The leader of our country describes his own crowd of fundamental ideologists, corrupt nepotism, the severance of watchdogs protecting the public, and broken promises about releasing incriminating Epstein files. He points his fingers at others, blaming them for violations evident in his own administration. He lies, and he doesn’t even care.
Today’s Lectionary provided a prayer for today, along with today’s saint, Saint Moses the Black:
PRAYER (contemporary language) Almighty God, whose blessed Son guides our footsteps in the way of peace: Deliver us from paths of hatred and violence, that we, following the example of your servant Moses, may serve you with singleness of heart and attain to the tranquility of the world to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
It brought to mind a troubling conversation in a meeting with a group of women I greatly admire. One said “I’m having a problem with knowing how to celebrate the 4th of July without compromising my belief that our nation is on a very wrong path.”
In a brief discussion, we agreed that no one party owns the flag, or fireworks, that those are the influence-free celebrations of our freedoms, but that gatherings that involve political speeches and practices that support beliefs we find repugnant are contrary to our well-being.
I think we all came away from that discussion with a troubled sadness.
My family has a history of service to our nation. Much of what we have built, and what we have worked so hard to accomplish, has been wrecked. I love our nation, I love the American dream, I love the Statue of Liberty welcoming those who arrive with little but hope, and a desire to live free in a land of opportunity. I love our freedom to disagree with leadership and for the tools to fight unjust practices. I love that we have lived a life of service: serving our country, building alliances, and building a network that fights the evils of tyranny.
Today’s Washington Post gives the following information:
Since Trump returned to office: Nine out of every 10 deported immigrants have been men, most without criminal convictions. Many of them had lived in the U.S. for years.
In 2015, when first running for President, this is what Trump said:
“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
Nine out of ten of those targeted by ICE for deportation are good people, the same kind of people as my ancestors, and, unless you are born a Native-American, yours. They are people here, willing to work long, hard hours doing jobs none of us original immigrants want to do, even our unemployed. They have families. They have children. All they want is a living wage, a roof over their heads, food on the table, and an opportunity for their children to have a better life – just as our ancestors did. They believe in the American Dream, and many risked their lives to get here. They pay taxes (Yes! They do!) They contribute to our national GNP.
Nine out of ten. Deported for NO reason. Not given the same chance our families were given. Many of these are people who have gone through legal channels, and are on the way to citizenship.
I have lived in countries that have different levels of citizenship. What is it in our meager hearts that wants hierarchies that make one better than another? We believe – or so believers claim – that we are created equal. What worm in our hearts will shove others aside to achieve an ephemeral wealth or glory?
I have a scientist friend who attributes his success to being prepared to seize opportunities. April has been a month of unexpected opportunities.
I’m a planner and I have an idea how things should go. My plans are mostly shot down this month as I take advantage of other opportunities. I confess, it jangles me a littles, rattles my world. I have ideas for what I want to accomplish, and I end up accomplishing something else. As my friend says, I am prepared, my life is flexible enough to accomodate changes. My mind, however, needs to stop and take a deep breath. I need to tell myself “SWITCH!” to shake myself out of my mind-set.
March was a month of switched-up scheduling, as we had appointments scheduled daily around our normal lunch time, and ended up eating lunch much later than usual, which impacted our dinner, which we tend to eat earlier. It is a relief to be back on our preferred schedule.
I had a list for our favorite handymen; he always comes and takes a look to see what he will need and schedules a day when he can come and get it all done. Last week, he arrived, saw what needed to be done and spent the day fixing our weatherstripping, caulking and putting up a discreet outdoor drying line so I can dry my sheets and blankets in the open air. I hadn’t expected him to be there the whole day, but it worked.
There was a fan he couldn’t fix and advised me to call the electrician; fortunately I had some other things I also needed the electrician to do so I called and left a message – almost a week ago. This morning I got a call and even as I write, the electricians are installing some new lights and fixing the fan with new switches. It wasn’t the day I had planned, but it is the day we got, and I thank God for it.
I think of my friend and his philosophy about being prepared to take advantage of opportunities. I might have plans, but my plans were flexible enough that I could stay home and accommodate having workmen in on the day they were available. We keep a reserve of funds available for maintenance and for emergencies, so I am able to pay the workmen for their labor.
Underlying my satisfaction about getting these small jobs done lies some apprehension. My handyman friend is so successful that he is hard to book – I was surprised he was able to work the jobs on the same day. The electricians had two big jobs postpone while people decide when to schedule, so they were able to help me today. I don’t want to take too much away from these two experiences. It does makes me wonder if the economy is slowing and people are hesitant to commit to repairs.
Here There and Everywhere 