Notes from the Edge
Reflections on Faith, Justice, & Community from the Blog of Edgehill UMC
Peace in the Rubble: Advent and the Poetry of Palestine
For people living under real oppression, peace and enemies are not abstract ideas but everyday realities. That’s why I’m drawn to Palestinian poet Taha Muhammad Ali’s poem “Revenge.” In 21st century America, we're so far removed from the experiences of Zechariah and Elizabeth-- people living under Roman military occupation. As a Palestinian, Ali helps us to understand these realities through the experience of oppressed people….
Hope in the Rubble: Advent and the Poetry of Palestine
All of these things, the poet says, hope “crushe[s] beneath its wings.” We often think of hope as this beautiful, feathery thing. Emily Dickinson’s poem (which Al-Hayyat gives a nod to) “‘Hope’ is the Thing with Feathers”, imagines hope as a bird in our soul. But Al-Hayyat’s feathered hope crushes everything beneath its wings….
Beyond Food Banks: The Book of Ruth, SNAP, & Social Responsibility
You’d be hard pressed to find a story that speaks more powerfully to the moment we’re in right now than the story of Ruth. Ruth’s story isn’t just an ancient story—it’s our story. Because Ruth is the story of an immigrant family crossing borders—leaving everything behind and taking great risks—in search of safety and a better life. Because Ruth is the story of families who know what it’s like to go hungry….
The First Hillbilly Hymn
One of the reasons I find Fox’s song so moving is that it brings God’s vision of justice to life with color and texture in way that makes me pause and reflect more deeply. But there is another, much older hillbilly hymn in scripture.