From Our Minister: The State of the World
Someone recently asked me why I hadn’t said anything about the murder of Charlie Kirk. It took me by surprise because I don’t comment directly on many of the tragedies that are going on around us. I take note. I pray. I sent loving-kindness energy to the survivors and the people being harmed – and I usually obliquely refer to the challenging world around us. My focus is on how we can respond as faithful people – how we can support one another and those in need rather than throwing shade or blame.
But as I thought about it, I realized that it didn’t occur to me to talk about Charlie Kirk because he wasn’t on my radar. I read some of the commentary around his murder and found the usual gamut of opinions. It is a horrible thing to have a man murdered in cold blood and I am very sad for his wife and children. But in our blood-soaked country, it doesn’t stand out very much. In the days since Kirk was killed on September 14th, there have been 12 additional people killed by gun violence, a school shooting in Evergreen, CO– and dozens of people injured. In just a few weeks.
The world is messed up right now. Our country is in a very dark time. While I fully support responsible and legislated gun ownership for hunting or self-protection, our bizarrely “pro-high-powered-gun-with-no-restrictions’ section of the country baffles me entirely.
I think it all comes down to fear. We have moved from an ‘onward & upward’ mentality to an understanding that things are not getting better. In fact, with the relentless press of climate change, we know it’s only getting worse. Even if you’ve been able to exist in total denial that climate change is human caused, your body is still experiencing the changing climate. And you can’t help but see the smoke from far away forest fires, increasing draughts, weird weather patterns. It’s been 80 degrees most of September. Yeah, that’s not normal.
Even if your mind can block it out, your body knows. I believe this is causing a lot of cognitive dissonance, which doesn’t feel comfortable. That discomfort translates into anger & frustration.
So we have a lot of angry people who have decided that immigrants, or windmills, or solar farms must be the source of everything wrong in the world, conveniently ignoring the billionaires pulling all the strings as they suck ever more wealth from the rest of the world.
All that is going on – all the time. But you and I are not billionaires. We’re not in control of the world. Not in control of the unfolding tragedies in Gaza or on the streets of Chicago. Not in control of inflation or how high the price of gas will be next week.
The only thing we can control is ourselves. Our response that we bring to a hurting world. We do our best to live kindly and compassionately. We show up where we can, in support of human rights, in support of families and children. We try to live in right relationship with our mother earth, even as our hearts break for loss after loss after loss.
I am sorry that Charlie Kirk was murdered. I’m sorry for every child terrorized in a classroom by a lunatic with a gun. I’m sorry for every senseless act of violence; for every person feeling the only way they can take control of the chaos of life is by striking out.
But I am incredibly grateful for this community of people who, day in, day out, choose love; who light a candle rather than cursing the darkness. I am grateful to walk with you through this time, trusting that with love at our center, we can find life both worthwhile and sustainable.
~ Rev. Pam
