Bridge Builders Needed
That's Matt, my son-in-love, a bridge builder. If I hadn't known it before, it came across in FULL CAPS Thursday night, at a celebration honoring his work in Public Health. Family, friends, colleagues and those from various organizations he worked with during the pandemic, spoke to Matt's caring heart, cooperative spirit and problem solving mind. It takes courage, faith, patience and humility to listen and learn. And then to act for the common good, not for personal advancement or acclaim.
We need more of those character traits championed in our country, churches, tribes and families. Too much fear-mongering, shaming, masking lies as truth and doing whatever it takes to win. However, sometimes it seems wish-washy to listen to learn, to build a bridge instead of blowing one up. But we who identify as Christians are called to err on the side of loving God and our neighbors, showing mercy and acting justly.
So, as the enemy of more than democracy seeks to divide, how can we build instead of blow up bridges? Well, maybe we should reprint commitment cards like these handed out to Martin Luther King's volunteers in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963.(The year Jud and I married.) This is what each volunteer agreed to: "Walk and talk in the manner of love, for God is love. Observe with both friend and foe the ordinary rules of courtesy. Refrain from the violence of fist, tongue and heart--the non-violent movement seeks justice and reconciliation--not victory." ( card info. from a post by David French, 7/18/24, NYT)
Imagine if we handed out commitment cards like this at work, in our families, classrooms, and at church? We fear violence from guns and fists, and rightly so, but violence starts in the heart. Next comes speech, and then action.
So how much do I care about reconciliation?
Or is winning all that matters?
Our daily choices in speech and actions carry weight beyond what we imagine. There are hidden tariffs on talk. My speech. Yours. Words written and spoken.
So what if we commit, without a printed commitment card, to "seek justice and reconciliation," no matter the cost?
And "to observe with friend and foe the ordinary rules of courtesy"?
Can you imagine if we choose daily to "walk and talk in the manner of love, for God is love"?
Makes me want to sing Louis Armstrong's, "What a wonderful world!"
Ready to commit?
Me, too.
Well, until somebody says or does something that goes a bridge too far.
Then, all bets are off.
See why I need all the help I can get?!
Thankfully, past experience tells me that when I pray to Jesus, I won't hear a beep followed by, "Please leave a message. I'll get back to you as soon as I can."
Phew!
8 Comments
I commit! And I pray!! We all need Jesus help, don’t we?!
Matt sounds like an amazing man, you must be so proud. <3
He is. And I am proud of him and so grateful he's part of our family, dear Wendy. As to the commitment card, it still stuns me to think of the courageous choice to be non-violent in a culture of violence and hatred. We have much for which to repent of to our brothers and sisters, neighbors and fellow citizens. And to serve as a reminder of how easily fear of the other can turn to hate and violent acts today, not just in the past.
Thanks Jan,
Someone, but not me in case you do not like it, said, "Anger is pain escaping the body." Another said, "more people than you know are more wounded than you think." This is not a spin on sin but as I try to make sense of the hatred, I find that much is self-hatred from those who never have experienced much or even any love. "Love those that hate you is a verse I could do without. I appreciate your openness until it convicts me, so back off sister! :-) Brother Dale
Now you sound like my brother, "Back off, sister!" You can bet that what I write about hits me hard before it hits you. Some things I dare not write, since I can't bear what it says to or about me. Meanwhile, love one another. Practice loving the ones it's easy to hate. Practice. Practice. Practice. It may not make perfect but it can't make things worse. You and Marty, on the other hand, are easy to love.
Reconciliation over victory. Tariffs on talk. Jan, thank you again for your research and perspective.
And thank you, dear Alyssa, for your encouragement. Winning isn't everything but, for some, it matters too much. Reconciliation is so hard. It's risky business and one needs to be willing to be on the losing end. To love more, while some else loves less.
Matt may be your son-in-love, but his mama-in-love is a real bridge-builder, too. Thankful for the paths you make between people, Jan.
Thanks, Maggie. So much hate and fear keep undermining bridge supports, making bridges look too flimsy to risk crossing. I'm praying, as I'm sure you are, for Christians to rise up and call out the lies and hate. And to protect the innocent, the immigrants and the "other" for whom Christ died. and we're called to love.