I’m not sure what to say about this. I cannot imagine not being unable to attend a funeral, prohibited by the government sworn to protect and serve. A government which decided its people aren’t capable of standing and deciding on their own, for their own. A government which feels so morally superior that it can pick and choose what is essential with arbitrary and political sensibility above all else, even the people.
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We don’t have to understand everything, every feeling, every position, every injury to listen and care. Empathy and caring are not agreement.
I am convicted and deeply moved by pain but joy comes in the morning as I seek refuge in the still small voice. Signal flow, mix, and switching are the basics of 2020. Then we throw in live broadcast talent and content with recorded production processes. The old analog ways are over. Future is evolving in layers and new protocols to connect and integrate. Getting the signals to the consumer crosses time and geography mixing platforms and messages. Who owns all of this? We the people.
My lunch break face lately as I see, hear, and consider how much pain my friends are experiencing. Their lives and voices matter. Black Brown Asian White Gay Straight Fat Skinny Male Female Young Old Downs Autism Hearing Sight impaired Christian Muslim Jew Republican Democrat Right Wrong. #FeelMyFace wanting to make the pain stop is not enough but... it is a start
we start by listening and hearing and amplifying with our words and positions and credibility. . I stand now with my brothers and sisters of color. I have stood and will always stand with you. My love and empathy for you is not tied to agreement on policy and governance.
I cannot feel your pain but I covenant to listen to you and try. We should all listen to the peaceful voices more diligently and carefully. I listen again now, even more intentionally because I hear the pain. I don’t feel it in the same way as you. I am sorry for that. It is not possible now it seems, but perhaps it will be in the future. I pray for you and for me. I ask my God for help in action towards a more diverse equity based commonwealth. I do not have much patience for the “it is all Trump’s fault sentiment. I do think that he could be doing a better job right now. I can only imagine the pressure and weight that wielding such power must carry.
POTUS is responsible and accountable for some of this for sure. Who is to blame? That is a question that I wrestle with like each of us. My world view provides that ultimately I am to blame. The buck stops with me. I do judge and blame just as others do. I am grieving the loss of civility and dignity that I see. I recognize that there is much that I do not see. I choose to focus on a path forward rooted in peace. Perhaps that means Trump cannot be POTUS any more. I’m okay with that if a viable alternative is provided. Biden is NOT it. I am a Trump supporter but I am not a Trump apologist. The mechanism for societal change is at the ballot box as we vote. Our system of government here in the US is not perfected and it may not be “good”. I really don’t know for sure. I believe that it is the best that the world has ever seen. I believe in my fellow Americans. I even support those who rally against President Trump as long as they do it peacefully and with civility and dignity. it is sad that this seems like a land far away right now. I blame Trump for a lot of that but I don’t blame him alone. I accept my role and I seek a better day today and tomorrow. When we come out of this cycle of division and derision I pray that we will find a path that is better. Fear and blame are not helping. The blame game is not helping anything beyond my self awareness. I am to blame. Now what? That is the only question that matters to me. I honestly don’t know what to do beyond helping my neighbors, doing my jobs, writing and singing and serving. Is that enough? Time will tell. “As someone who takes my faith seriously, I’d appreciate if people stopped burning churches and stopped using God’s inerrant word for meaningless photo ops after tear gassing a crowd." -Erick Erickson
Both-And — this escalating Cycle of rioting and violence is a fact. Also... if the violence stops, the violence will stop. We have widespread agreement that authoritarian abuse must be stopped. Period. Let’s pivot back to that and look to criminal justice reform and steps to build rather than destroy. IMHO, this activity will begin in churches as hearts are convicted. I am not sorry for what I think. I am not sorry for what you think. I am sorry when we hurt one another. I am sorry that the world is not a better place but I cannot solve that. I am not sorry that I believe God is working around me. I am not sorry that I convicted to lead with an example of individualism AND freely given charity and blessing to others.
I am sorry that my willingness to protect myself, my family and you is perceived as aggression. I am sorry that we are so divided by weak and empty leaders. I am sorry that I can’t do more to help you. I am not sorry that I can’t save the world. i do what I can, where I can, and when I can. Be. Love. Serve. Repeat has many variations. Privilege is real.
I believe that the perception of systemic injustice is real. The reality of the macro system and its implied oppression is not so easy to discern. Anecdotal individualism reigns in 2020. Extrapolating anecdotal promoted/published stories is not the overall story at all. My experience and my perception is just that. It is mine. It is not automatically applied at scale and duration to our entire modern society. Bad actors and criminals exist. Authority exists. The opposite is also true. Public health analysis and news MUST look at the numbers in context with scale and duration. My privilege does exist. My family, my job choices, my wealth, my risk tolerance, my faith, and yes my race does play a role. I make no apologies for the benefits that I enjoy and it am proud to pass those down to my children, family, and friends. Generational blessings and curses will always be present. This reality is biblical and undeniable for our present world. I freely choose to share and to sacrifice. I stand with my friends in tragedy and in triumph. My testimony is my action. Every day presents an opportunity for progress. I desire a reality where being my friend is a privilege and vice versa. I count my friends as a blessing of unparalleled worth. I often don’t agree with them but their value is intrinsic. It is made clear when we stand together, work together, eat together, pray together and sing together. That is a privilege. Life is not fair. It has never been so and never will be. I strive to make a difference and enable others wherever I am and whenever I am provided the opportunity. Learning from my past and moving forward. This is the way. Assigning blame and wallowing in self pity is a disease. Understanding and accepting my privilege allows me to see and challenge and sing into a new song. Criticizing Trump for what he didn’t do is fair. Speculation for “what if” is largely a rabbit hole to make your own idea seem more palatable in my experience.
Criticizing AND applauding State and Local leaders (and POTUS) for what they DID do is much more relevant and practical. "It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."- Theodore Roosevelt |
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