The Occupy Song – The Video

The television media of the United States of America is occupied with false and misleading attack ads produced and paid for by the so-call Super-PACs that support a certain candidate for election. These are ads that attack the person and not at disagreements of the policies and governing philosophies that the candidates put forth. In fact, in the midst of this media war, we, the people, might not even know what the candidates believe and represent anymore.

The temptation for the people, the voters, is to be lazy and undiscerning, like grass being blown to and fro by the wind of personal attack ads – changing who we will vote for based on which ad speaks the loudest against another candidate. 

I invite you to occupy your mind with skills to discern what is true and right in this election year.  Go to flackcheck.org which is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, to find out how one organization is trying to check the ads and other political assertions against the facts.

Here is my offering:  A music video of The Occupy Song, of which the lyrics was first shared with you in a post in December 2011.  Let this song be a meditation for us to occupy our minds and hearts with the passion for the common good, so that we will take our parts in creating a just and sustainable community.

Invite members of your community to gather and watch several political ads that are currently being aired on TV today. Invite participants to notice what is being presented as facts and truths in these ads as they watch them. Invite participants as a group to make a list of these “facts” or “truth.” Divide participants into smaller groups and give each group one of these “facts” or “truth,” and invite them to research via the internet and other means to check if that “fact” is true. Invite each group to report back. As a large group, invite participants to consider the following question: What am I challenged to do as a result of this dialogue?

Reflection Questions for 1st Sunday of Lent (Year B) Genesis 9:8-17    How do you recognize the sign of your covenant with humanity and/or with God? Psalm 25:1-9   What does it mean to ask God to show us God’s ways? 1 Peter 3:18-22   How can you be alive in the spirit? Mark 9:2-9   What temptation do you have being called a son or daughter of God?

Eric H. F. Law
Kaleidoscope Institute
For competent leadership in a diverse changing world
www.kscopeinstitute.org

Come to Los Angeles in 2012 to study with The Sustainist, the first  two opportunities: February 27–March 2, 2012 Kaleidoscope Winter Institute Holy Currencies Conversations on Money and Sustainable Ministry March 14–18, 2012 Face to Face Seeing and Hearing Each Other . . . Knowing God Creative liturgy & music for a diverse and changing world An ecumenical gathering of church leaders to create worship experiences that are authentic, relational and missional