Can You Hear Me Now

When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it–always.

Mahatma Gandhi

Preamble

There is no denying it. We live in difficult times. The safety nets that so many Americans rely on are being dismantled. Science is being replaced by conspiracy theories. Billionaires are getting richer while the poor and middleclass are being pushed further down the prosperity ladder. Everything is getting more expensive. Unemployment is on the rise. The Republic party is dragging the United States towards authoritarian rule. Hatred, violence, and prejudice are being normalized. Marginalized people are being terrorized. Women’s rights are being stripped away. Climate change is threatening our very existence.

There are days when the weight of all the garbage thrown at us feels overwhelming. They want us grow so numb that we give up.

How long for eyes to open and a heart to see
for love to rise above fear and anger
how long must a child wander helpless and alone
how long must he cry before he is heard
this darkness that cannot be overcome by light
this river that cannot be crossed

Due east rising
due west set
how long is too long

Homorodszentpeter

For the last 35 years, my church has partnered with a Unitarian church in Homorodszentpeter, Transylvania, Romania. Over the years, there have been many pilgrimages from here to there with the last one taking place in 2024. Not as common are trips from there to here, but one occurred this past September when a dozen or so Transylvanians came to Saint Paul.

In addition to sight seeing and developing deeper relations with the congregants, the pilgrims were able to get a better idea of who we Americans are. While there are certainly similarities between us and them, there are also tremendous differences.

Compared to Saint Paul, the village of Homorodszentpeter is downright medieval. While we have structures that date back to the middle 1800s, they have buildings from the 1400s — buildings that are used on a daily basis.

Until very recently, all their roads were dirt and it wasn’t uncommon to see horse drawn carts winding their way through town. Outhouses and manure piles are not unknown. I haven’t made the pilgrimage myself, but I hear that there are times when the smell is overpowering — at least to American nostrils.

Fun fact. I had the joy of playing bicycle host to one of the pilgrims. Csaba is an avid cyclist and we got together several times to explore the Twin Cities by bicycle. We must have cranked out 100 plus miles before his flight back home. In addition to trips to touristy places like Minnehaha Falls, the Stone Arch Bridge, and the Grain Belt Brewery sign, we made our own pilgrimage to Annunciation Church and School. I felt it important that Csaba see both sides of who we are and was glad that he felt the same.

We certainly have poverty here, but compared to so much of the world, Saint Paul is awash in wealth and material goods. We buy nearly all our food from modern stores while they supplement much of their diet with the produce they and their neighbors grow. Compared to Transylvania, our hospitals and clinics are practically space age. Our roads may have potholes, but they are paved and there is more than one of them. Most families have more than one car (my next door neighbors have four). I am not aware of any outhouses inside the city limits.

All too often we take our blessings and privileges for granted.

People Get Ready

Among the pilgrims was their minister, Reverend Kinga Réka Székely. Having spent time in Minnesota and California for her education, Reverend Kinga was not surprised by what she encountered here. None of this was new. Still, the differences were apparent and near the end of the trip she stood before our congregation and spoke of her impressions. I cannot do justice to her words, but they boil down to this:

There are 10,000 reasons not to love each other, but there are easily 10,001 reasons to step out of our comfort zones and be ready. Be ready to love each other and to live out our lives without harming one another.

Although Reverend Kinga was speaking of her impressions and experiences with America and Homorodszentpeter, I internalized this as me and the people of the world I struggle with. I have 10,000 reasons to hate the folks who are inflicting the pain I wrote of in my preamble. I am vehemently opposed to the damage they are doing to my country (our country) and will never accept it as normal.

And yet, the darkness of hate is more destructive to me than it is to them. It’s the same as taking poison and wishing for the other person to die. Every drop is a slow death that burns off another piece of my soul. Been there. Done that. Don’t want to live in that space again.

As a river moves and bends
flowing as if a vine

As an idea sprouts and flourishes
rising high in bloom

As a point of illumination drives back the darkness
showing me the way

Welcoming Abundance

If you have been following this blog, you know that I am on my Coming of Age journey. If you haven’t already done so, please see my last three entries for thoughts on what it means to be human and alive.

As much as part of me would like to believe otherwise, the people I am so opposed to are human. They are as beautiful and as flawed as I am. They too wish for respect, validation, acceptance, and love. Many have children and grandchildren and like me they want them to grow up in a better world. I may never agree with their definition of better, but then they may never agree with mine.

Regardless of our points of congruity, it is essential to continue fighting for what I believe to be right. I will stand on the side of love no matter how angry I get — angry but not hateful. Even in my darkest moments, it is always important to remember those 10,001 reasons. They are too easy to set aside in times of intense confrontation. I am no Gandhi, but I am willing to recognize and rise above my shortcomings.

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5:44

At the same time, I will do what I can to reverse the damage the far right is inflicting. I will march, shout, carry signs, vote, give money, and do what it takes to let my truth be known. The arc of justice does not bend on its own. It needs our collective help to nudge it in the right direction. Tyrants will always be with us and love will always come out on top. That’s a truth I need to keep repeating.

Many thanks to the Transylvanian pilgrims for their willingness to share a little bit of their world with us. Here’s to more bicycle diplomacy! Celebrating our similarities while embracing our differences makes us stronger. We are the world. We are the people. We are all in this together.

Thank you for reading.

Cornucopia it is and shall be forever known
this basket filled to excess
this river rising against its banks

Bit by bit until stretched and tight
the basket rips and the river crests
spilling across a dry, parched, and thirsty land
welcoming abundance