May Flowers

"It is in the intimacy of our life as it arises that we are changed." - Kwan Ung Bill Boyle

It's hard to believe that it's been six weeks since our last update!  Our calendars (and our hearts) have been full!

Tommy joined an interfaith delegation at the Detroit office of Senator Elissa Slotkin to urge her to vote for the bill that would block bombs and bulldozers from being sent to Israel. He wrote all about it in this substack post. Our friend Nabil, who is a Muslim from Lebanon, started our conversation with Senator Slotkin's staff with this: 

Tommy was on the panel on Christian Zionism testifying about his own experience during this community call with Christians for a Free Palestine. We are traveling to Washington DC from July 4-8 for the Interfaith Action for Palestine. Check out the info here if you'd like to join us. 

We hopped in the van and drove to Dearborn to celebrate Lindsay's 44th birthday with beer and pizza and the comedy of Sammy Obeid. 

We drove out to Stroudsburg, PA to spend time with our dear friend Erinn who is going through a major life transition. 

She brought us across the border to New Jersey to get out on the Appalachian Trail. 

After a few days with Erinn, we drove down to Hampton, Virginia for a few days on the beach. 

This is Emancipation Oak, on the campus of Hampton University, a historic Black college. This tree is more than 200 years old. Many enslaved people listened to the Emancipation Proclamation right here in 1863. 

We both volunteered for Shareef Akeel at the Michigan Democratic Convention. We live in one of only two states that still uses the convention process (instead of primaries) for certain state and local offices. Shareef got through the convention and will be on the ballot in November. He is running to be on the Board of Governors at Wayne State University. It is obvious that Shareef cares about college students, especially those who are underrepresented (and demonized) like Muslims and Arabs. 

Lindsay drove down to Cleveland for the annual "Liberation Lab" at Cleveland State University. It is run by our friend C, who works for the InterReligious Task Force on Central America. 

                                                            

We attended the final service send-off for Kateri Boucher, who is leaving Detroit for a short stint at a monastery in Madison, Wisconsin. 

As we write, our friend Cait - who is a public defender in Detroit - is about to burst. Pray for Cait, Mike and their baby!!!

The annual Nakba Day march in Dearborn this past Friday was baked with a distinctive Palestinian blend of fierce determination, artistry and joy.