Responding to the Spring

Our nation must be committed
speaking out in freedom
the aspirations of the people
responding to the spring
the Arab Spring of this season

The yearnings of these people
to breathe the air of freedom
to shake off the shackles
of friend and foe alike
to side with the people
striving for new life

May 19, 2011
Speech May 19, 2011 by United States President Barack Obama
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2011/05/2011519145837856559.html
on the Arab Spring of 2011
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2011/mar/22/middle-east-protest-interactive-timeline
and how our country will chart a new course
holding up the people more
and not just focusing on our narrower
financial and strategic interests
&
March 17, 2011
UN Security Council approval of sanctions against Libya
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/03/17/libya.civil.war/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1
&
calling on President Obama and the world
to act in the Middle East, especially in Libya and Bahrain,
to stand with the people
yearning to breathe free
and not worrying about the results,
that it is always right to stand for basic human rights
&
on the transformations since the beginning of December -
all the protests in Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Syria,
Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Palestinian Territories, Djibouti, Mauritania, Senegal, etc.
and
especially the resignation of Hosni Mubarak
February 11, 2011
&
and the jubilance in Tahrir Square
versus the bloodshed in Bahrain and Libya, etc.
February 18, 2011
&
hearing claim by President Obama 2/15/2011
in a news conference that when history books tell it
we will be seen as being on the right side of history
in how the United States responded
&
Post on Twitter by Wael Ghonim
http://twitter.com/Ghonim
“Our Revolution was like Wikipedia”
http://twitter.com/Ghonim/status/37306340103688192
http://techpresident.com/blog-entry/ghonim-our-revolution-wikipedia
February 14, 2011
&
Post on Twitter by Wael Ghonim
http://twitter.com/Ghonim
“This is Revolution 2.0: No one was a hero because everyone was a hero.”
http://twitter.com/Ghonim/status/36708161440190464
February 13, 2011
and see
http://www.facebook.com/raymond.a.foss#!/notes/safiyah-fosua/a-prayer-for-the-people-of-egypt-february-3-2011/10150134548244274
A Prayer for the People of Egypt (February 3, 2011)
by Safiyah Fosua
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=719089081
&
Matthew 5:13-20 (NRSV)
(and Matthew 5:1-12, Beatitudes)
John 6:51 (Call to Worship)
Isaiah 58.6-12 (NRSV)
John 13:34-35 and Ephesians 4:4-6
(“They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love”, The Faith We Sing #2223)
Micah 6:8
(“We Are Called”, The Faith We Sing #2172)
Call to Worship (John 6:51)
Prayer of Confession
Prayer of Dedication
Worship Theme: “A Meal for All People”
and sermon, “Salty Christians”
by Reverend Huntley Halvorson
http://www.suncookumc.org
Suncook United Methodist Church
Suncook, NH
February 6, 2011
Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage.
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