Watch Therefore

Matthew 24:42 – “Watch therefore, for you don’t know the day your Lord is coming.”

Watch. Pay attention. Be aware. Notice what is going on around you. Don’t look just for the signs, but for appreciation of the world. Be present to those you are with. Sleep walking through life might sound appealing, but numbness kills the spirit.

For we don’t know when Christ will come to us in the likeness of another person – a person we can help or a person who can help us. Watch for opportunities to do good, even things we think are small. Sometimes those have more impact than doing big things. Our love is shown by our actions toward others – both in giving and receiving.

It’s easy not to act. Sometimes I am so overwhelmed, I’m not sure what is the next right thing. Sometimes I feel led to reach out and don’t follow through. Sometimes, it takes everything I have to go to protests and to stay even though I’m sick. It takes courage to reach out, especially in this atmosphere of hatred, meanness, and spite in the US. I look around at what is happening and I understand why Calvin thought human beings utterly depraved; that every part of our existence is compromised somehow.

It’s easy to see in how Jesus is being crucified in concentration camps, with more camps opening and the stays lengthening. In truth, America has never stopped crucifying the Christ who comes to us with Black skin. It seems every time progress is made, others conspire to take it away. This is what we’re seeing with Republicans and Donald; backlash for daring to give Black people the vote. Of course, we didn’t give it to them, we stopped taking it away for a short time. We’re back to taking it away again.

Sadly, none of this will be solved in my lifetime and maybe not yours, but that’s no excuse to throw up our hands and let others work.

Let’s watch for and love Christ as he presents himself in the form of our neighbors.

B

One Is Taken, One Is Left

Matthew 24:40-1 – “Then two men will be in the field; one is taken, one is left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one is taken, one is left.”

ICE raids. One is taken, one is left. Yesterday, we learned that the US has opened 13 more camps in Mississippi and Louisiana. They are located in remote parts of these states so it is difficult to get to them. There are currently 8,000 people being held in these concentration camps. The bailout rate has gone from 75% to just 1%. Even when people have the money for bail, it is not being accepted.

Whether raids are requested by employers or unidentified tips, ICE often grabs US citizens in their net. They don’t always release them. Because it’s not about immigration – it never was. It’s about who is a “valid” American citizen and who is not. Only white people are valid according to our government and white supremacy. Everyone else is continually suspect. They look only at skin color. Everything else is irrelevant. Anyone who look as if they came from south of our borders is suspect.

To add to this horrid situation, an ICE officer drove his truck through a group of Jewish protestors blocking the entrance. It was a repeat of Charlottesville in terms of cruelty, but no one died. They are willing to lock up, abuse, and kill not only immigrants and Black people (don’t forget them in the midst of the other crap!), but anyone who supports them. Barr wants to make the simple act of protest a felony. That is fascism.

I have to admit, I’m afraid. For the people who find themselves detained, for protestors, for myself when I protest, for my family and friends who are Mexican or have Mexican ancestry, for anyone who looks like they don’t belong according to white supremacy standards. I’m afraid because there are many people whose lives have been upended from terrorism. I’m afraid for all those who feel threatened. I’m afraid for the future of our country but also our planet.

So, how to deal with the fear and the sadness? First, admit it. Feel sad, angry, depressed, fearful, worried. Set a timer if that works for you. Then, think of something that we can do that might help right now. I listen to Rev. Dr. Barber’s sermons while working online puzzles. I also listen to meditative music – any music that lifts my spirits. I write these little sermonettes/pep talks. I call my senators and representatives, even though they seem entrenched in their ways. Or I clean something. Get trained to register people to vote. Canvas for your candidate. Help get out the vote efforts. Do laundry. Go for a walk. Attend protests – organize protests. Call friends and family. Meditate. Recognize that I cannot fix it all by myself and even together it will take some time to reverse the disaster of Donald’s presidency and the surging white supremacy on display. Find news to be happy about. I recommend Daily Kos Good News Roundup. 

Self-care of our bodies and our minds is important. Because it will take so long to fix, we need to rest, restore, replenish, and renew ourselves periodically, and then reenter the struggle. It’s important, because we can’t give what we don’t have.

Lament. Speak out. Love your neighbor. Love God. And don’t forget to love yourself.

B

A Confession

Matthew 24:38-9 – “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them away, so it will be when the Son of Humanity comes.”

English has appropriated the word for flood (technically ‘inundation’) to mean any large-scale disaster. Cataclysm. On that subject, I have a confession to make.

For a long time, I too was living my life, eating and drinking and doing whatever I wanted. As a white woman with a good job, I had some privilege. I lived that way too long while ignoring the plight of others in this country. I was ignorant of how corrupt many of our politicians are. I had no fear of police brutality. In many ways, I lived a charmed life.

Then Bush was “elected” president. During those eight years, I began to educate myself about the Republican abuses. Then Obama was elected. I still remember being at work and listening to him take the oath of office. We all breathed a huge sigh of relief. I didn’t understand the systemic nature of the corruption Bush represented. When the tea party Republicans arose, I didn’t understand the danger to our democracy they represented. I had enough privilege to not have to take them seriously.

The real cataclysm in this confession, though, is the corrupt election of Donald. I honestly had no idea how many of my fellow citizen’s were either racist or willing to overlook Donald’s racism to vote for him. The same goes for his sexism, misogyny, sexual abuse of women, abusive tweets, the fact that he’s a bully, and his general overall corruption. I had the privilege of not having to see that he resonated with so many.

So, now Donald has come to wreak havoc on what was left of our democracy after eight years of McConnell’s own corruption, obstruction of Obama and Democrat policies. Everything that was wrong with the US has been turned up to 11. Many innocent people have been and will continue to be swept away. Cataclysm. This presidency and administration is a disaster.

Now, I do what I can to turn things around. This involves protests, vigils, writing to my representatives and senators, donating a little, and writing and sharing my thoughts here. It’s my way of making amends, knowing that it will never be enough. It’s my way of loving my neighbors.

B