new moon in Aries (4/15) // long live the Rojava revolution // the kin-dom is at hand! Brought to you by Friendly Fire Collective A new issue of Friendly Fire! Why in mid-April? Because May Day is coming. We realized our May issue would be late, but also... we need to fundraise.

May Day is coming!

May Day 2017 in Philadelphia May Day is a leftist holy day. On May Day, we celebrate the working class and honor those who fought for workers' rights, especially those seven anarchists who were murdered by the state after the 1886 riot in Chicago's Haymarket Square.



It felt right that members of the planning committee met this past weekend in Chicago.



We were at the Decolonizing the Base conference, put together by Decolonize Lutheranism, and fit in some time to put the finishing touches on our months of planning for the May Day retreat.



May Day is coming. And we are excited.



We are excited to march. To declare freedom for Mumia Abu Jamal and all political prisoners. To demand justice for David Jones, murdered by Philly cops. To rebuke ICE and demand that it be abolished. To support tenant rights. To honor revolutionaries who have gone before us.



And to pray together. To eat together. To learn from one another. To see the Christian Left continue to emerge. To see a glimpse of the kin-dom.



Our retreat, as you probably know, is May 1-3. The retreat is turning out bigger than we initially planned, with over 30 confirmed participants coming to Philly. Because of this, we need some help.



Our initial fundraising goal was $1,500, but because of the number of people coming, we had to raise that goal to $3,000. So far, we are over half-way to our goal, but need over $1,200 more!



We hate that we have to do this, but we are sending out this mid-April newsletter because we need help. So far the planning committee has been paying for everything out of pocket, including the scholarships given out. Consider donating a few dollars. If 250 people gave $5, we could reach that goal! Truly, any contribution helps.



Donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/friendly-fire-retreat



If you cannot afford to donate, considering sharing our GoFundMe on your social media. Also, we could definitely use prayer. A prayer for revolutionaries



"But I am now convinced that the time for grand theoretical discourses, written or spoken, is over. During the last nine years more than enough ideas for the salvation of the world have been developed in the International (if the world can be saved by ideas) and I defy anyone to come up with a new one.

This is the time not for ideas but for action, for deeds."

Mikhail Bakunin,







Dear God, of all tactics, of all traditions, of all children,



May we use our diversity of tactics to defeat capitalism and all forms of power that do not conform to the likeness of God in Christ, yielded and humble, reverently and zealously devoted to universal love.



May we learn from the revolutionaries and radicals who laid their lives down for a new world. May we honor their legacy and work by synthesizing and materializing their work. May we not be quick to dismiss that of God in them and their work because of their shortcomings and failures, but instead cherish their victories and wisdom and learn from their errors.



May we build the revolutionary movement that is needed. We know it cannot exist without an imagination that is constantly analyzing the current conditions and building from there, but also is seeing the best possible and most loving outcome, and shooting for it with a contagious and reasonable confidence.



Grant us faith.



Grant us hope.



Grant us love.



May we be committed to universal love, one that is not just sentimental but revolutionary. May we bless all movement that brings us closer to shalom. May we be faithful to your movement of liberating love. May we be willing to organize, to demand, to act, and live into the kin-dom. May Kin-dom come, now and among us.



Amen. "But I am now convinced that the time for grand theoretical discourses, written or spoken, is over. During the last nine years more than enough ideas for the salvation of the world have been developed in the International (if the world can be saved by ideas) and I defy anyone to come up with a new one.This is the time not for ideas but for action, for deeds."Mikhail Bakunin, L etter to the Comrades of the Jura Federation (1873) Dear God, of all tactics, of all traditions, of all children,May we use our diversity of tactics to defeat capitalism and all forms of power that do not conform to the likeness of God in Christ, yielded and humble, reverently and zealously devoted to universal love.May we learn from the revolutionaries and radicals who laid their lives down for a new world. May we honor their legacy and work by synthesizing and materializing their work. May we not be quick to dismiss that of God in them and their work because of their shortcomings and failures, but instead cherish their victories and wisdom and learn from their errors.May we build the revolutionary movement that is needed. We know it cannot exist without an imagination that is constantly analyzing the current conditions and building from there, but also is seeing the best possible and most loving outcome, and shooting for it with a contagious and reasonable confidence.Grant us faith.Grant us hope.Grant us love.May we be committed to universal love, one that is not just sentimental but revolutionary. May we bless all movement that brings us closer to shalom. May we be faithful to your movement of liberating love. May we be willing to organize, to demand, to act, and live into the kin-dom. May Kin-dom come, now and among us.Amen. some friendly witchery for May Day friends, G-d is so faithful. more faithful than we can name sometimes, especially in those moments of intense heartache and pain. the friendly fire collective has been undergoing some of that heartache and pain, and yet, G-d is still faithful. some brujas in our collective gathered this weekend and did a reading for our retreat and we are hopeful for what G-d has in store for us.



the six of wands, reversed we have been working hard to craft this space, this intimate gathering of familiar souls, and often times it feels like there has not been a recognition of our hard work and dedication. though the same could be said about anarchist, communist, and other liberatory groups around the world. but this card also represents that our work is not done. we still have a lot to do, for our collective and retreat, for our world, and for ourselves. and the recognition will come, friends. because from “the L-rd you will receive the inheritance as your reward.” we are supposed to inherit the world friends, and it is coming. let us continue working hard. nine of pentacles, upright while we must work hard, and our dedication be without compromise, this card represents the nature of the retreat. that there are times when we have put in the work and are due to receive all the blessings and promises of G-d, and that we must have time to rest, to live in the abundance that G-d desires for us to be fulfilled. this card is not telling us that we have reached our goal, but that we are close, and that we can enjoy the place we are and indulge in what has been provided. we are so close, friends. let us stop and take a moment to look around us and see what we have accomplished, to appreciate what we have done, and to thank G-d for divine grace and faithfulness.



six of swords, reversed change is necessary, as we all know. but that transition comes with pain and resistance. the world is changing, we are changing it, and we are being changed by it. the six of swords reminds us that in order to be successful in creating the change in the world, that we must be open to that change. to resist it, is to resist G-d. we are experiencing challenges in creating this Kin-dom of G-d, but G-d planned an obsolescence of this world, and we must respond to that plan by continuing to work and to building a better, stronger future. the retreat will remind us that G-d requires faithfulness and an open heart. Messiah College Abolitionists



A statement from the Messiah College Abolitionists, who are running a campaign to stop the college from using prison labor:



A statement from the Messiah College Abolitionists, who are running a campaign to stop the college from using prison labor: THE HYPOCRISY OF IT ALL As a Christian College, we don’t we that we are upholding the mission and identity of what Messiah preaches and tries to personify. By forming a contract to save the College money, Messiah is supporting an industry that is so deeply tied to the racial oppression and injustice in this country. For a Christian College, that strongly identifies with and preaches the notion of reconciliation and fighting injustice, feigning ignorance on this topic is heartbreaking to those that are witnessing this happen.

Why is it that no one knows that this happened, when Messiah is usually so proud to announce new partnerships? Claiming ignorance due to never having to face the issue of incarceration injustice before is understandable because of the white privilege that provides the ability to be blind to it. But claiming ignorance when the school made no action to inform the students, parents, donors, and community that they were doing this, is not right.

Messiah preaches a message of wanting to be a diverse and multicultural and multi-ethnic campus. But by doing this action, you are slowly shutting that door on non-white students, families, and communities. Imagine if a student, that falls under the racially and marginally oppressed umbrella, attending Messiah College found out about this, would it make them feel safe knowing that their school is full of hypocrisy.

Part of the Mission Statement for this school is that “We don’t just serve because it’s the “right thing to do”; we serve because God calls us to open our hearts to the poor and needy and to work for justice wherever injustice prevails.” So how can these actions be reconciled?” For more information: https://www.messiahcollegeabolitionists.org/



D O N A T E T O O U R G O F U N D M E But seriously, we need all the help we can get. 30 people have raised $1,755 in the past month for this retreat. If 240 more people donated $5, we would reach our goal. Or - if 30 more people donated $40, we would also reach our goal. We've been paying for this out of our own pockets, so really - anything helps. New episode of Friendly Anarchism!

Episode 38: Seeking Faiths, May Day, And Self-Criticism with Matti



Katherine spoke to a Friendly Fire co-conspirator Matti on the latest episode of Friendly Anarchism. You can listen to their hour-long conversation on spiritual seeking, fascist mysticism, witchcraft, charismatic spirituality, theater of the oppressed, and all sorts of good stuff on Soundcloud! “We will try daily, hourly, to pray for an end to the war… Let us add that unless we continue this prayer with almsgiving, in giving to the least of God’s children; and fasting in order that we may help feed the hungry; and penance in recognition of our share of the guilt, our prayer may become empty words.” —Dorothy Day HOLD IN THE LIGHT

Holding in the Light is a silent Quaker prayer of visualization. In it, we envision the people and issues we are interceding for in God's hand, consumed by Light, carried by Love.



Nichola Torbett: Oh, Syria. Tonight I am praying for the people of Syria. I have to confess that my attention has been spotty and that we have been dropping bombs for a lot longer than they are saying and in a lot more places than they are saying and that our news media are unreliable. I acknowledge that we don't know what is true and what is propaganda and what is provocation. We need to listen to Syrians. We need to let our hearts break. We need to pray for all life.



We hold Syria in the Light.

May empire be pushed out of Syria.

May Syria know peace.



Hye Sung: I lift up the Catholic Workers, the Plowshares movement, and all who are called to prophetic action. On April 9th, over 60 Catholic Workers ended a retreat by protesting at a pipeline storage facility in Minnesota. With banners and holy water, they sought to transform the space. They have been working alongside indigenous activists, as this pipeline cuts through the Fond du Lac and Leech Lake reservations and threatens areas that have long been held as sacred by the indigenous people. No arrests were made.



In the past few weeks there have been other prophetic actions, especially during Holy Week.



Kicking off Holy Week, a group of Minneapolis Christian activists had several actions on Palm Sunday calling for Thrivent Financial to divest from companies that profit from violence and death. Thrivent, a traditionally Christian financial firm, has invested millions of dollars in weapons manufacturers whose businesses are built on consumer gun purchases, police militarization, nuclear proliferation, and US imperial war. Banners hung throughout Minneapolis, including at Thrivent Financial's offices, on the bridge above a freeway, and at a church. In their statement they wrote, "In the wake of the murder of #StephonClark and the #MarchForOurLives, it’s time for Christians to follow the example of Jesus on Palm Sunday and act to end our religious tradition’s participation in economic machinations that fund ALL forms of gun violence, including school shootings, racist police brutality, and endless war."



On Holy Thursday, folks from the Center for Prophetic Imagination, the Mennonite Worker, the Catholic Worker, and other Christian activists, held a public, outdoor Holy Thursday liturgy, calling the larger Christian community to take a stronger stand against all forms of gun violence, including violence perpetrated by the police. On one banner, they demanded: Stop crucifixions! Disarm the police!



On Good Friday, two Catholic activists associated with the West Virginia chapter of the Catholic Committee of Appalachia (CCA), the Catholic Worker movement, and the Women’s Ordination Conference held a peaceful witness outside of St. Joseph's Cathedral in Wheeling. Their banner proclaimed that "Silence Crucifies" and as a subtitle it listed "War, Homophobia, Sexism, Xenophobia, Racism, Coal" as things the Church is silent about.



More recently, on April 4th, Kings Bay Plowshares honored Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who devoted his life to addressing militarism, racism, and materialism, with an action at Kings Bay Navel. Their statement quoted King who said, "The greatest purveyor of violence in the world (today) is my own government." Carrying hammers and baby bottles of their own blood, the seven attempted to convert weapons of mass destruction. The activists went to three sites on the base: The administration building, the D5 Missile monument installation and the nuclear weapons storage bunkers. The activists used crime scene tape, hammers and banners reading: The ultimate logic of racism is genocide, Dr. Martin Luther King; The ultimate logic of Trident is omnicide; Nuclear weapons: illegal – immoral. They also brought an indictment charging the U.S. government for crimes against peace.



We hold prophetic activists in the Light.

May the wider Church hear these activists, and may they prophesy too. The People's Devotional Revolutionary is love for all Do I feel affection towards all people? Truthfully, no. But I know I can love all people even if that's the case. After all, love isn’t just a feeling - it’s an action, a commitment. To love through political means is a way to love even when I don’t feel like it. I can love all people through building a revolutionary movement. I can love all people by spreading class consciousness. I can love all people through direct actions. Protesting. Sabotaging. Creating systems of mutual aid. Making the state irrelevant. This love is one that transforms and/or dismantles systems that affects all people.



Political love, revolutionary love, is what Jesus had on the cross, dying in the place of the insurrectionist Barabbas and with his blood planting the seeds for an apocalyptic movement.



To love is to recognize and appreciate the humanity (and therefore, the divinity) of others. Our political action may restrain others, it may not make them necessarily “feel good” (especially the rich and privileged) but even this is love. This is humanizing them. This is calling them into their humanity, toward God in them, into theosis.