Tired, but not Beaten

I am infuriated at the way in which politics, media, and general fear and hatred cycles have made life in this country a difficult one to live.  However—I have known this was around me all along.  In these past weeks, I have seen Trump signs overtake lawns within a mile of my house; in these past years, not one, or two, but THREE armories have thrived within three miles of my house (you read that right:  three within three, in which you can get an AK with relative ease and pointlessness); this past couple of weeks, the Georgia legislature decided to railroad all sense by pushing the “open carry” law in MY classroom (that’s right: come this Fall, I and my colleagues have to worry about whether students will read the syllabus and where the kids with guns will sit in the classroom so that someone sitting less than a foot from them won’t be tempted to pull the gun out of the holster in front of them—as I feel this a legit concern).

I. Am. Tired. Of. This.

This is NOT the Christian way of living, though many who support these acts propose they are quite Christian.  There is a violence set loose on this country that cannot remain, and most of us feel powerless except in the power of prayer.  Still, my faith tradition calls for not only prayer, but ACTION.  There seems little action we could take aside from voting and being active in our process—and taking heart in the fact we have  a process, which I pray God will protect us from war-mongering, racism, violence, and the lesser parts of the human experience.

I do know that I am a lucky person to have friends and family in my life working for good, delivering truth or comforting those who sorrow over the hatred which seems to run rampant.  I am privileged to know people who use their vocations to  help others achieve positive goals—whether that’s my brother dedicating his life to helping others achieve connection with God, or my academic friends writing books and sharing knowledge as truth to power, or my friends who know how the body works and aim to make others aware and unashamed of what they’re capable of doing. And certainly those Mamas and Papas I know raising little ones to be salt of the earth.  Positive stuff. Actually showing compassion toward others, communal sharing of faith, joy, as well as sorrow and concern, with no judgement, just gentle guidance.

I am writing this to say how grateful I am to those of who do these positive things, who act in this world to dispel this damnable darkness which may creep in but cannot overtake the light—have faith, my friends. Let’s shore each other up with the talents God has given us, with respect and humility for the tenuousness of life, with an eye for love.