We Are a Gentle Angry, People
READING
We are a gentle, angry people
and we are singing, singing for our lives
We are a justice-seeking people
and we are singing, singing for our lives
We are young and old together
and we are singing, singing for our lives
We are a land of many colors
and we are singing, singing for our lives
We are all in this together
and we are singing, singing for our lives
We are a gentle, loving people
and we are singing, singing for our lives
~Holly Near
REFLECTION
What does it mean to say that we are a Gentle, Angry People?
Holly Near wrote this song in the aftermath of the assassination of Harvey Milk. That was a long time ago now. Still, the emotion of anger coupled with a firm yet gentle resolve has carried many protesters and reformers through the decades that followed that terrible night in San Francisco.
In these days of Covid-19 when we seem glued to the news about the virus, the escalation of injustice and devastation being perpetrated by a minority of rich and powerful people is staggering. It makes me angry. Really angry. So angry that I can be paralyzed by my rage.
I think you know the kind of anger I am feeling. I’m betting that many of you are experiencing similar anger at the growing, not diminishing, economic and health inequality in our country. This disparity is not a small thing. It is a big thing. It is worthy of righteous anger, my righteous anger.
Thich Nhat Hanh has said that anger is not necessarily a problem or an evil to be eliminated, it is to be transformed from something unskillful to something skillful. In other words, we notice our anger, feel our anger, honor the source of our anger. We sit with our anger for a while, for as long as it takes for our hearts to begin the process of letting the energy behind our anger transform into gentleness. Gentle but not soft. Gentle and determined. Unless my anger leads me toward wholeness – toward the unity of being and purpose expressed so well and simply by Holly Near -it does nothing to reduce suffering or increase equality and justice.
It will be a gentle angry people who will finally put a stop to the degradation of people and planet being pursued by those filled with greed and selfishness. May we be those people.
READING ~ From two recent publications.
The covid-19 epidemic in America is two-pronged—a contagious sickness first, followed by an economic malaise. Despite a big stimulus program from Congress, including the temporary introduction of something like a universal basic income that ought to benefit the poorest disproportionately, it is the least advantaged who are suffering most.
(“Unequal protection - American inequality meets covid-19” – The Economist, April 18th 2020 United States edition)
The neoliberal forces of capitalism have mobilized to use this “shock doctrine” moment to deploy their own brand pf pandemic capitalism, pushing unconditioned corporate bailouts, rollback of environmental protections, and suspension of corporate taxes. But there has been mighty pushback and public outrage at the naked power grabs, insider trading, hoarding, and antisocial behaviors of the rich and powerful.
…
We are watching in real time trauma, federal incompetence, loss, and economic disruption that promises to get worse before it gets better. But we also are being given a remarkable glimpse into our potential for community resilience and societal change – even deep transformation.
(“A Chance to Cure America’s Preexisting Condition: Extreme Inequality” by Chuck Collins. May 9,2020, YES! magazine)
REFLECTION
“We are being given a remarkable glimpse into our potential for community resilience and societal change – even deep transformation.” Chuck Collins.
This is a horrible time…and…this is a precious time.
It’s the perfect time because it’s the time we have.
What will we choose to do during this most uncertain and unusual time?
We can claim our righteous anger because that anger is very real and represents a gut reaction to very real threats to our life and our planet and these threats are coming from voluntary human decisions and actions. I am not angry with the virus. The virus is doing what viruses do. It can do nothing else. I am angry with people who choose to do things that increase suffering for people and all our relations and our planet. This ought to be a time of generosity and cooperation that will reduce suffering and destruction, ….. and for thousands of us, hundreds of thousands of us, we see that it is exactly that time. Generosity, compassion and cooperation have gotten us through this hard time as well as it could. We need more. We need national and systemic changes that are built on the principles of generosity, compassion and cooperation.
Let’s be the agents of that deep transformative change.
Life will not go back to what was normal last year or even five years ago.
Let’s make sure we are focused on right and skillful thinking and acting, rooted in our Unitarian Universalist principles – respect, equality, justice and interdependent reciprocity with the web of life – all life.
Hmmm … what shall I be doing?
Communicating with legislators and leaders at all levels to push them toward legislation that builds the common good through
- an economy of generosity and reciprocity, not extraction and wealth,
- health care for all
- a living wage system that supports families and businesses of all sizes
- education for all at reasonable cost to students and tax payers
- and
- a safety net that can catch us when we fall.
It’s not impossible.
- We vote.
- We write letters.
- We make phone calls.
- We fund the things that bring us closer to the world we want for our children to the seventh generation.
- We come together to keep the flame of hope and possibility burning.
- We love life, for all.
Conclusion. I want to finish with words of encouragement for our shared work ahead and to sooth our troubled souls.
Former President Barak Obama delivered the national commencement address for the High School class of 2020 last evening. He was, in my opinion, the best possible choice to deliver remarks to this class. These are his final words of wisdom and advice for our youth – and I think they work for us, at any age, too.
I’ll leave you with three quick pieces of advice.
First, don’t be afraid. America’s gone through tough times before — slavery, civil war, famine, disease, the Great Depression and 9/11. And each time we came out stronger, usually because a new generation, young people like you, learned from past mistakes and figured out how to make things better.
Second, do what you think is right. Doing what feels good, what’s convenient, what’s easy — that’s how little kids think. Unfortunately, a lot of so-called grown-ups, including some with fancy titles and important jobs, still think that way — which is why things are so screwed up.
I hope that instead, you decide to ground yourself in values that last, like honesty, hard work, responsibility, fairness, generosity, respect for others. You won’t get it right every time, you’ll make mistakes like we all do. But if you listen to the truth that’s inside yourself, even when it’s hard, even when its inconvenient, people will notice. They’ll gravitate towards you. And you’ll be part of the solution instead of part of the problem.
And finally, build a community. No one does big things by themselves. Right now, when people are scared, it’s easy to be cynical and say let me just look out for myself, or my family, or people who look or think or pray like me. But if we’re going to get through these difficult times; if we’re going to create a world where everybody has the opportunity to find a job, and afford college; if we’re going to save the environment and defeat future pandemics, then we’re going to have to do it together. So be alive to one another’s struggles. Stand up for one another’s rights. Leave behind all the old ways of thinking that divide us — sexism, racial prejudice, status, greed — and set the world on a different path.
When you need help, Michelle and I have made it the mission of our Foundation to give young people like you the skills and support to lead in your own communities, and to connect you with other young leaders around the country and around the globe.
But the truth is that you don’t need us to tell you what to do.
Because in so many ways, you’ve already started to lead.
Congratulations, Class of 2020. Keep making us proud.
And that’s good advice for us as we navigate these days when we could easily fall prey to anger, even righteous anger, so that we may use the energy of our anger to propel us toward justice. As Dorothy Day once said, “No one has a right to sit down and feel hopeless. There’s too much work to do.” Indeed there is.
Beloveds,
may our righteous anger lead us gently and relentlessly into action;
may our concern for our neighbor be stronger than our fear for ourselves;
may we advocate and vote and practice in ways that are a true demonstration of our love and respect for all;
may we be empowered and emboldened by the Everlasting Love that surrounds us and equips us for all that lies before us; and
may we know that we have worthy spiritual companions in each other and that we are not alone.
Blessed Be. I Love You. Amen.
