The long, stunning
days of summer stretch
before us.
We want to rest.
But life still struggles
in the desert
borderlands.
The babies are crying.
Our spiritual grounding
fills us, keeps us
going. The very desert
cries for those passing
through her.
Will you answer that call?
We must all make a living.
A few weeks ago, I sat in a courtroom, deepening my knowledge of our immigration system and laws. I attended those horrid Operation Streamline hearings for undocumented people caught by you and your colleagues.
When one of those men told the judge he was worried about his 15-year-old son who had been taken away from him, the judge ignored him. Are you a part of this? Have you told your children that your employer makes you take babies and children from their parents? Do you feel okay going home to your children, hugging and tucking them into bed – then the next day supporting a Presidential Executive Order that rips other children from their parents? You shouldn’t.
How is your soul? Atheist, Catholic, Protestant, Humanist, Jewish, Buddhist: it doesn’t matter your spiritual beliefs. You can’t hide, in the end, from your own values and ethics and faith. Moral injury*, soul injury, is real. Please don’t put yourself in jeopardy.
With compassion,
Rev. Patrice
*Moral injury is the damage done to one’s conscience or moral compass when that person perpetrates, witnesses, or fails to prevent acts that transgress their own moral and ethical values or codes of conduct.
Inspired by the Tampa Bay Refugee Task Force Faith Summit
In each moment of our lives, we are lured into offering our hearts and hands and spirits for another’s need.
Sometimes that service is simple witness: to recognize and honor the dignity of those we meet. Other times, our service is fulsome: we reach deep within ourselves to comfort and console those in need.
No matter the moment, through all, love flows.
Comforting others puts our own suffering into perspective. Consoling others opens our own hearts. Welcoming others we recognize how we want to be welcomed. As we grow in spirit, we see our worth is tied to the worth of all.
When we grow, we serve. We follow in the steps of Jesus; we answer the call of God; we align our spirits with the sacred pulse of the Universe. When we serve others, we serve ourselves, by experiencing the truth of our loving and expansive nature. When we serve in loving compassion and care, we act as inspiration for others to join us in service.
In each moment of our lives, we are offered opportunities for blessed service.
We must seize those moments. We must answer that call.
Out Loud 