Volume 2018 Number 6
Kukui Lamalama
The Poor People's Campaign
Over 30 UUs gathered at Ala Moana Beach Park June 18th for the final Moral Monday of the 2018 Poor People's Campaign. The Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival is co-organized by Repairers of the Breach, a social justice organization founded by the Rev. Barber; the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights and social Justice at Union Theological Seminary plus hundreds of local and national grassroots groups across the country. On May 14 campaign co-chairs Revs. Barber and Theoharis kicked off a six-week season of nonviolent direct action demanding new programs to fight systemic poverty and racism, immediate attention to ecological devastation and measures to curb militarism and the war economy, reigniting the 1968 movement started by Martin Luther King, Jr. and so many others. For five consecutive weeks, protesters have taken to state capitols across the country, with thousands arrested nationwide for engaging in nonviolent civil disobedience. continued on page 2 Continued from Page 1 For the sixth and final week, Rev. T.J. and First Unitarian were asked to spearhead a Hawaii event. Ours was a peaceful demonstration giving voice to the struggles people in Hawaii are enduring in the face of so many forms of oppression. We learned about the campaign's moral agenda based on fundamental rights (http://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/demands/) and officially launched Hawaii's participation in this ongoing campaign. We were joined by people fighting for a living wage, serving homeless youth of this island and advocating an end to this shameful era of racist mass-incarceration. The campaign is expected to be a multi-year effort. On June 18th, we made a start. Quoting Rev. T.J. "...we have only begun to fight."
The Magazine of the First Unitarian Church of Honolulu June 2018
Articles (from members or other UU leaders) submitted to the church magazine will be selected on the basis of their informative and/or inspirational nature or value to the life and ministry of this congregation. The editor has the authority to make the decision to not include a submission. Print versions of the magazine will be limited to selected 4 (or 8 back to back) pages.
If you are ready to experience being listened to and connecting with others in a way you may yet to have experienced in your life, join a Chalice Circle. Groups of 5-12 people meet twice a month for two hours to explore pre-selected topics together. Each group is guided by a trained facilitator. The next six month series launches in July. For further information, contact Carla Allison: cbm@hawaii.rr.com or 396-1488. Locations, Dates and Times: Hawaii Kai: 2nd & 4th Mondays @6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Nu'uanu: 1st & 3rd Tuesdays @10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Kailua: 2nd & 4th Saturdays @3:00 - 5:00 p.m. Kaka'ako: 2nd & 4th Mondays @6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Lower Manoa: 1st & 3rd Mondays @6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Mililani: 1st & 3rd Mondays @6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Chalice Circles
Index
Youth Outreach (YO) serves as a safe haven for Waikiki homeless youth, offering medical care, social services and non-judgmental support along with food hot showers and clothing. During the month of June, Chalice Circles collected donations of money and new boxer shorts to support YO's efforts. June's Share the Plate program of donating one half of all non-pledge contributions from the Sunday worship offering plate also goes to Yo. Mahalo to everyone who participated! - Carla Allison
Poor People's Campaign 1 Chalice Circles 3 Member News 4 A.D.O.R.E. 5 General Assembly 5 Rev. T.J.'s Message 6 Camping Trip 7
Editorial Policy
On May 27th, we had a very meaningful discussion about the powerful film, "Mudbound." Even though this film takes place during WWII in the Mississippi Delta Jim Crow south, and the racism portrayed is very "raw," as some of our group mentioned, the history is strongly connected to our present day in which the "rawness" is gurgling just below the surface. On June 24th, 11:30am-1:30pm, we will hold our monthly meeting in the First Unitarian Church of Honolulu sanctuary. We will view and discuss the documentary, "The Untold Story." Here is a description of the film: Within hours of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawai'i authorities arrested several hundred local Japanese on O'ahu, Maui, Hawai'i and Kauai'i. They were Buddhist priests, Japanese language school officials, newspaper editors, business and community leaders. In total, over 2,000 men and women of Japanese ancestry were arrested, detained and incarcerated in 13 confinement sites throughout Hawai'i. There was no evidence of espionage or sabotage and no charges were ever filed against them. While the story of the 1942 mass round-up, eviction and imprisonment of Japanese Americans in California, Oregon and Washington has been well documented, very little is known about the Hawai'i internees and their unique experience during World War II. This is the first full-length documentary to chronicle this untold story in Hawai'i's history. - Jill Rabinov
Member News
A.D.O.R.E.
David Friedman was the featured artist for June in Go Kailua Magazine.
"What's Old is New Again" Happy Birthday, T.J.
Marshall's work was featured in the East Oahu Voice.
General Assembly
T.J. and Imiloa with our Banner preparing for the Parade of Churches. (photos by Gloria Borland)
Almost 3,000 delegates in Kansas City. T.J. and Allison are seated during Opening Ceremonies.
T.J.'s Message: When Words Fail
As I sit here in the airport, I can’t miss it. Families are everywhere. They are watching bags for each other while taking trips to the kiosks and water fountains. They are checking around them as they get up to board their flights to see if any family member left a toy or a personal electronic device behind. One child sitting next to me gently laid his head on his mom’s shoulder, in the universal gesture of “I’m tired. Comfort me.” It’s hard to describe, but today the conditioned air, cool and frigid, feels somehow icier. The prepackaged food seems less appealing than usual. And it’s hard to get at all comfortable, even though I’m tired and wish I could sleep. There is no mystery why I’m feeling this way, why I suspect many of us are feeling terrible right now. I say often that laughter and tears are what we have for times when speech is no longer sufficient. As laughable as much of what this administration does may be, no one is laughing now—at least no one with any sense of decency. Rather, many of us, like Rachel Maddow during her broadcast have seen their pain over this administration’s treatment of babies — babies — rendered in tears. And this is only fitting in light of reports that there are rooms filling steadily with children crying and inconsolable near our nation’s borders. Words fail us at times like these, and perhaps they should. The images from child jails erected and operating on the soil of a nation founded in liberty and dedicated to the pursuit of happiness are horrifying. The sense that the racist and abhorrent system of mass incarceration, designed and executed to disenfranchise and dehumanize so many citizens of color in this nation, is now stretching its sickening hand to hold the most vulnerable among us defies explanation, defies decency, defies the core of what most considered inalienable human rights…until now. Because words fail us at these times…action may be the wiser course. I don’t mind saying that I am closer to outright insurrection against a sitting government than I have ever been in my life. That is not hyperbole. There is a part of me here in this airport considering changing my flight to one bound for Texas and holding vigil, witnessing on behalf of these traumatized babies. But this evening, a building coalition plans to protest these actions during this event: Wednesday, June 20 ICE Protest. That might be a start for some of us. I do not know what future actions may become necessary to combat what is patently wrong, what is intentionally vicious to children. But as the cries rise up from these places that house so much horror, I hope, I pray, more than I might ever have before, that all of the words and bluster that led to these crimes will give way to the overpowering, universal force that draws us each to give peace, to give comfort to those who suffer. And may it ever be so. - Rev. T. J.
The Church Campout was held June 7-10. The no-talent talent show gets better all the time. Pierre and Nan Kleiber, and Mike Young prepared and sang a fun song, Junko did a hula, Harmony introduced Friday evening with a speech on “America’s got no talent and so do you”. T.J., Nancy S. and others shared music and we even had an original play by Deborah Duval. Kerry and Jarrod Campbell made the Sat. Eve. Campfire a treat with flames and many burned marshmallows. The Sunday morning service was led by Rev. Mike Young. We learned about the history of the Biblical story of the “Good Samaritan” and were challenged to - love our enemies whoever they may be. The weather was good, the ocean refreshing, the company sublime. - Nancy Schildt
Camping at Malaekahana
First Unitarian Church of Honolulu A Welcoming Unitarian Universalist Church
Submission Deadline: The deadline for both hard and electronic copy for the Magazine is noon on the third Sunday of the month. Bring hard copy submissions to the church office; email electronic copy to: Magazine@unitariansofhi.org Section Word Limits: Please limit your copy to 100 - 200 words. N.B. The editors may edit any submission for content, length, and/or clarity. Mailing Policy: All members and friends with email addresses registered on our website will receive an email notification when the newsletter is uploaded and ready to view. If a member does not have an email address, paper copies of the Magazine are available at the church for Oahu-based members. The Magazine will be mailed to any member or friend upon request and following payment of the subscription fee. Mail Subscriptions: The Magazine subscription fee is $20.00 per year payable in advance . The subscription year runs January to December. New subscriptions will be prorated on a quarterly basis. Publisher: Nancy Schildt Editor and Composition: Jane Raissle Distribution: Suzette Tom
Publication Information
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