It's hard in the Age of Trump. MAGA has co-opted my Christian faith and pretends it is about xenophobia, homo/transphobia, and casual cruelty. That does not remotely represent the Jesus of my heart, and this makes me want to shake my fist at the clouds. It leaves me rebellious.
Then I heard the prayer. A-ha! I get it now. I'm not going to deny the ugliness of our times. That would be delusional. But I'm going to rebel, to defy MAGA by being a happy warrior. By choosing to face forward and joyfully work on change with love. Yesterday I posted about how my favorite most Cub always seems so passionate and happy in his mission to help pediatric cancer patients. He's like a golden retriever puppy in human form. Maybe he already knows what I'm trying to learn: that choosing joy in the face of sorrow and fear is "a holy act of defiance."
Then there's our prayer at the offertory: "May we be transformed by our giving, and may the world be transformed by our gifts." My giving is not limited to money (though money is important). It's my time and my gifts and my spirit, too. So this week, as I write my Letters Against Isolation and my Postcards to Swing States, I want to be more intentional. That way my acts can bring me joy and solace as I change my country around me.
Hello. I got my weekly Letters Against Isolation email today, and thought that maybe I should start doing that again. I did almost 200 letters but stopped (why??) a few months ago. Thanks for the inspiration to start again. I hope you have a good week. I am still in the Happiness Challenge.
ReplyDeleteChristians absolutely should take their religion back from the crazy extremists.
ReplyDeleteThis has maybe only a little to do with your post, but if you're interested in information about the Hollywood Blacklist and how it fits in today, you can find an interesting article here: acockrell@substack.com . The writer is one of my former professors; her parents were screenwriters during that time. I consider learning more about this part of my resistance effort. Every little bit helps, I hope.
ReplyDeleteI love that Choosing joy is a holy act of defiance.
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