First Parish in Bedford Earth Day Service “The Peace of Trees”

The guest speaker for this year’s Earth Day Service is Reverend Fred Small, a Unitarian Universalist pastor, singer-songwriter and former environmental lawyer who serves as Minister for Climate Justice at Arlington Street Church, Boston. “The rush and pressure of modern life are a form, perhaps the most common form, of its innate violence,” wrote Trappist monk and peace activist Thomas Merton. “The frenzy of our activism neutralizes our work for peace… It destroys the fruitfulness of our own work, because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful.” As we work together for social and environmental justice, how do we remain grounded in a peaceful spirit? What can we learn from trees? There will be an opportunity for in-person Question & Answer with Rev. Small following the service at 11:30am in the church Bacon Room. Rev. Fred Small’s children’s picture book, Everything Possible, with wonderful illustrations by Alison Brown, will be published by Nosy Crow on May 2 (Rev. Small will have books available to sell during Community Hour).