Category Archives: Photo

AdventWord 2022 – December 23 – #restore

Great conversation about how to restore people with the Rev. Dr. Don Shriver, president emeritus at Union Theological Seminary, and the Rev. Stanley Chimeysa, prison chaplain from the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian in Malawi.

They are leading thinkers and practitioners of restorative justice.

Their thinking and acting is moving toward transformative justice.

Photo: February 11, 2019; Manhattan, New York; not sure who took the photo. Obviously not me. There were several other people present.

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AdventWord 2022 – December 22 – #choose

With thanks to Doc and Robert and all the people I do not know who choose hope and life and love by helping young people think through their choices.

This poster is from the first Teen Forum. The audience has since expanded to include all young people age 13-18.

Photo: 19 October 2022; The Bronx, New York

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AdventWord 2022 – December 21 – #obedience

With thanks to my friend Jimmie Hawkins for the profound reminder that obedience to higher principles, values, and visions often requires disobedience to unjust and immoral laws, rules and regulations. Order Unbroken and Unbowed.

Photo: 25 June, 2022; Louisville, Kentucky

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AdventWord 2022 – December 19 – #sign

Designed, created, and posted by the daughter of a friend.

Let it be.

Photo: Summer, 2021; Germantown, Louisville, Kentucky

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AdventWord – December 18 – #purify

This has been the most difficult word for me this year. In many ways, purity is illusive, perhaps even unattainable. In other ways, the concept has been misused. Finally, I landed on an aspirational approach. Although I still remain unsure of my thinking and my thinking about the photo.

Is that water pure? One would hope.

Is it being purified? One would hope.

Can one be sure? I doubt it.

BUT – pure, clean, safe water for all is an aspiration of justice and a cause for which to work.

Photo: 25 April 2021, Waterfront Botanical Garden, Louisville, Kentucky

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AdventWord 2022 – December 16 – #traveler

I traveled to my son and daughter-in-love’s home to see my granddaughter.

There I, the traveler, enjoyed coffee in a cup celebrating another traveler.

In person.

In our mind.

In our heart.

In our soul.

In solidarity with a fictional character (or is he?).

Travel comes in many forms.

And in every form, those who make the journey are travelers.

And in some cases, coffee makes it better.

Photo: 2 April 2022, North East, Maryland

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AdventWord 2022 – December 15 – #thirsty

Watching a butterfly slake its thirst.

From a purple flower.

Probably a thistle, but I don’t know for sure.

Still the delicate beauty of the magnificent creature captivated me when I took the photo and it captivates me now.

Photo: 4 September 2021, Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, Ross County, Ohio

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AdventWord 2022 – December 14 – #beloved

Lucy has grasped the heart of everyone in her family as firmly as she has grasped my thumb.

She is beloved.

Photo: April 7, 2022; North East, Maryland

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AdventWord 2022 – December 13 – #stranger

Another challenging word. I try to heed the words of Tommy Sands:

Let the circle be wide ’round the fireside
And we’ll soon make room for you
Let your heart have no fear, there are no strangers here,
Just friends that you never knew

But there are definitely people I have not met. There are people I don’t know. There are people I hesitate to meet. I confess that. I try to work at that.

Photo: May 17, 2014; Central Park, New York, New York

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AdventWord 2022 – December 12 – #wilderness

This was a challenge. I have not been to many places that are truly wilderness spaces or at least that fit my understanding of a wilderness.

Ghost Ranch, the setting for this photo, is beautiful and outdoors. But it is really well developed in terms of being a wilderness.

Still it remains a semi-wild place that feeds my soul and spirit.

Photo: Ghost Ranch, New Mexico; 30 August 2008

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