“Love is bigger than anything in its way.”
– U2
Yesterday morning, I began my day viewing a horrific video of Alex Pretti being pummeled to the ground by 6-7 agents who then shot him, not once but 10 times (I counted the shots). In disbelief, I watched the video again, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. Additional eyewitness videos began to be posted (thank God)—all clearly showing Pretti holding up a camera phone, with his left hand always empty, and even raised up.
I cannot make sense of what I saw. It is grotesque. It is blatant and inexcusable. Despite outcries of him carrying a gun to a protest—a gun that is legal, was in a holster, and removed from his possession prior to his being shot ten times—and despite outright lies that he was a domestic terrorist who charged at the officers, it is wrong. We have eyes. We saw.
I was already feeling sad. The night before, I listened to a friend share about her (non-white) son’s experience at college. Attending a prominently white university for sports, he’s had to hear racial slurs made directly at him from fellow students. This is one of my son’s best friends so hearing how he’s been singled-out and is now scared and sad was hard. As she said, “the current state of our country is emboldening people to say these things and act this way.”
These are examples of the horrible, mind- and heart-numbing occurrences that are taking place throughout our country and holding it ransom.
I will be honest: it’s getting harder to maintain my faith in humanity.
BUT, I WILL and DO. I believe in the goodness of man and collectively we are strong. There is still proof that love does exist in this world. I truly believe that the pendulum will swing the other way and love and light will prevail. Some recent examples for me include the monks “Walk for Peace” and the citizens of Minnesota in church this morning rallying together, singing “our love for each other will carry us through.”
Do not lose hope or YOUR LIGHT. Or, as I like to say, “do not let the bastards get you down.” This is our time to show just how resilient we are.
So how do we do this? What should we do when we feel helpless, angry, and gaslit?
We share our voices with lawmakers, lean into our faith, pray (God IS stronger than what is happening), and immerse ourselves in the things that bring us joy (whether that’s reading, painting, writing, etc.). We surround ourselves with faith-affirming stimuli, meditate, and/or journal.
AND—this may be controversial but hear me out—we step away when we feel depleted to recharge. It’s always important to recharge. That is how we can most effectively USE OUR VOICE.
Stepping away may mean not doomscrolling through social media (this can literally paralyze us); we do not fill our algorithms with news that only incites us. Yes, it’s important to stay in the know, BUT it’s also important that we counter the craziness with hopeful feeds. Go watch some funny dog videos, comedians (Nate Bargatze comes to mind), and make sure that we make time to laugh.
We are stronger and more effective when our soul is full.
I will admit that I was allowing the heaviness of the world to pull me away from my goals and the things that bring me joy. But, that type of behavior only helps those who want us to feel defeated.
It is time for you, me, us to TAKE BACK OUR POWER.
We do this by helping others, being a light, and — as the monks tell us — stay “Mindful and Loving.”
And when I am angry at the injustices – so, so angry – I ask myself: “What would Jesus do?” Let us show people what being Christian (or Christ-like) really means.
Do not underestimate the power of kindness. Being a light is another form of advocacy. When you are feeling powerless, know that each act of kindness builds. It grows. It is emulated and creates a new culture. And as I wrote in an earlier post (Be a light), it has a RIPPLE EFFECT. It raises the vibration of the world and is what will help swing that pendulum and give others the confidence to use their voice.
Please remember (even when it can be so doggone hard), we are strong. We are not broken. We may be down TEMPORARILY, but as Maya Angelou wrote, “Still I (We) Rise.”
BrightLightLiving 