If you have watched any news over the past few weeks, you may feel like I do: “What the heck is going on? Where is all of this leading to?” You may also feel anxiety, fear, hopelessness, or anger. I catch myself somewhere between anger and sadness. I’m sad for the people who have lost their lives to violence, regardless of where in the world tragedy has struck. At times I feel overwhelmed when I consider what I can do, or rather what I am unable to do. If I dig a little deeper I realize that the thing I really feel is grief for the loss of innocence and the feeling that my deep desire for peace may never be realized.
These issues are real. Ignoring what is going on, or closing one’s self off to it does not change the facts. Putting on blinders will not change what has happened. So what can we do? What can individuals who choose non-violence or choose to think positively about life do in the face of so much death and violence? I’m not sure.
However, I do know what I won’t do: I won’t succumb to the darkness. I will not crawl in a hole and pretend that the pain or anger people are feeling is not real, even if I disagree with them. I will not ignore their pain or push away my own. I will continue to learn about the events taking place and refrain from speaking unless I know that what I am saying is rooted in fact. I will continue to stand in my own truth and beliefs while recognizing others have the right to do the same. I will not condone violence and I will speak up when I have an opportunity to make a difference in the moments that matter. I will try to make more moments matter, which will require being present to my life and what is around me.
My call to action is this: stay present and open to what is around you. Look for ways to make moments matter and do not be silent when you feel the need to speak, for silence can be mistaken for agreement. Stay courageous in your thought and action, and extend a hand when you can to someone in need. Reach out to your neighbors and be a builder of community. That is the commitment I am making, and that is the commitment I am asking for from you.