversial limitations at some official National Day of Prayer events.

Once more, the National Day of Prayer is proclaimed by the U.S. President. Although Barack Obama has not held any official events at the White House during his presidency, he has issued the annual proclamations. The long-running controversy over the holiday stems from the leadership of the official sponsoring organization, which tries to limit leadership of these events to evangelical Christians.

Looking for some diverse resources? Check out Praying for Our World and Praying for Peace, both courtesy of ReadTheSpirit online magazine. Some national groups have taken novel approaches to countering the dominant organization behind today’s observance. The National Day of Reason, for example, was created in 2003 by the American Humanist Association and the Washington Area Secular Humanists as an alternative to the National Day of Prayer; participants often hold food and blood drives on this day. (Wikipedia has details.)

WHEN PRAYER REALLY MATTERS—DIVISIONS FADE

If you are contemplating the National Day of Prayer with anxiety over the way this annual observance is expressed, think about places in the world where prayer desperately is needed.

Some of the most moving stories about prayer come from U.S. military chaplains.
Today’s photo comes from a U.S. Air Force base in Iraq, where chaplains operate a 24/7 “religious support team” to pray with doctors and patients. These chaplains see some horrific injuries and their office is equipped with Catholic and Protestant versions of the Bible, the Quran, a Book of Mormon and other world scriptures. According to Chaplain Major Wendell Rome, no one stops to draw boundaries across these life-and-death circles of prayer. “We help people repair themselves. It encourages them and helps get them through injury and recovery.”

Even many peace activists who openly oppose the war are also advocates for the needs of U.S. veterans, thousands of whom are returning home with injuries and disabilities. Here’s a story by one peace activist about that dire need.

So, this year during the National Day of Prayer? Perhaps stop and think about all those places in our world where praying matters so much—that political and religious divisions fade.

Interfaith: Harmony is in diversity on Four Chaplains Sunday

February 5, 2012 by

Photo in public domainSUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5: Celebrate heroes of the interfaith movement today by honoring the Four (Immortal) Chaplains: a group of four U.S. Army chaplains—each of a different religious tradition—whose collective sacrifice inspired the nation.

By handing over their lifejackets while aboard a sinking ship in World War II—then linking arms, praying in their own respective religious traditions, the men provided a shining example of religious unity across doctrinal boundaries. Their story has been retold in numerous documentaries, memorials, books and annual ceremonies. (Wikipedia has details.)

The Dorchester was a civilian cruise ship built in 1926 that later was converted for military service during WWII. By the time renovations and additions were finished, a ship originally built for 315 passengers could now carry more than 900. On Jan. 23, 1943, the USAT Dorchester left New York for Greenland—but it never arrived at its destination. The service ship was slammed by German submarine U-223 at 12:55 a.m. on Feb. 3; three-quarters of the men aboard the Dorchester perished that night.

The one ray of hope in this great tragedy was the four chaplains. The four were a Methodist chaplain, the Rev. George Fox, Rabbi Alexander Goode, Roman Catholic Father John Washington and Reformed Church in America Minister Clark Poling. Their example calmed down the ship’s men when the electrical system failed. They attempted to help organize the evacuation of the vessel. While passing out a short supply of life jackets, the chaplains took the jackets off their backs and gave them to other men. (Learn more at ImmortalChaplains.org.) Today, some recognize Four Chaplains Day on Feb. 3; others observe on the first Sunday of February.

Last week, many individuals and congregations echoed the chaplains’ example by taking part in World Interfaith Harmony Week. The London Central Mosque hosted the Healing the World event on Feb. 1, during which representatives from different religions discussed sources of hate and how to better encourage interfaith relationships. (Check out an article here.) A World Interfaith Harmony Assembly in Syracuse, New York, last Sunday showcased songs, dances and even humorous skits.

Originally published at readthespirit.com, an online magazine covering religion and cultural diversity.