“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”

― Frederick Douglass

While meditating on my morning devotional, I gazed outside my window and saw a bird perch itself on a rather flimsy branch of the great tree in our backyard. It was a bit breezy outside, but soon what had initially been a slight gust that caused the branch to sway gently back and forth quickly became a strong wind, causing the branch to move violently up and down and side to side. I kept waiting, expecting the bird to fly away, but it never did.  It continued to hold on. Finally, after what seemed like ages, the wind died down and the branch's movement stabilized. It was only then, when the proverbial storm was over, that the bird flew away.

That micro storm reminded me of recent experiences in my life– times when my environment seemed unstable and the ground seemed a bit shaky with no stability in sight. I had to ask myself: was I going to fly away in an effort to escape or was I going to hold on and wait it out? The bird’s choice to remain on the branch while it was being tossed about by the wind and wait to leave only once the branch's movement stabilized is not the choice we see people opt for in today’s social climate.  Patience, longsuffering, and unwavering commitment are not virtues that are regularly celebrated in current American culture. We live in a moment where instant gratification and quick fixes are deified, and there is little to no tolerance for discomfort.

When we face adversity and challenges, let’s refrain from running the moment things become uncomfortable.  We can be assured that there is a valuable lesson in pushing through the discomfort.  We become stronger and more resilient.  And the reality is that often when we feel unsafe, pressured, or stressed, our decision-making abilities are not at their peak. It’s only when the wind stops howling and our foundation stabilizes that we are able to clearly see the choices and paths ahead of us such that we can make the wisest choice.

Hard is not synonymous with bad. Nothing in our lives that we will truly value or appreciate will come to us very easily. 

Embrace the storm. 

“Don’t become what you hate.”

― Adapted from quote by Rev. Phil Ware

We must stop viewing our fellow humans as enemies. 

Much has transpired in the world since I last posted, including a national election. Understandably, people have strong feelings about the election and other issues at the center of American and international politics.  However, those feelings should not cause us to assume that people who live and/or think differently than we do are our enemies. We are all brothers and sisters in humanity. That a person is registered with a different political party, lives in a different part of the country or is from a different ethnic group than ours, does not make them our enemy.  

It may feel easier or safer to mentally place entire groups of people into generalized categories rather than to take the time to reach across the aisle and foster authentic relationships on an individualized basis, but it does not make it right.

You may feel as if animus toward a specific group is justified because a member of that group mistreated you, or someone you love, in the past.  I disagree.  We will never overcome evil by responding in kind.  As the scriptures and countless wise men and women have said in various ways over the course of human history, “you cannot overcome evil with evil; you must overcome evil with good.”  

I am myself no stranger to injustice and the impact of generational disenfranchisement and oppression. Difficult and hurtful events that transpire in our world at the hands of other humans can break our hearts and threaten to break our spirits. However, when we fight evil and unkindness with more evil and unkindness, no one wins.  And don't be deceived, for even if it seems as though evil is prevailing for a season, know this: love always wins.

As we prepare our hearts and minds to turn the page to another year, let's resolve to be intentional about making our world better by using our talents, abilities and resources to lead with love.  

"One thing is clear to me: We, as human beings, must be willing to accept people who are different from ourselves."

― Barbara Jordan

I recently visited Boston, Massachusetts, one of the oldest areas of our country. The old colonial architecture was beautiful; I truly appreciated the opportunity to see and touch places that I had only read about in history books. As I considered our democracy, I began to ponder a thought: our democracy was born out of the desire to permit free speech, facilitate the free exchange of ideas, and the ability to engage in personal choice, but today despite all of our advances in various arenas, we seem to have gotten away from this framework as we treat one another in unkind and intolerant ways and succumb to “cancel culture.”  

Cancel culture is the idea that a person or a group of people can and should be eliminated, rendered non-factors, excommunicated from society, culture, or an “in-group” because they have done or said something with which others do not agree. The cancelation of people for having different viewpoints, or even making mistakes, has become so prevalent that even our elementary-aged children readily understand what it means for someone to be canceled.  Indeed, they often engage in the practice themselves.

I believe that cancel culture is especially damaging for our young people. Adults have the benefit of life experience and perspective.  We know that even our worst moments will pass and our worst mistakes will fade from memory. Missteps will be forgiven, and mercy will ultimately be shown. Things that seem insurmountable today will be something we will laugh at in the future. Youth unfortunately, do not have the benefit of the foresight that often comes with life experience and for them, cancelation can feel permanent and, even, fatal. For them, it's difficult to see beyond the moment, look forward to a brighter day or understand there will be joy in the morning, even if weeping endures for a night. 

We must make a collective decision to facilitate a social culture of grace, forgiveness and mutual respect.  As citizens of a democracy, we must all understand that sometimes one person’s exercise of their rights will conflict with or even offend our own. Sometimes we will not agree.  Sometimes other people’s choices will make us angry, but we should never make it our goal to dismantle another human being or break their spirit. There are many people with whom I do not agree, but I understand they are entitled to their opinions and choices, as am I. 

As we enter a season during which we will be invited to exercise one of our most important rights as Americans--the right to vote--I hope that we will remember to engage one another, especially those with whom we disagree, with respect. As we do, our own perspectives may shift as we learn about people who think and live differently than we do and we may be able to help expand perspectives of others as we share who we are.d have enough.