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September 18th: Commemorating Dag Hammarskjold

20th Century Peace Maker and Christian Mystic

 
Swedish diplomat Dag Hammarskjold, the United Nations Secretary-General, was awarded a posthumous Nobel Peace Prize.  After his death, many were surprised at the content of Markings, a kind of personal diary and notebook now recognized as a  twentieth century classic of Christian spirituality.
 
On the date of his death, September 18, (or a nearby Sunday) his life is commemorated in many Lutheran and other churches for his powerful witness as a peace maker and poet/mystic.

I have developed something which you might wish to adapt for such an observance: Markings Mass:  A Liturgy for Peace, Justice and   Reconciliation.  See:
 
MARKINGSMASS – A Liturgy for Peace, Justice and Reconciliation Based on excerpts from Dag Hammarskjold’s Markings
 
About “Markingsmass: A Liturgy for Peace, Justice and Reconciliation”
 
Robert O’Sullivan, a long time resident of the Oakland/Berkeley area, has retired to a beautiful garden home in Brookings, OR on the Oregon coast. He is mourning the death of his wife of over 51 years, Alice Wildermuth O’Sullivan, in April 2020. She had distinguished careers as a musician and attorney. Three German Shepherds help to keep him appreciating the wonders of creation and are a comfort during these days of loss.

After many “career” involvements, he has discovered a new vocation as a poet and writer, deeply influenced by William Blake and Dag Hammarskjold, who both embodied brilliant Christian visions while working in remarkable ways for justice and peace. His new words to Christmas carols and other hymns and a Blake-inspired “unofficial international anthem” have appeared in Progressive Christianity, along with civil rights writings.

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