Celebrating Rachel by

hilary99 — 2022-01-24 16:27:00 UTC

hilary99 — 2022-01-24 16:29:43 UTC

Rachel's eagerness and open spirit still radiates from her picture and my memories <3

2022-01-24 16:35:47 UTC

Rachel was so dedicated, so deeply mission driven, so solid. Her spirit on each and every call was joyful and present. Her partner, children and extended family are in my prayers today and beyond. ❤️💔❤️

From Michael: For dear, sweet Rachel, a poem by Kentuckian Wendell BerryA Poem of ThanksI have been spared another dayto come into this nightas though there is a mercy in thingsmindful of me. Love, cast allthought aside. I cast asideall thought. Our bodies entertheir brief precedence,surrounded by their sleep.Through you I rise, and youthrough me, into the joywe make, but may not keep.

hilary99 — 2022-01-24 16:46:13 UTC

May Rachel be happy,

2022-01-24 17:34:06 UTC

May Rachel be free from suffering,
May Rachel be at peace <3

https://soundcloud.com/theaterwanderer/life?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

2022-01-24 17:37:40 UTC

A sweet tune written by friends that is actually three Emily Dickinson poems set to music. Been listening to it this morning thinking about Rachel. And also thinking about the poster that was always behind her on Zoom, "it's not a MOMENT, it's the MOVEMENT." Her life was not merely this moment on earth but connected her to the lineage of movement ancestors she now joins. Our beloved Rachel, presente.

Something that immediately spoke to me about Rachel was her fire for growth beyond what the world had presented her from life's start. I relate to her experience of breaking out of the mold of conservative christianity, while at the same time loving the people we come from. I appreciated knowing there were others at SURJ who didn't grow up in the movement and came to it later in life. -drea

2022-01-24 17:57:10 UTC

Rachel's smile and enthusiasm will always be such a source of joy and affirmation of how we can all live in our fullest on this earth!

2022-01-24 18:43:14 UTC

Rachel was so open about coming to this work with less ‘political training’ than many, and so eager to be on the journey of learning more. She brought an honest, open joy, and a keen attention to detail that made data base work seem dreamy. I will miss her, and lovingly remember her for the rest of my days.

2022-01-24 18:57:54 UTC

https://samuellockridge.bandcamp.com/track/walnut-heart

2022-01-24 19:04:13 UTC

Another song I would love to share in honor of Rachel. Partly original by my comrade Samuel and partly based on the poem by e.e. cummings "I carry your heart":

Though it breaks my heart,
Home is where you are.
You are where I am.
Your ghost holds my hand.
How far must I go
To run away from home?

Whatever the moon has always meant,
Whatever the sun will always sing,
Is you.

The deepest secret nobody knows,
The sky of the sky of a tree called life,
The wonder that keeps the stars apart:
I carry your heart,
I carry your heart.

beth408 — 2022-01-24 20:42:02 UTC

I will always remember Rachel's kindness, joy, and commitment to justice. We started work at SURJ on the same day and I'll always hold her dear to me. Going through onboarding together helped me get steady and navigate being in a new job. One thing I'll treasure most is how much Rachel's heart was open to transformation -- for herself, her community, and the systems we live in. She believed in the power of change and showing up to fight for what we all deserve. She believed that justice was possible and within reach. I know that she is always with us at SURJ and she's now an ancestor to us, especially those of us in the South. Sending so much love. -- Beth

2022-01-25 16:25:30 UTC

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2022-01-25 16:26:30 UTC

2022-01-26 15:55:24 UTC

It was an honor and pleasure to know Rachel. Even though I only was able to meet Rachel through Zoom, her sweet and sincere spirit shone through so fiercely, she had an unmistakable light that anyone who met her could see and feel, and it still shines that way, beyond and across time

I will always remember her as someone who was fiercely dedicated to the movement, SURJ, and a rock who showed up consistently, and kept the the ship sailing on its course. "Though we need to weep your loss, You dwell in that safe place in our hearts, Where no storm or night or pain can reach you."

2022-01-26 16:04:34 UTC