Friends,
My birthday usually falls on MLK weekend, and this year was on the day. That meant a relaxing day of quilting, chatting with family and friends.
I'm rather pleased to be 65, it feels like a significant accomplishment!
-Liz
Why don't you do Something?
I recently read a post on some social media, it was a person from afar looking in on what is happening here in the United States and saying "look what is happening, why aren't you doing something".
And honestly, that is how I feel. Why aren't I doing something?
My overwhelming feeling these days is renewed compassion for the ordinary working people in Nazi Germany. I grew up reading stories of the holocaust. I was confident in my view that I wouldn't be a collaborator. And indeed, I find, today, that I am not. But I find as well that it was very simple to think "someone should have done something: and to think instead about what it is we should do.
I mean there are the obvious things: write, protest, vote. I also read, learn, and hope, which perhaps makes a difference? Mostly I wish there was a leader who would tell me what to do. I need an Gandhi or Dr. King, or, really wouldn't this be a good time for Jesus to lead the way? Who is planning the resistance?
Of course once I said that (in my head), the reading and learning I have done was brought to mind. When Dr. King died 75% of the nation, and a larger percentage of white people, thought he was trouble. A problem. A nuisance. If I was alive during that time (I was 7 when he died) I have little evidence that I would be have helped. I was raised well, I don't think I would have condemned him. But would I have known what to do to follow his leadership? Even if I wanted to be pro-integration, there were many groups working on that problem. Would I have known how to take part?
It doesn't come up in the gospels, but there were many roving preachers and healers during that time as well. People were oppressed and looking for someone to to lead them out of the mess. They had many choices of people to follow. The only one we hear about was John (the baptist). When Jesus heard that John was arrested he "withdrew to Galilee" and "made his home in Capernaum" (Mt 4:12-13). Was he reconsidering the risks? Had he hoped to work as a team?
It doesn't say what happened in that home, but by verse 17 he is out again, preaching "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." That is, John's words. How did those called know that he was the right one to follow? Did they spend their evenings talking with others, saying "we really have to do something about these times, and this place"? Had some of them followed some other faith-healer for awhile, and then return home, still dissatisfied with the way things are?
Peter is often portrayed as a revolutionary, as eager to take on Rome. But all of Jesus followers were radical in their decision to give up their work to follow one of many random preachers. I read recently that they may have been teenagers: in Matthew 17:24-27, only Peter and Jesus pay, and the requirement was for those over 20 years old. Are teens today wondering who they should follow to resist our current state of affairs?
Here is the answer I don't want to hear. There is not a single leader of the resistance. I imagine perhaps it is like the French underground during World War II. There are many leaders. Some of them talk to each other. Some of them are great, some of them have their own unfortunate approaches to leadership. To be part of the resistance is to find the thing you can do, and to do it. Like those war resistors, we mostly we will not know know if the thing we did made a difference. Like those times, we will continue to feel that we should be doing more. Like those times, the decision to act is as much about saving ourselves as it is about saving others.
It is no mistake that Isaiah's words "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness-on them light has shined" (9:2) are in the past tense. It will be after this is over that we will know who was the right person to follow. Maybe. We honor those that chose to follow Jesus. All those others, equally dedicated to changing the world, who followed different prophets are forgotten.
Still, to follow Jesus today, we must find whose lead to follow today. We must show up for events that may or may not matter. We must send money, letters, and prayers. Sometimes we must depart home to Capernaum, but afterward we must get out there, without knowing what is best and simply choose what is good.
What is your church doing, or thinking about doing these days? Reply to this email to let me know what's happening.
In addition to not knowing which group to follow (or even which groups are our choices) there is also little time between an announcement and the action. ICE out of MN event was decided on Friday for the next Friday. This website has the plan, without many details.
Multi-faith Anti-Racism, Change and Healing (MARCH) is gathering clergy and religious leaders for Fridays March in Minnesota. This is their website.
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