In this challenging reality of a pandemic, with COVID 19 as a constant and morphing reminder, we are in a season of reckoning . . . a calling to account of our habits over time. The disparity between our rhetoric and our actions have been laid bare, historically, in our communities, and personally. And they are continuing to be laid bare as many are clinging to their belief systems without much awareness of the dangers to themselves and others.
For many of us it is just in time. This muddy, murderous, gut wrenching road has been walked throughout history. The gamut of our feelings run from numb to explosive, which are represented throughout America in protests, murders, suicides, increased incidences of domestic violence, sex trafficking, mental breakdowns, police brutality, open criminal activity at the highest levels of our government, and more. Extended rants and conspiracy theories abound on social media, including twitter, Instagram, TikTok, etc. Malaise goes back generations. Let’s get to the work of change.
In the early hours of July 18, 2020, we lost John Lewis, one who, in countless ways, represents the best of our country. If you do not know his history, read up, he was astounding and an excellent model of what it means to be a wise and committed person to a whole, ethical, moral, spiritual life. He endured hardship well, never losing his full commitment to non-violent, forgiving, and faith filled protest for the rights of ALL.
Taking meaningful steps into the light is herky-jerky with additional stress when one lacks emotional capacity resulting from immaturity. We are a nation with an astounding 70% narcissism, which is a population functioning at the ages of 2 to 5 years old. If you have any understanding of what is a healthy, functioning society, you might well go, "Ahhh, that explains a lot!" Immaturity is repairable, let’s get to it.
Some of you will be on a rant about now, with insults towards me, towards the media, Drs, etc. Whereas, a healthy response would be, "Wow, that makes me uncomfortable and angry, what is going on with me about this? How do I find out more? If this is true, where do I fit in? and so on.
Besides this song being a powerful spiritual (The Battle of Jericho), what I love about, " . . . the walls came tumbling down," is that the ways we are being deconstructed leaves little to go back to. Forward is needed, into authentic inventory taking that will lead to reparations; transformation. There is rebirth in rupture when the brokenness cannot be repaired and we release the shards, turn to creative vision, while reviewing the history of the truth of love. Humankind has a rich story of the powers of love in healing and rebuilding. I see real, transformative events, conversations, actions taking place all over this ruptured world.
Let us see, be curious, learn, believe, be willing, and, LOVE.