Much discussion has ensued on Obama's choice of Rick Warren to deliver the Invocation at the Inauguration. I have read many opinions on this subject over that last few days, many thoughtful, some just a wee bit crazy. Some have already declared Obama a traitor to the progressive movement that voted him into office, others proclaim it is much ado about nothing. I am in neither camp. I am however, very disappointed in this choice.
Rick Warren is not just an anti-gay evangelical, he and his church members have a long list of folks they have disdain for: divorced folks, heterosexuals who are "living in sin", the Jewish people and those who are pro-choice, to name a few. His is definitely not a "big tent". He also worked tirelessly for the Passage of Prop 8, a campaign to deprive GLBTQ people of their civil rights, that succeeded largely because the campaign was waged on the airwaves, the public inundated with waves of ads that contained half truths and outright lies. Not a shining moment for a man who states that he loves everyone.
There are many evangelicals who would have been better choices, those who largely share Warrens theological viewpoint, but do it in a vastly more respectful and thoughtful way. Folks who would not declare that Jewish folks aren't going to heaven or compare homosexuality to alcoholism. Jim Wallis comes immediately to mind.
I will not dismiss President-elect Obama because of his choice of Warren and I remain deeply hopeful about his presidency. I disagree with his decision, but I will not let it lead me into a valley of despair. It will serve to remind me that idolatry and hero worship are dangerous things.
I wholeheartedly agree with Obama that all sides of various political issues need to be expressed and discussed in a public forum, and addressed by the President. I am looking forward to finally having someone in that office who is the President of everyone in the United States, not just those with whom he agrees. I hope and pray that he will continue to support civilized dialog among those who feel that when we disagree we need not be disagreeable. But he would do well to remember that conversations are difficult with people who profess to hold the one and only "answer key" to life.
However, this issue is different, because at question here are my basic civil rights. In my opinion civil rights should not be a matter of discourse at all, especially by those such as Rick Warren, who are in possession of their full rights as citizens.
I am today a bit sadder, but alas wiser. Most importantly, I still have hope.
Wisdom and Blessings on us all,
Suzanne
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Standing on the Side of Love
Through a pretty random set of circumstances, I had the privilege of delivering the Invocation at the New York City rally that was part of the co-ordinated rallies across the country today, set up to protest the passage of several propositions (in CA, AZ, AR and FL) that deprive GLBT folks of their civil rights. It was an amazing experience and an incredible honor.
After Prop 8 passed I was unable to write much about it. I felt like I had been physically assaulted and robbed of my civil rights. I was 3000 miles from my fellow mourners, surrounded by people who were exuberant over Obama's victory (and rightfully so). I felt raw and broken for all of my people back in California.
Today's rally served as a balm to that wound. All the way across the country from CA, 4-5 thousand New Yorkers showed up on what promised to be a rainy afternoon. They showed up in love, in outrage, in sorrow and in solidarity. I am deeply grateful to them. I am able now to rise and resume the fight, one that we will eventually win.
Here is the Invocation I delivered today:
I bring you greetings from California!!!
It fills my heart to see all of you here this afternoon. Thank you all for being here today as we come together to stand on the side of love.
Spirit of life and love and all things holy
We are grateful for this day, for those who have gathered here with us in the service of what is good and true and right
We pray that here among all of these justice seeking people we might find calm and grounding in a world that seems at times to have gone quite mad
We are reminded that wherever we come from, whatever faith tradition or ethnic background or moral ground, we are called to be the hearts and hands and voices of justice for those who have yet to be permitted to claim their rightful place as full and equal citizens.
We have come her today to bear witness to this pain, to cry out for justice for our brothers and sisters in California, in Arkansas, in Florida and in Arizona as well as for all of those, wherever they are, who live with the relentless beat of fear in their lives. For those who rise each morning to find that they are still second class citizens.
We will, in fact we must ensure that every person everywhere has the civil rights, indeed the basic human rights; they have been guaranteed as citizens of our nation.
We are reminded of this truth; we are the ones we have been waiting for.
We the people are the ones who have the power to change the future. Despite what has been lost, we must not lose hope and resort to blaming and finger pointing. At the center of this quest for love and acceptance for all people, let us not harbor seeds of hate, anger or distrust. That which is given freely and in love gives the greatest return.
May we be the change we want to see that we may bring about the America that has yet to be realized, a society where there is freedom, liberty and justice for all. No exceptions
The future is created by people who go against trends and expectations and instead form communities of life and spirit, of love and compassion of friendship and equality.
By people who have the courage to begin to live out a brand new story long before that story even seems possible
Let us join together now and write that new story, one of equality, love and justice.
May it be so
May we all be blessed and healed,
Suzanne
After Prop 8 passed I was unable to write much about it. I felt like I had been physically assaulted and robbed of my civil rights. I was 3000 miles from my fellow mourners, surrounded by people who were exuberant over Obama's victory (and rightfully so). I felt raw and broken for all of my people back in California.
Today's rally served as a balm to that wound. All the way across the country from CA, 4-5 thousand New Yorkers showed up on what promised to be a rainy afternoon. They showed up in love, in outrage, in sorrow and in solidarity. I am deeply grateful to them. I am able now to rise and resume the fight, one that we will eventually win.
Here is the Invocation I delivered today:
I bring you greetings from California!!!
It fills my heart to see all of you here this afternoon. Thank you all for being here today as we come together to stand on the side of love.
Spirit of life and love and all things holy
We are grateful for this day, for those who have gathered here with us in the service of what is good and true and right
We pray that here among all of these justice seeking people we might find calm and grounding in a world that seems at times to have gone quite mad
We are reminded that wherever we come from, whatever faith tradition or ethnic background or moral ground, we are called to be the hearts and hands and voices of justice for those who have yet to be permitted to claim their rightful place as full and equal citizens.
We have come her today to bear witness to this pain, to cry out for justice for our brothers and sisters in California, in Arkansas, in Florida and in Arizona as well as for all of those, wherever they are, who live with the relentless beat of fear in their lives. For those who rise each morning to find that they are still second class citizens.
We will, in fact we must ensure that every person everywhere has the civil rights, indeed the basic human rights; they have been guaranteed as citizens of our nation.
We are reminded of this truth; we are the ones we have been waiting for.
We the people are the ones who have the power to change the future. Despite what has been lost, we must not lose hope and resort to blaming and finger pointing. At the center of this quest for love and acceptance for all people, let us not harbor seeds of hate, anger or distrust. That which is given freely and in love gives the greatest return.
May we be the change we want to see that we may bring about the America that has yet to be realized, a society where there is freedom, liberty and justice for all. No exceptions
The future is created by people who go against trends and expectations and instead form communities of life and spirit, of love and compassion of friendship and equality.
By people who have the courage to begin to live out a brand new story long before that story even seems possible
Let us join together now and write that new story, one of equality, love and justice.
May it be so
May we all be blessed and healed,
Suzanne
Thursday, October 30, 2008
The election, money and Micah
As I have tried to find space to think and breathe late in this political season I have been thinking about how the electoral system in our country came to degrade into what it is today. When I first came to be cognizant of political campaigns in the early ‘70’s there was some mudslinging (and I daresay there has nearly always been) but ultimately it was usually exposed for what it was, absurd and unfounded accusations. Since the early 80’s this is not the case. Many people are never brought to account for their smears, innuendos and outright lies.
How can this be so? Where is the free and responsible press? How is it that people still believe that Obama is a Muslim, a friend of terrorists, an Arab and a socialist? It’s hard for me to believe that the end is not near for this country. I try, but it’s hard.
I am an Obama supporter. I believe in him and in his policies. I believe that if he is allowed to implement his vision for this country that some of our greatness can be restored. As I listened to his “infomercial” last night I wanted to stand up here in my little apartment and cheer for him. He gets it, he really does.
As I listened to various commentators later, a good number of them conservative, I was struck by a great truth. They kept saying things like: We can’t afford healthcare reform, we can’t afford to improve education, we can’t afford better programs for poor families……… BLAH BLAH BLAH.
And then, my epiphany. We can’t afford the 2 current wars. We can’t afford the Wall Street bailout, we can’t afford all the wounded soldiers coming home, we couldn’t afford the Reagan military build up. But we did those things anyway, because rich and powerful people demanded that they be done.
We, the people, need to take to the streets and demand that the lives of the poor, the homeless, children and the elderly be found to be worthy of the same consideration as wars and Wall Street tycoons. In fact they are worth more. Not being able to afford the programs that raise their standard of living to a minimum level it is not an acceptable answer. Dip into the same pocket where you got the money for the wars and the bailout. We cannot afford NOT to spend this money. The current administration and all of Congress should be ashamed of the condition of the most vulnerable among our citizens. We should all be ashamed. I know that I am.
The prophet Micah tells us: He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?.
What our country, which professes to be wholly Christian and God fearing has perpetrated on its poor is neither just, kind nor humble. To use another word from the First Testament: it is an abomination. May the next president and the people of our country have the courage and fortitude to change this. It is our only hope for redemption.
Hoping for strength when it is most needed,
Suzanne
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Why Is This True?
So… I just got an email from my best friend. It made me cry. Yesterday I sent her the link to the beautifully written, albeit somewhat partisan, analysis of why we should support Obama in the upcoming election. The piece, for the most part, avoided baseless smears and rhetoric and went carefully over the major decision points which one should look at when deciding who to vote for. It ended with this sentence, which struck me as particularly eloquent:
“At a moment of economic calamity, international perplexity, political failure, and battered morale, America needs both uplift and realism, both change and steadiness. It needs a leader temperamentally, intellectually, and emotionally attuned to the complexities of our troubled globe. That leader’s name is Barack Obama.”
Her sister responded with a you tube link, a pitiful short film which, in the worst traditions of propaganda, contained mostly film of Obama sound bites (perhaps taken out of context), ominous music and multiple images of bombs, missiles, chanting Muslim extremists and, of course, the twin towers collapsing. There was not ONE real fact in the 5 minute film and it is titled “Obama’s Arrogance Just Became a Nightmare”
Before you dismiss her sister as a right wing ideologue, let me tell you a bit about her. She is a middle aged woman with 2 young daughters, a recent nursing school graduate and a decent, loving and kind person who is struggling to figure out what she thinks in this world. She wants to be responsible, to look at the facts and decide what is best for her family and her country. But she can’t. Because at this place and time in history, those who control our government and (for the most part) our media have a powerful weapon they use in this political shell game and this weapon is fear.
The maker of this film knows her, she is exactly who the film is made for. A decent caring person, neither far right nor far left, who does not have the time or inclination to research every single thing that she might need to know to make an informed decision. A mother, daughter, wife and sister who does not fathom what happens in places like Afghanistan, Palestine, Beirut, Oklahoma City and Iraq. She just wants to know that she and all those she loves are safe. And this film, devoid of facts, analysis or anything else informative, tells her that if Obama is elected, she and those she loves will be unsafe. The filmmaker knows that terrorist attacks and random bombings are her deepest fears and counts on her inattention to detail while the music is playing, the bombs are dropping and the extremists are screaming. They know she will not notice nuances like the fact that Obama is saying he will not fund “unproven” missile defense systems, that Al Qaeda was not in Iraq before we invaded, that Iraq had nothing to do with the events of 9/11 or that the attacks were not a function of a lack of military funding but a profound failure of our intelligence agencies and yes, even those in the White House at the time.
Most of all they play into her desire to believe that we can be made safe, even in the face of all evidence to the contrary. She is a good and decent person being sold a bill of goods because she just wants to live her life in anonymity….. and safety. She is symbolic of the vast numbers of middle class Americans who are repeatedly bamboozled with this exact type of propaganda into voting against their own best interests. By obscuring everything else behind this “curtain of fear”, they have talked her into voting to continue the utterly failed policies of the last 8 years, which have sent us spiraling into debt (which her daughters will bear the cost of), perched us on the brink of financial collapse, reduced our status in the world to that of court jesters and indebted us deeply to several foreign countries, including what may turn out to be the next great superpower, China.
Somehow they are able to keep her off balance, to distract her into believing that none of this is important, look away from that mess they say, look over here, the boogey man is coming and Obama is unlocking the door for him. And this is why I cry. I cry because I am afraid that I cannot fight the weapons that they use very effectively. I fear that I cannot fight deception, propaganda and obfuscation with fact finding and truth telling. It will not stop me from trying, but I no longer know if it is enough.
You see, I am not afraid of terrorists or bombs. They may indeed strike us again and there is nothing we can do to stop them, the world is too interconnected and porous and I do not believe they are the true threat. What I am afraid of are more mundane things that don't make good 5 minute film clips. Fascism, poverty, homelessness, poor health care, crumbling infrastructure and declining educational systems are what will do this country in, not terrorists.
May we awaken before it is too late for us and our children.
Hope, strength and courage for whatever lies ahead,
Suzanne
“At a moment of economic calamity, international perplexity, political failure, and battered morale, America needs both uplift and realism, both change and steadiness. It needs a leader temperamentally, intellectually, and emotionally attuned to the complexities of our troubled globe. That leader’s name is Barack Obama.”
Her sister responded with a you tube link, a pitiful short film which, in the worst traditions of propaganda, contained mostly film of Obama sound bites (perhaps taken out of context), ominous music and multiple images of bombs, missiles, chanting Muslim extremists and, of course, the twin towers collapsing. There was not ONE real fact in the 5 minute film and it is titled “Obama’s Arrogance Just Became a Nightmare”
Before you dismiss her sister as a right wing ideologue, let me tell you a bit about her. She is a middle aged woman with 2 young daughters, a recent nursing school graduate and a decent, loving and kind person who is struggling to figure out what she thinks in this world. She wants to be responsible, to look at the facts and decide what is best for her family and her country. But she can’t. Because at this place and time in history, those who control our government and (for the most part) our media have a powerful weapon they use in this political shell game and this weapon is fear.
The maker of this film knows her, she is exactly who the film is made for. A decent caring person, neither far right nor far left, who does not have the time or inclination to research every single thing that she might need to know to make an informed decision. A mother, daughter, wife and sister who does not fathom what happens in places like Afghanistan, Palestine, Beirut, Oklahoma City and Iraq. She just wants to know that she and all those she loves are safe. And this film, devoid of facts, analysis or anything else informative, tells her that if Obama is elected, she and those she loves will be unsafe. The filmmaker knows that terrorist attacks and random bombings are her deepest fears and counts on her inattention to detail while the music is playing, the bombs are dropping and the extremists are screaming. They know she will not notice nuances like the fact that Obama is saying he will not fund “unproven” missile defense systems, that Al Qaeda was not in Iraq before we invaded, that Iraq had nothing to do with the events of 9/11 or that the attacks were not a function of a lack of military funding but a profound failure of our intelligence agencies and yes, even those in the White House at the time.
Most of all they play into her desire to believe that we can be made safe, even in the face of all evidence to the contrary. She is a good and decent person being sold a bill of goods because she just wants to live her life in anonymity….. and safety. She is symbolic of the vast numbers of middle class Americans who are repeatedly bamboozled with this exact type of propaganda into voting against their own best interests. By obscuring everything else behind this “curtain of fear”, they have talked her into voting to continue the utterly failed policies of the last 8 years, which have sent us spiraling into debt (which her daughters will bear the cost of), perched us on the brink of financial collapse, reduced our status in the world to that of court jesters and indebted us deeply to several foreign countries, including what may turn out to be the next great superpower, China.
Somehow they are able to keep her off balance, to distract her into believing that none of this is important, look away from that mess they say, look over here, the boogey man is coming and Obama is unlocking the door for him. And this is why I cry. I cry because I am afraid that I cannot fight the weapons that they use very effectively. I fear that I cannot fight deception, propaganda and obfuscation with fact finding and truth telling. It will not stop me from trying, but I no longer know if it is enough.
You see, I am not afraid of terrorists or bombs. They may indeed strike us again and there is nothing we can do to stop them, the world is too interconnected and porous and I do not believe they are the true threat. What I am afraid of are more mundane things that don't make good 5 minute film clips. Fascism, poverty, homelessness, poor health care, crumbling infrastructure and declining educational systems are what will do this country in, not terrorists.
May we awaken before it is too late for us and our children.
Hope, strength and courage for whatever lies ahead,
Suzanne
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Arrived, Safe & Sound
I have arrived in New York City thanks to the intrepid work of my best friend Sandy!! I arrived last Friday (8/22)in New Hampshire and visited my Mom until Thursday (8/28). I went to Sandy's and we transferred all of my belongings from my car to her mini van. Friday morning we embarked on our drive to NYC. All went well until we were about 17 miles from our destination. Route 95 was backed up and we barely moved for 15 minutes so we got off in the Bronx and took surface streets to 35th & Madison (in Manhattan). We arrived about two hours later, frazzled but proud!!
The apartment is terrific, larger than I thought it to be with ample space for books, two clothes closets and a large storage closet. The three flights of stairs up to it will, in Sandy's words, guarantee that by years end I will have "buns of steel".
Today I went to services at Community Church and met lots of terrific people. It was a pretty strong turnout for Labor Day weekend. I am so excited to begin my Ministry here, I think it is destined to be an awesome year!!!
Tomorrow I think I will explore the city, more later on my adventures.
Peace & Blessings,
Suzanne
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Almost there
I am writing from Webster NY, a suburb of Rochester. I am almost to New Hampshire, I will arrive tomorrow!! I have enjoyed this drive, but am ready to stop driving. I will stay at Mom's for about week and then head to NYC on Friday morning to settle in to my apartment there, beginning my church duties on Tuesday the 2nd. Not too much to take pictures of today, mostly turnpikes, but I have put a picture of my hotel in Webster NY.
On to Epping, NH tomorrow and no more hotels!!
Blessings,
Suzanne
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Now, in Iowa
I'm here in Council Bluffs, Iowa just cross the river from Omaha NE. I spent most of the day driving through Nebraska, a very long state with LOTS of farmland. I was struck today by the vast areas of this country that have so few inhabitants and have wondered about the social and economic conditions that have driven people to the great urban areas, mostly on the perimeter of the country. I have driven so much of the last two days on wide open roads with so few cars, and I can tell you, it was very nice!!!
Today's pictures are the blue Nebraska sky and my Iowa hotel, which looks suspiciously like my Wyoming one!!
On tomorrow to South Bend, IN.
Blessings,
Suzanne
Monday, August 18, 2008
Musings from Wyoming
I'm now in Cheyenne, WY having driven 650 miles today from Elko. It was a long drive but the road through Utah and Wyoming is flat and fast (the speed limit is mostly 75) so it only took about 10 hours. I have posted a picture of the amazing hills near the Utah /Wyoming border, a spectacular sunset and my hotel here in Cheyenne.
As I drove through Laramie, I thought of Matthew Shepard and wondered if things have changed very much for GLBT folks in rural areas since he was attacked in 1998. I'm afraid of what the answer to that question is, those of us who live in urban areas, particularly on the West coast and in the East get complacent about the threats these folks face as part of the fabric of their daily lives. I refuse to accept that it has to be that way and will continue to work and hope that ten years from now it will be better. The rock will wear away.
Tomorrow on to Council Bluffs Iowa!!!
Blessings,
Suzanne
Sunday, August 17, 2008
On the Road at Last
I'm posting this tonight from Elko, Nevada, the first stop on my trip across the country. I left San Jose at 6 am this morning and got here about 3 pm. Not a bad trip, the car is a bit loaded down (ie: I couldn't get much more in it) so the trip through the mountains around Tahoe was kind of of slow, but once I got into the flatlands it was smooth sailing!! I'm taking 80 until somewhere in Ohio when I head north thru New York and then to New Hampshire to visit my Mom. I'm not sure yet when I will arrive in NYC, but it will be sometime between the last Thursday and Saturday in August. I have posted a picture of both my loaded car and the Econo Lodge in Elko where I am staying tonight. Nevada has a whole lot of nothing......
Over the course of this day I have had a number of feelings, from elation to "what the hell am I doing?". Leaving this morning was very strange, almost dream-like, knowing I'm not going back there for almost 10 months and that I won't see my family until November. I keep thinking of the soldiers who get sent overseas and leave their families behind, including their young children. I'm struggling with the feeling that my relationship with my son will be permanently changed by this separation and even though I think it will be a good and healthy change, I can't help but be a little sad and wistful. Sigh.
More tomorrow from Cheyenne, Wyoming!!
Blessings,
Suzanne
Sunday, July 27, 2008
My People Are in Pain
I know as a person who is “almost” a Minister I should not feel any different about who people are when a tragedy occurs, but the shooting in a Knoxville Unitarian Universalist church today has hit me squarely in the chest. Although I do not believe that I know anyone who belongs to this church, these are my people and they are hurting. So therefore I hurt.
Praying for Strength, Courage and Wisdom,
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Finding the Holy Amid all the Mess
I have been sooooo busy and have neglected you, my dear blog. In May I quit my long term job, effectively ending a 22 year career as a tax accountant. On June 2nd I began a 10 week Clinical Pastoral Education program. And oh, yea, I got married on June 28th. I have alot of thoughts about all of these events, which I hope to get to later, but I had an experience at the hospital yesterday that has brought me to the "must write" stage.
I have a patient who has been on an amazing health odyssey, but may be turning the corner as we speak. She has suffered so much. Physical pain, loss of control over anything in her life, loss of personal power, it goes on and on. Among these tribulations, she has surgical wounds that have been slow to heal and they need their dressings changed every few days, a process which takes over an hour and causes her a great deal of pain. I was in her room yesterday when the wound care team descended and I could see in her face that she knew what that meant. She asked me to stay with her through the process. I felt terrified and honored at the same time. Needless to say, I stayed.
During the ensuing hour, in addition to bearing witness to her pain, soothing her, singing to her and reminding her to breathe, I witnessed the movement of the divine in those 3 nurses. They cared for her so deeply, one could see that they did each thing with such care, knowing they had to cause her pain, but being unwilling to cause any unnecessary pain. They spoke with her as another being, not a patient, letting her know her wounds were looking much better and they spoke to her about what they were doing in each step. They looked into her face many times, speaking to her, seeing her, acknowledging her humanity. The nurses transcended their nursing skills, which were substantial, and cared for this entire woman, holding her in a way that every one of us as a child of God is worthy of being held.
It was a Holy moment and a humbling one. I felt honored to be among those, who despite all they see in their jobs, despite the fact that they need to do their jobs, hang on to the knowledge of what is the most important to each of us, to be acknowledged and affirmed in our basic, shared humanity.
Namaste my dear nurses, for indeed I saw the God in you today.
Blessings to all who care for others,
Suzanne
I have a patient who has been on an amazing health odyssey, but may be turning the corner as we speak. She has suffered so much. Physical pain, loss of control over anything in her life, loss of personal power, it goes on and on. Among these tribulations, she has surgical wounds that have been slow to heal and they need their dressings changed every few days, a process which takes over an hour and causes her a great deal of pain. I was in her room yesterday when the wound care team descended and I could see in her face that she knew what that meant. She asked me to stay with her through the process. I felt terrified and honored at the same time. Needless to say, I stayed.
During the ensuing hour, in addition to bearing witness to her pain, soothing her, singing to her and reminding her to breathe, I witnessed the movement of the divine in those 3 nurses. They cared for her so deeply, one could see that they did each thing with such care, knowing they had to cause her pain, but being unwilling to cause any unnecessary pain. They spoke with her as another being, not a patient, letting her know her wounds were looking much better and they spoke to her about what they were doing in each step. They looked into her face many times, speaking to her, seeing her, acknowledging her humanity. The nurses transcended their nursing skills, which were substantial, and cared for this entire woman, holding her in a way that every one of us as a child of God is worthy of being held.
It was a Holy moment and a humbling one. I felt honored to be among those, who despite all they see in their jobs, despite the fact that they need to do their jobs, hang on to the knowledge of what is the most important to each of us, to be acknowledged and affirmed in our basic, shared humanity.
Namaste my dear nurses, for indeed I saw the God in you today.
Blessings to all who care for others,
Suzanne
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Rev. Jeremiah Wright
I have been watching the “Rev. Jeremiah wars”, as I have taken to calling the media coverage of this prophetic Pastor, with a growing horror. While I have been generally supportive of Rev. Wright, I must admit I was disappointed in his performance at the National Press Club dinner, it seemed like he was being deliberately belligerent, like he was “play acting” into the role that the media expected of him. Unlike the sermons and speeches that have been endlessly mined for provocative sound bites, I failed to see the point of some of the provocations he hurled at the Press Club and that saddened me. It will be a great loss if he becomes a caricature of himself, flinging outrageous statements around for the sake of saying them, rather than to make a profound point, examine historical indignities or tell a bitter truth, as he has done in the past.
That is the Jeremiah Wright that I have experienced, one who has shocked me, made me think and moved me many times towards a greater understanding of both the depth of my flaws and the amazing potential that lurks about the edges of the society in which I live, waiting to be invited in by folks like me, those of power and privilege. I will miss him if he is gone.
I am also deeply chagrined and disappointed at the media and its coverage. I’m not sure why I’m surprised, given the state of the corporate media these days, but each time I experience a more outrageous statement, or a failure to truly report on the context from which a given sound bite was taken, I sigh and shake my head, disbelieving and disheartened. I guess if my idealism is not gone at my age, I’m stuck with it.
Strength, Hope and Courage,
Suzanne
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Resurrection
It being Easter, I’ve been thinking a lot about resurrection. Not the literal resurrection that many believe in, the restoration to life of the actual body of the crucified Jesus, but the kind that I think that the Passion story was meant to teach us. The resurrection that occurs when we are hopeless and lost, when we have been emotionally, spiritually or mentally crucified, and yet, we see our way clear and are reborn in a way we could never have imagined when we were in the grips of our darkest hour.
That’s the resurrection I believe in, one that does not involve the direct action of a divine being, but rather one that calls to all that is Holy in individual people, that which drives otherwise ordinary folks to dig deep within themselves and to rise up and achieve extraordinary things, to act in ways that enable themselves or others to transform their lives in most amazing and unexpected ways. Those are the miracles I look to when I need a reason to go on and they are taking place each and every day. That hopefulness, those displays of resilience and persistence, of tenacity and courage are what I believe is the point of the story of resurrection in the Gospels.
As we celebrate today the newness of life, the rebirth of the earth and the continuance of the circle of life, let us be reminded too of the resurrection
Not the raising from the dead of a single person through a divine miracle, but the resurrection we see each day in our midst
From the glimpse we get of one we have loved and lost when we look into the eyes of a child, to the rebirth that we witness when those around us triumph over challenges great and small.
May we rest assured that the resurrection is indeed a promise
Not a divine one, but one that we make to one another.
Let us hope that each day we can find a way to keep that promise
And be agents of resurrection for each other.
Courage for our separate journeys to a collective resurrection,
Suzanne
Saturday, March 15, 2008
We Refuse to Face the Truth
I have spent much of the last twenty four hours listening in disbelief, both to the Rev Jeremiah Wright , whom I once held in esteem, and to the pundits who have declared this “scandal” to be “the end” of the of the “messianic” rise of Barack Obama. (Pastorgate anyone?) I have decided that, rather than rocking back and forth holding my head, I will write this missive. It may turn out to be incoherent, but I hope to feel better for having written it.
For instance does anyone really believe that our government is NOT currently under the control of a group of paranoid, rich, white men? Or that the events of 9/11 were partly brought about by our long term policies regarding
I, for one, do not choose my friends and advisors on their likeness to me, on the likelihood that they will be a mirror for everything I hold dear. I rather like the idea that Barack includes people with disparate beliefs in his opinion circle, for it has been my experience that listening to others who hold very different opinions than mine is always a learning experience and rarely a bad one. If we are to weave a stronger, more peaceful
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Yes We Can
A few days ago, as I struggled with deciding who to vote for in today’s primary, I perused the Web looking for clues as to the substantive difference between the two candidates I was considering, Clinton and Obama. I must admit that I have approached this election with a bit of a tarnished eye, I was so crushed by the last general election that I was loathe to get my hopes up for this one.
Yes we can.
It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.
Yes we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom through the darkest of nights.
Yes we can.
It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.
Yes we can.
It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballot; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.
Yes we can to justice and equality. Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity. Yes we can heal this nation. Yes we can repair this world.
Yes we can.
As for the rest of us, we will say it aloud, make it our mantra, our prayer, our hope, our blessing.
Suzanne
Sunday, January 6, 2008
The "Something" That You Can Do
I wrote a sermon to deliver last week at my home church and although I seem to not have much time to write in this log right now, I figure I can at least steal my own work to post here. The sermon was about how doing justice work is hard and its even harder to maintain one's "mojo" for doing it in the face of so much need and so much defeat. I wanted to inspire people to take little steps, to not be daunted by the overwhelming nature of the work and not to feel that whatever they could do would be, to quote my grandfather, akin to "spitting in the ocean". The theme was drawn from an 18th century Unitarian minister who said:
"I like to say that my father was a mystery wrapped up in an enigma. He was a complex person who was, as we humans are, flawed. But as Luther and I spoke about this service, I realized one thing very clearly, my father fully and completely understood this concept of looking at the world through a justice lens. And as I thought about my childhood, I realized that he, in his own way, was an activist for justice throughout his life, though you will not find his name in any history books and to the best of my knowledge he participated in exactly one protest march.
He was an activist in two ways – He was successful in his work life and by the early 70’s he had risen to the position of District Director of Customs for the Baltimore region and as such had hundreds of employees reporting to him. In this job he was an active promoter of African Americans to positions that had previously been closed to them. He told me once that he did what everyone should do; he gave the job to the best person. Period. It was in fact that clear to him. He looked through that justice lens and acted on what he saw.
When he died, his Assistant Director, Lyle, came to me at the funeral home and asked me if I knew how much my father had done for the black people in his region. I said I thought I did, but as this man told me all of the roadblocks my father had removed from his way, I realized that I did not really know the extent of my father’s commitment. Lyle told me that he and many others believed that my father had not been promoted to Regional Director because of his tireless advocacy on behalf of others. When they discussed it once, my father said that he would not savor a promotion that came at the cost of his integrity. For my father, that was the something he could do.
I said earlier that my father truly understood looking through a justice lens. The reason I know that is because I realize now that this is the thing that my father was talking about all through my growing up years. You see, he had a justice lens and he also gave one to me. And he did not only give it to me, but throughout my childhood, he tirelessly showed me how to use it. He did not take me fishing or hiking, but he taught me how to operate that justice lens. I believe it to be the most important gift he gave to me. My father spoke to me of class and skin color privilege from as far back as I can remember. When Dr. King was assassinated in 1968 we lived outside of Washington DC. When the riots had been quelled, my father took us to the still smoldering areas and asked us what we thought about folks burning their own neighborhoods. He then explained about the lives of African Americans, the hundreds of years of discrimination, the lack of educational opportunities, the poverty they had endured. He then told of the hope that had come to them with the Civil Rights movement and the gains that had been made. And somehow he made me understand their anger and the despair.
He brought that alive for me, I was 7 years old, but I understood for the very first time how privileged I was. I think my father gave me the justice lens that day and I have never looked at the world in quite the same way since. Whenever issues of class came up, my father was quick to remind me that I was privileged not because of anything I had done, but because I had been born into a white, middle class family. It was through him that I came to understand that it was my responsibility to address the justice issues on the ground, where I lived and that I could not stand by and listen to racist jokes or silently witness discrimination or violence. It was, I believed, my responsibility to be one of those people who made the changes. Even in elementary school I knew that is was my responsibility to heed the call to bring justice to all people, to do the something that I could do."
I am amazed that, nearly 25 years after his death, I can still discover new things about my Dad. It made me smile. I wish I held beliefs that would tell me that he can see me, even after death. I'd like to believe he heard that sermon and was proud of me and knew that I was proud of him.
Just in case - here's a tip of my hat to my Dad - a social justice crusader in his own way.
Peace & Blessings for the journey,
Suzanne
I am only one,
But still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something.
And because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.
"I like to say that my father was a mystery wrapped up in an enigma. He was a complex person who was, as we humans are, flawed. But as Luther and I spoke about this service, I realized one thing very clearly, my father fully and completely understood this concept of looking at the world through a justice lens. And as I thought about my childhood, I realized that he, in his own way, was an activist for justice throughout his life, though you will not find his name in any history books and to the best of my knowledge he participated in exactly one protest march.
He was an activist in two ways – He was successful in his work life and by the early 70’s he had risen to the position of District Director of Customs for the Baltimore region and as such had hundreds of employees reporting to him. In this job he was an active promoter of African Americans to positions that had previously been closed to them. He told me once that he did what everyone should do; he gave the job to the best person. Period. It was in fact that clear to him. He looked through that justice lens and acted on what he saw.
When he died, his Assistant Director, Lyle, came to me at the funeral home and asked me if I knew how much my father had done for the black people in his region. I said I thought I did, but as this man told me all of the roadblocks my father had removed from his way, I realized that I did not really know the extent of my father’s commitment. Lyle told me that he and many others believed that my father had not been promoted to Regional Director because of his tireless advocacy on behalf of others. When they discussed it once, my father said that he would not savor a promotion that came at the cost of his integrity. For my father, that was the something he could do.
I said earlier that my father truly understood looking through a justice lens. The reason I know that is because I realize now that this is the thing that my father was talking about all through my growing up years. You see, he had a justice lens and he also gave one to me. And he did not only give it to me, but throughout my childhood, he tirelessly showed me how to use it. He did not take me fishing or hiking, but he taught me how to operate that justice lens. I believe it to be the most important gift he gave to me. My father spoke to me of class and skin color privilege from as far back as I can remember. When Dr. King was assassinated in 1968 we lived outside of Washington DC. When the riots had been quelled, my father took us to the still smoldering areas and asked us what we thought about folks burning their own neighborhoods. He then explained about the lives of African Americans, the hundreds of years of discrimination, the lack of educational opportunities, the poverty they had endured. He then told of the hope that had come to them with the Civil Rights movement and the gains that had been made. And somehow he made me understand their anger and the despair.
He brought that alive for me, I was 7 years old, but I understood for the very first time how privileged I was. I think my father gave me the justice lens that day and I have never looked at the world in quite the same way since. Whenever issues of class came up, my father was quick to remind me that I was privileged not because of anything I had done, but because I had been born into a white, middle class family. It was through him that I came to understand that it was my responsibility to address the justice issues on the ground, where I lived and that I could not stand by and listen to racist jokes or silently witness discrimination or violence. It was, I believed, my responsibility to be one of those people who made the changes. Even in elementary school I knew that is was my responsibility to heed the call to bring justice to all people, to do the something that I could do."
I am amazed that, nearly 25 years after his death, I can still discover new things about my Dad. It made me smile. I wish I held beliefs that would tell me that he can see me, even after death. I'd like to believe he heard that sermon and was proud of me and knew that I was proud of him.
Just in case - here's a tip of my hat to my Dad - a social justice crusader in his own way.
Peace & Blessings for the journey,
Suzanne
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