LISTEN UP, AMERICA. We can no longer refuse to hear words of wisdom from social justice heroes.
follow the leader?
So many of us have lived our lives placing unmerited value on the opinions of others while discrediting our personal truth and reality. Breaking the shackles of people-pleasing requires honest self-appraisal, a healthy dose of self-esteem, and an enormous commitment to self-realization.
Follow the leader. Just a child’s game? How about Simon says? For us they were playtime activity intended to teach interaction with other children. But, have you ever considered the ramifications of a 5 or 6 year-old being taught to follow a designated leader wherever that person leads or to do explicitly what Simon instructs? Of course not, they were just games for children.
What about adults? Life is not a game. Do you and I have enough self-confidence, enough courage to walk away from the herd trailing after a proclaimed leader when we know that person is dishonest and corrupt? Whether that person is speaking from the pulpit of a church or from a governmental office, do we have the cojones to say, “No, I will not follow you nor do as you say?”
Henry David Thoreau, Martin Luther King, Jr, Gandhi, Desmond Tutu were such men. They viewed their country’s status quo as unacceptable. Violence was not the answer; however, passive disobedience created movements which fueled social action that could not be ignored by national leaders with their trailing herds and toadying sycophants nor preachers with their ‘amen & hallelujah’ congregations.
It was called civil disobedience. In the months leading up to November 3rd, we should, each of us, consider what it is we are willing to do to press forward on a path which honors the validity of all citizens whether white, black, brown, religious or non-religious,
gay or straight, wealthy or poor, Muslim or Christian. When our elected leaders ignore us, when our spiritual mentors speak untruths, our options as a nation dwindle. However, a greater power within each of us commands us to disobey government and religious leaders when that obedience would be illegal, unlawful and unjust.
The days of child’s play are past. A new era in American history is upon us and its future will be determined by whom we choose to follow and whom we choose to obey.
These words from CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE by Henry David Thoreau are well-advised in today’s political turmoil:
The government, according to Thoreau, is not just a little corrupt or unjust in the course of doing its otherwise-important work, but in fact the government is primarily an agent of corruption and injustice. Because of this, it is “not too soon for honest men to rebel and revolutionize”. WIKIPEDIA
I AM LARRY – worthy, unique, loved
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil….
not to speak is to speak,
not to act is to act.”
DIETRICH BONHOEFFER 1906 – 1945
“There remains an experience of incomparable value. We have for once learned to see the great events of world history from below, from the perspective of the outcasts, the suspects, the maltreated — in short, from the perspective of those who suffer. Mere waiting and looking on is not Christian behavior. Christians are called to compassion and to action.” (Letters from Prison, p.16)
“In following Jesus, people are released from the hard yoke of their own laws to be under the gentle yoke of Jesus Christ. … Jesus’ commandment never wishes to destroy life, but rather to preserve, strengthen, and heal life.”
Having read the short biography of this German pastor and social activist who was imprisoned by Hitler’s Nazi regime and executed by hanging in 1945 just a month before the collapse of the 3rd Reich, I can only ask myself, “What would I do?” And then without hesitation I ask, “What would Jesus do?” I pray that my actions would mirror those of Bonhoeffer and Jesus when confronted by the challenges of pursuing social justice. What would you do?
Darkness in today’s political climate is real. Evil exists in the policies of a regime intent on instituting white, Christian control of this country and evil abounds in the minds of those who support those policies. That evil is fed by fear and by greed. It is no longer an issue which we can hope reason and compassion will remedy. Non-violent confrontation, not only in action but also in spirit and intention, mirrors the lives of Bonhoeffer, Gandhi, Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jr. and certainly the example presented by Jesus of Nazareth. For contemporary church leaders to disavow these teachings while sanctioning racism and xenophobia is heretical doctrine akin to the regime Bonhoeffer confronted before his murder.
Lord, open our eyes to the evil within our own hearts and then guide us to non-violent confrontation of the evil existing in our nation.
SELMA – 1965
America gave him a federal holiday in 1983. Not all states complied; many objected. Why should a “white” nation recognize a black rabble-rouser and trouble maker? A few raised questions regarding Dr. King’s moral character in order to discredit the work he had done for the advancement of the civil rights of black people. But, with the federal government’s mandates regarding civil rights, justice and equality, strident racism within American society appeared to be a relic of the by-gone days when signs at drinking fountains and lunch counters told black people they were not good enough or American enough to share those same facilities. We white people probably felt that we had somehow been miraculously cleansed of the centuries of hatred and intolerance leveled on other citizens who just happened to be a varying, darker shade of our skins. Yeah, the government gave them a holiday, that ought to keep them quiet for a while, we’re cool.
Guess what folks? Those issues which were a festering sore on our collective, white American soul are back in full force. It’s as if we learned nothing from the horrors of slavery, the Jim Crow laws, the voting obstruction, the job and housing discrimination, the burning crosses, the hooded cowards raising havoc with people of color, Jews, Catholics, gays, Muslims, i.e. anybody who does not have a white, European, Christian pedigree.
My initial writing for this post, briefly detailing the lives of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and U.S. Representative John Lewis of Georgia, failed to convey the anger and disgust which is building inside me today. The words which I wrote were yada-yada-yada achievement reporting from Wikipedia that somehow seemed to be sanitizing the blood, sweat, and tears of thousands of protesters, marchers, and victims of American intolerance and injustice. They gave their souls, minds and lives to a cause which should never be summed up in a few accolades for a job well done or a holiday once a year with parades and linen sales at the local WalMart. Those civil rights warriors deserve much, much more from us.
And we see some groups celebrating today as a day of service, a time of being kind to others. I like that. I think MLK, Jr. and Rosa Parks would approve. Maybe we could also take a few minutes to hear Dr. King’s speeches, the incredible urgings to non-violent action, the famous “I’ve been to the mountaintop”, and Bobby Kennedy’s announcement in Indianapolis to his mostly black crowd that their leader had been murdered in Memphis. Yes, that seems to be the least we can do in remembrance. It’s all on YouTube.
SELMA
The movie SELMA is a 2014 production which is the true story of the tumultuous 3 month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition. The epic march from Selma to Montgomery culminated in President Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Glory
One day when the glory comes
It will be ours, it will be ours
Oh one day when the war is won
We will be sure, we will be sure
Oh glory (Glory, glory)
Oh (Glory, glory)
Hands to the Heavens, no man, no weapon
Formed against, yes glory is destined
Every day women and men become legends
Sins that go against our skin become blessings
The movement is a rhythm to us
Freedom is like religion to us
Justice is juxtapositionin’ us
Justice for all just ain’t specific enough
One son died, his spirit is revisitin’ us
Truant livin’ livin’ in us, resistance is us
That’s why Rosa sat on the bus
That’s why we walk through Ferguson with our hands up
When it go down we woman and man up
They say, “Stay down”, and we stand up
Shots, we on the ground, the camera panned up
King pointed to the mountain top and we ran up
One day when the glory comes
It will be ours, it will be ours
Oh one day when the war is won
We will be sure, we will be sure
Oh glory (Glory, glory)
Oh (Glory, glory)
Now the war is not over, victory isn’t won
And we’ll fight on to the finish, then when it’s all done
We’ll cry glory, oh glory (Glory, glory)
Oh (Glory, glory)
We’ll cry glory, oh glory (Glory, glory)
Oh (Glory, glory)
Selma’s now for every man, woman and child
Even Jesus got his crown in front of a crowd
They marched with the torch, we gon’ run with it now
Never look back, we done gone hundreds of miles
From dark roads he rose, to become a hero
Facin’ the league of justice, his power was the people
Enemy is lethal, a king became regal
Saw the face of Jim Crow under a bald eagle
The biggest weapon is to stay peaceful
We sing, our music is the cuts that we bleed through
Somewhere in the dream we had an epiphany
Now we right the wrongs in history
No one can win the war individually
It takes the wisdom of the elders and young people’s energy
Welcome to the story we call victory
The comin’ of the Lord, my eyes have seen the glory
One day when the glory comes
It will be ours, it will be ours
Oh one day when the war is won
We will be sure, we will be sure
Oh glory (Glory, glory)
Oh (Glory, glory)
Oh glory (Glory, glory)
Hey (Glory, glory)
When the war is won, when it’s all said and done
We’ll cry glory (Glory, glory)
Oh (Glory, glory)
Songwriters: CHE SMITH,JOHN LEGEND,LONNIE LYNN
© Universal Music Publishing Group,BMG Rights Management
For non-commercial use only.
Data from: LyricFind
he freed a lot of people
Drugs, sex, rock and roll. We drank with abandon and we loved our music. Our heroes were John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Bobby Kennedy. They represented what my generation agreed was the future of our country. And within a span of 5 years, they were gone. Assassinated by hatred and racism. Murdered by those who would not accept change. We rebelled, some marched, others protested and I….I dropped out. But the music played on. The message could not be silenced.
He freed a lot of people but it seems the good, they die young. You know I just looked around and he’s gone.
Didn’t you love the things they stood for? Didn’t they try to find some good for you and me?
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby? Can you tell me where he’s gone? I thought I saw him walking up over the hill with Abraham, Martin and John.
Abraham, Martin and John
Anybody here seen my old friend Abraham?
Can you tell me where he’s gone?
He freed a lot of people but it seems the good, they die young
You know I just looked around and he’s gone
Anybody here seen my old friend John?
Can you tell me where he’s gone?
He freed a lot of people but it seems the good, they die young
I just looked around and he’s gone
Anybody here seen my old friend Martin?
Can you tell me where he’s gone?
He freed a lot of people but it seems the good, they die young
I just looked around and he’s gone
Didn’t you love the things that they stood for?
Didn’t they try to find some good for you and me?
And we’ll be free
Someday soon, it’s gonna be one day
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he’s gone?
I thought I saw him walkin’ up over the hill
With Abraham, Martin and John
Songwriters: RICHARD HOLLER
© STONEHENGE MUSIC
For non-commercial use only.
Data from: LyricFind
Oscar Romero
Today the Archbishop of San Salvador, assassinated in 1980 by a hit squad of the El Salvadoran government, a government supported, sanctioned, and financed by the USA, will be sainted by the Catholic Church. He was a strong public voice for the voiceless and anonymous poor of El Salvador and Latin America. A few weeks before his murder, Father Romero said:
“I have often been threatened with death. I must tell you, as a Christian, I do not believe in death without resurrection. If I am killed, I shall arise in the Salvadoran people. I say so without boasting, with the greatest humility. . . . A bishop will die, but God’s church, which is the people, will never perish.”
From a telephone interview with newspaper correspondent José Calderón Salazar. See James R. Brockman, Romero: A Life (Orbis Books: 2005), 247-248. cac.org
In my quiet time today I want to consider Oscar Romero, Martin Luther King, Jr, the countless men and women of faith who would not deny the calling which had been put upon them by an unseen, indescribable, and undefinable Power, a greater Power. They did not follow the mandate to minister to the marginalized and oppressed because they wanted to be historical martyrs. No, they did so because their interpretation of the Scriptures said it was the right path to follow. They read the holy writings from the viewpoint of the humble, meek, sacrificial servant called Jesus Christ. Not the Church nor the authorities of the Church nor the powers of government deterred them from the mission of their lives.
Am I living my life as they did? Lord knows I want to, but I stumble in weakness and doubt so many times. Who am I to think I can make a difference, as these great warriors did, for the poor and persecuted? What can my ministry be at my age, the sunset of this life? When I arrive at that final destination will someone say to me, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
“You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom. . . . And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.” —Matthew 5:10,12, The Message
Lord, I beg to be blessed.
men who dream
Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968
“What we need in the United States is not division, what we need in the United States is not hatred, what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love and wisdom and compassion toward one another, feeling of justice to those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black.” Indianapolis, Indiana, April 4th, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy
RFK was assassinated 63 days later.
hangovers
Just another traveler on life’s highway hanging out in the slow lane. It’s quiet. It’s peaceful. Beyond the horizon is rest calling my name. Green pastures, still waters, my cup overflows.
Hangovers. We who partied hearty with the demon alcohol probably remember them well. And it is good that we do lest the allure of the good times overshadows the misery of the bad times. I continue to have drunk dreams occasionally and I welcome them as my Higher Power’s blessing. Those dreams keep me in touch with the reality of alcoholism.
We can also experience emotional hangovers. This past weekend all the excitement of worldwide “marches for our lives” built up to a crescendo of incredible hope for a humanity free of violence. The millions who participated displayed an energy uncommon in our society, one that brought together like-minded brothers and sisters who value the sanctity of all life over the various interpretations of citizens’ rights. The young speakers were amazing, the crowds were peaceful, and a sense of dignity for all humanity governed the atmosphere.
Then, later that evening, the disparaging tweets, comments, and hatred filled our airways and moved across our viewing screens. Yes, it was an amazing day, but now the reality of what we are as a society hit with a vengeance. The emotional hangover set in. Once again we faced the truth of a world which says that even as voices concerned with species survival speak peace, governments and government agents do not, the powerful do not, and those lost in the darkness of self do not. They thrive on discord and discontent.
At these moments I have a decision to make. 1) Forsake my truth to venture into their world of strife or 2) grab onto the power which leads me into a place of green pastures and still waters. President and Mrs. Obama called it “taking the high road”. Oprah defined it as “not giving power to negativity.” It’s one of the Buddha’s teachings: observe the thoughts that pass through our minds, do not dwell, do not judge, just allow them to be and then pass on. My serenity depends on preserving an inner sanctum, a space within where the world’s activity is observed and then dismissed.
That emotional turmoil does not need to be the controlling factor in life. That muck of strife and discord does not need to be wallowed in. Recognize it and then allow it to pass. Know it is out there, but don’t participate in its life-sucking discourse. That is what the Obamas, Oprah, and the Buddha encouraged us to do. Instead of wallowing, set a course on positive, empowering energy which will encounter and conquer that which is dehumanizing and hateful.
A childhood Sunday School ditty says it all: “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.”
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
world peace
Often I wonder if the characters who are portrayed as spiritual stalwarts centuries ago could survive in the madness of today. Would they be as courageous in the face of modern-day persecution? Would they be as capable of finding the quietness of contemplation and meditation of which we are so desirous in today’s culture? My answer is always a resounding “yes”. Although the connections of social media and news media were not as immediate as that which we have today, I believe the issues were the same and I know from historical accounts that the persecution was extremely horrendous. The coverage that rolls across our viewing screens continues to depict the unfathomable inhumanity of man against man. It is historical and it continues to be the ungodly force which defines mankind.
But, I don’t have to live that way or be deterred by hatred and violence in my life’s journey. You don’t either. Realizing that the hope for our world lies not in the might of peace enforced by military power or governmental control, but in each individual member of mankind who is determined to live according to the message of ancient and modern mystics by recognizing an indwelling God, some call it Spirit, and God’s directive to love one another as we have been loved. We are called to replace devotion to self with service to neighbor. It’s an attainable solution to a worldwide problem which is leading our species to annihilation.
The message of God’s messengers from Buddha to Jesus to St. Francis to Gandhi to Martin Luther King, Jr. has always been social revolution by peaceful resistance to violence. And that revolution begins with you and with me. It’s a readily available inside solution to an earth-threatening plague.
And it’s not that difficult. Many of us in recovery know the power bestowed upon us when we “came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity,” and then, “made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God.” steps 2 &3, ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
We were lost in the insanity of addiction much as the world today is lost in the insanity of hatred and violence. Addiction and hatred are both soul-killers and the cure for both will be found when we turn to the indwelling divinity which does not need to be sought or discovered from outside sources. It is innate and readily available. Just “be still and know.” Psalm 46:10
This journey of discovery is a life-time process which I will never do perfectly. But, I can travel through this experience as a fearless sojourner who relies upon a Higher Power which wants nothing but goodness and mercy for me and for the world in which I live.
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6
he followed his calling
He was an associate minister at the Unitarian Universalist church from 1959 until 1964 after which Rev. James Reeb moved to Boston to work on housing issues with a Quaker non-profit. Previously, he was the chaplain, a strict Presbyterian, at Philadelphia General Hospital.
“His theology had told him that if people were suffering, that it was God’s punishment for their sins. But this judging voice was at war with another voice inside him which said, ‘These are your brothers and sisters.'” Rev. Rob Hardies, pastor at All Souls Church Unitarian
In 1965 Martin Luther King, Jr. called for the nation’s clergy to join civil rights marchers in Selma, Alabama. March 9th was later called ‘Turnaround Tuesday” as Dr. King led the marchers onto Edmund Pettus Bridge, said a short prayer, then turned back. He asked the clergy to stay in Selma should there be another march. Rev. Reeb was one of those clergymen who decided to stay.
That night after dinner with two other ministers, Rev. James Reeb was attacked by a group of four white men of whom one was carrying a club. Recalling the incident 50 years later, Rev. Clark Olsen said, “Four men came at us from across the street…..one of them was carrying a club and swung it at Jim’s head.
James Reeb died two days after the attack having lapsed into a coma from his head injuries. Dr. King preached the eulogy, and hours later, President Johnson mentioned his death when he introduced the Voting Rights Act to Congress saying, “Many were brutally assaulted; one good man, a man of God, was killed.”
“He wanted to do good in the world and right some of the wrongs in our society.” Rev. Clark Olsen
The three men charged in the assault were acquitted by an all-white jury after just 95 minutes of deliberation.
lpb quest - the twilight dance 