I sometimes have a hard time speaking up, not because I don't have opinions - I have plenty of those - but because I don't want to offend others. I try to play nicely with others, don't rock the boat, be the peacemaker. I'm just about done.
Last week, my Mom and I went to hear Jim Wallis of Sojourners
speak at a church in the area. There were so many people we wound up
in one of several overflow rooms where they were live streaming his
speech. (I do know that he was, in fact, at the venue. We passed him as
we left our building and he was going to the book table to sign books.)
At the end, during the question and answer period, Jim made a statement
- faith inspires hope which prompts
action which brings about change. I've been pondering that statement all week.
A Bible verse that has become my mantra over the years has been a
variation of Micah 6:8 - "Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your
God." Justice and mercy, in my view, look very different than the current US Administration views justice and mercy. I
am tired of hearing about how we need to "make America great again",
which seems to mean to put the interests of rich, white men above the
needs of the poor, the needy, immigrants, people of color, working class, middle class, women, children...the list could just keep going
on and on and on. I'm tired of hearing that all the news media is
lying. I'm tired of the threats and patronizing comments from the
current administration. I'm tired of hearing about "alternative facts" and I'm tired of the thin skinned man that sits in the White House. We are haven't even made it a month and
already, I'm tired.
I've been struggling to find hope for the United States since November. I've been struggling to listen to the opinions of those who don't believe the same way I believe. I stopped watching the news. I stopped doing anything more than skimming the headlines. Because since November, I've felt hopeless - wanting to be a peaceful person amidst the anger but just feeling so.darn.angry. I've listened to those who have said we just need to accept things and move on but I don't want to accept things. I don't want to just move on. And yet, I don't know what to do...yet. I simply know I'm tired.
Faith - hope - action - change. Justice - mercy - humbleness - God. I'm pondering these things and searching for my voice.
