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Pray, Study, Act for Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Next week marks the somber anniversary of the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The death toll from the two bombings has been estimated to be as high as 210,000. Today, the world arsenal of nuclear weapons adds up to 12,512 warheads, with a total power 65,000 times greater than was dropped on Japan. And due to war in Ukraine and weakened international cooperation, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists now states that the risk of nuclear disaster is rising.

Christopher Nolan’s new movie Oppenheimer, about the father of the atomic bomb, is an opportunity for renewed public support for nuclear disarmament. Now is the time to advocate for the reduction of the nuclear threat.

Pray

Breath of All that Is,
Preserve us from our own madness.
Direct us away from dealing destruction to others,  
A path which leads to the ruin
Of ourselves and our world.
Protect us. Help us to hear You.

Jesus Christ, Beloved,
Show us your precious face in all others,
You in us, and we in each other, from all places.
Teach us how to lower our defenses,
Feed us Love which transcends fear.
Heal us. Help us to let go of all fear.

Holy Spirit,
You call us, in our minds, in our world,
And through each other. Speak to us. Speak through us.
When we worship power, control, money,
When we cannot forgive, or shove pain onto others,
Call us. Light the fire of Love.

We will not be afraid.
We will not be afraid.
Love transcends all fear.
You are with us always. Amen.

Prayer for Disarmament by Kim Vanderheiden, Pax Christi Northern California, on the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Aug 6 & 9)

Study

Christopher Nolan’s latest movie Oppenheimer, on the father of the atomic bomb, shows the gravity of the weapons and their threat to humanity.

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, a magazine to which Robert J. Oppenheimer was an early contributor, released an issue covering the movie and its subject matter. This includes interviews with Christopher Nolan, interviews with Oppenheimer biographers, in-depth looks at aspects of the movie, and a review of the Robert Oppenheimer’s legacy.

Act

Follow the Back from the Brink campaign and ask your representative in Congress to support H.Res 77. The resolution would call on President Biden and Secretary Blinken to make nuclear disarmament the centerpiece of the national security policy of the United States.

Use the form below to write to your representative.