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William Green's avatar

This is a beautifully conceived embodied reflection on public witness—devotional, political, and poetic. The contrast between the spontaneous intimacy of a three-person protest and the stage-managed spectacle of a large rally is especially striking, inspiring a deeper consideration of what it means to create public space rather than merely occupy it.

What you say about Merton, Yoder, and the 1964 Gethsemani retreat roots your liturgical experiment in a rich theological tradition without being nostalgic or static. The humility with which you approach protest—as a site of conversion, not just confrontation—is rare and refreshing.

Most moving of all is the affirmation that protest can be sacramental: not a performance for effect: a sign of presence, a public act of hope. Your “street liturgy” reads not like a blueprint but like an invitation—a rough draft of what it means to be human together. - Thanks, Bryce. You "did it" again!

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Beth Adams's avatar

My day started with reading this piece, which I appreciated so much. Thank you for reminding me to go back to Merton during this new time of protest, and thank you for the idea of "street liturgy". I liked the one you wrote and shared here! The most meaningful times of protest for me, as well, have been small ones where I got to know the other participants and we became close through our shared commitment. The most meaningful liturgies, too, have often been small ones, at retreats or sparsely-attended services at odd times of the day, when a more meditative atmosphere prevails and it seems easier to inhabit the words and take them into oneself, as we do the bread and wine in my Anglican tradition. The most important point I take away from your article is that while our small acts of protest may be ineffective in the grand scheme of things, they are not at all ineffective if we see them as opportunities to grow, to learn, to share with others no matter how few they may be, and to more fully understand our faith and what it calls us to be and to do. Thanks for expressing this so well.

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