If You Are Angry...

If you are angry, let your anger be fire
So it can warm someone chilly.
If you are grieving, let your grief be a river
So someone thirsty can drink.
If you are numb, let your numbness give you capacity
To walk in hard places and not feel hurt.
If you are broken, let your brokenness
Be what makes space for a new thing to enter.
If you are fearful, let your fear be a warning signal
That others may look up.
If you are lost, let your being lost
Make a new place and call it home.
However you are,
Keep going.
However you are,
Keep going.

Rev. Laura Martin, 6/28/18.

(Reminder, this blog is mostly inactive.  For weekly inspiration, try:  smalldeedsdone.com.)

Taking a Break

Dear activists,

As has probably been obvious, I have been taking a break from this blog.  Here are some other sources of inspiration to which you can subscribe:

smalldeedsdone.com

www.celebratesmallvictories.com

And keep an eye out for the good work of your local League of Women Voters.  I had no idea all the great stuff they do till just recently.

Yours for a vibrant democracy,
Terry

Climbing off the Bench

U.S. District Judge David Carter takes photos at the homeless encampment along the Santa Ana River in Anaheim.
(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

David Carter cares enough about justice to climb off his bench, roll up his sleeves, see for himself, and issue creative rulings that help make a difference.  This Orange County Federal judge has insisted that the county plan to empty the Santa Ana river of homeless people (the encampment numbered at one point as many as 900 people) must be done humanely and respectfully.  In order to understand the problem, he walked the riverbed personally, engaging city and county officials and homeless people in conversation.  While no long term solution to the county's skyrocketing homeless population is in sight, at least in the short term, somebody with legal power cares about the rights and dignity of the people involved.

Read the whole story at:
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-judge-carter-profile-20180220-story.html#nws=mcnewsletter

Finer Music

Excerpts from Zadie Smith, at a speech in Germany in 2016, from the essay collection Feel Free. Progress is never permanent, will always be threatened, must be redoubled, restated and reimagined if it is to survive. People who believe in fundamental and irreversible changes in human nature are themselves ahistorical and naive. If novelists know anything it’s that individual citizens are internally plural: they have within them the full range of behavioral possibilities. They are like complex musical scores from which certain melodies can be teased out and others ignored or suppressed, depending, at least in part, on who is doing the conducting. At this moment, all over the world — and most recently in America — the conductors standing in front of this human orchestra have only the meanest and most banal melodies in mind. Here in Germany you will remember these martial songs; they are not a very distant memory. But there is no place on earth where they have not been played at one time or another. Those of us who remember, too, a finer music must try now to play it, and encourage others, if we can, to sing along.

Love and Justice

Love and justice.  We need both.  Love doesn't mean feeling a certain way. It means actions that care for others.  Justice doesn't mean an abstract notion of fairness, or punishing transgressors, but a system of government, laws, policy, enforcement, and public sentiment that prioritizes the well-being of all over the privileges of some.

We can disagree over specifics, but when we take one short step back from concrete policies to the values behind them, our blind spots come clear.  Just after a friend told me that his nephew had been shot dead by a relative, the New York Times reported that January 23rd had seen the eleventh school shooting in 2018.  To our shame as a country, we have failed to protect all citizens in order to privilege a virtually unregulated use of lethal objects by a few, and the profits of those who equip them.

While this injustice remains, love is at work. In a Momastery blog post called, "Share this with all the schools, please" Glennon Doyle explains the systematic efforts, over years, of one math teacher to identify and remedy the kind of alienation among her students that could lead to another Columbine-style school shooting.  With math! And love.
http://momastery.com/blog/2014/01/30/share-schools/.

A Litany for Justice and Equality

Litany for Justice and Equality (in honor of Martin Luther King)            by Fran Pratt

Oh God, we are reminded today of Your infinite Love for all people:
         All races
All colors
         All political affiliations
All religious persuasions
         All social classes
All economic statuses
         All nations.
We confess our tendency to think that we are the best,
our perspective the most righteous.
         Forgive us our arrogance, Oh God.
We confess our tendency to judge others, and to condemn those we find unworthy.
         Forgive us our impertinence, Oh God.

We see others with criticism.
         You see us all with love-filled eyes.
We see only in part.
         You see the world with infinite wisdom.
We see the external.
         You see the heart.

Mold us to Your way.
         Form us to Your heart.
Shape us with love.
         Make us new with grace.

Our way is not of violence and empire, but in the power and beauty of the cross.
            Our faith is not in politics, but in the transforming love of Christ.
May we work diligently to help meet the needs of those You love,
 both physical and spiritual.
            May our eyes be opened to the value and worth of each person we meet. 
May Your kingdom come, Your will be done
            On earth as it is in heaven. Amen

Other MLK sermons, litanies and essays can be found at textweek.com.

Dorothy is Door-knocking!

I was catching up with friend and neighbor Dorothy over the holidays.  After we shook our heads over the political situation, I asked if she was taking any action.  Indeed she is!  She has been door-knocking on Saturday mornings for the Orange County Democratic Party.  She is using the "Neighbors in Action" approach of listening to people about what matters to them and building relationships, to prepare for political action closer to the 2018 elections.

I have heard all about this, but haven't quite stepped up to doing it myself.  Dorothy noted that door-knocking is out of her comfort zone, but that she has been pleasantly surprised that people are almost all friendly and want to be listened to!

We in Orange County are fortunate to be in a place where our action for the 2018 elections can make a difference.  Door-knocking is out of the comfort zone of most people.  But if Dorothy can do it, so can we!  (I'll let you know how it goes...)

Old Story, New Setting

Your inspiration for the week... or maybe just mine.

Joseph y Maria, Art by Everett Patterson.

Look closely for details of the bible story.  The need we have for hope that oppression, greed and violence can be overcome has been shared by most of humanity through most of history.  We are not alone.  

The Power of Story

Your inspiration for the week...

I spent all of Saturday December 9 in a tent with nearly 200 progressive organizers. In Newport Beach, California: who knew?  I was attending the largest session yet of the Western Organizing Workshop.

We walked through a process of crafting personal stories.  We were to describe a moment of challenge, and a choice we made that changed an outcome, that shows our values and our commitment for our democracy.  The purpose of the story is to inspire the listener to take action– that's what organizers do.

The leaders told us their stories: so inspirational!  As a table facilitator, my challenge was that nobody at my table thought they had a story worth sharing.   I refused to believe them.  "Start with a lousy story.  We'll help you make it better," I urged.  I had been given the tools in advance.  With some coaching and practice, they made it through round one.  They each had some kind of story.  We continued to refine: take a snapshot of a moment in time.  Express what you were feeling.  Then what happened?

By the end of the day we had a "cocktail party," with people mingling around the tent exchanging some pretty compelling stories.  Many of the them started, "On election night..." and moved through despair to "and here I am!"  The next challenge my table crew faces is to overcome their shyness about phone banking and door knocking.  Because talking to people is what gets them to take action.  The story continues...  

We don’t have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can quietly become a power no government can suppress, a power that can transform the world. 

— Howard Zinn, Historian

Making Lemonade

Apologies for going AWOL for a few weeks!  Here is your weekly inspiration for action...

On September 1, 2015, five UC Irvine police officers drew guns on a 20-year old Black man on the steps of his own home in university faculty housing. They did not allow him to produce ID.  They stood down when a neighbor from across the street vouched for the young man.  They had been called by another neighbor who thought the man was breaking into his own home.  The UCI newspaper describes the incident and what followed in depth here.

In response, concerned community members formed a "Community, Safety and Diversity working Group."  Among many activities, this group came up with the above flowchart (on a kitchen magnet) to invite neighbors to act responsibly.  I continue to benefit from their activities, and hopefully my young neighbors of color are a little safer in their own neighborhood.

Act Crazy

Your inspiration for the week...

Leymah Gbowee won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 for mobilizing women to end the Liberian civil war. Gbowee (pronounced Bowie) is a staunch supporter of democracy, women’s rights, and education. I heard her speak in 2014.  Her advice to people who want to make a difference is: 

1. Find the thing that keeps you up at night.

2. Think of something you can do. Now. If people think you're crazy, you're probably on the right track. 

3. Find your supporters. They'll be a crazy as you, or at least support your craziness.

Her 2014 crazy idea was a commitment to make sure every Ebola orphan is fed and housed. 

https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2011/gbowee-bio.html

You can also follow her continuing crazy adventures on Facebook.

People Power

…is a new grassroots advocacy project of the ACLU.  Their first campaign, back in March, was “Freedom Cities.”  People answering a social media invitation were asked to organize and approach their local law enforcement agencies to advocate for nine policies that protect law-abiding immigrants from deportation.  Teams approached my local Irvine, Costa Mesa, and Huntington Beach police departments and discussed policing policies that affect immigrants.  What they found was mostly good news: these policies were in place.  And those police departments noticed that someone cares.  Meanwhile, the same questions were being asked all over the country, and groups organized to take action against unjust policies.  

People Power’s current campaign, “Let People Vote”, aims to increase voter access.  Anti-democratic deep-pocket donors are demanding laws that suppress voter participation across the country. Voting laws are different in every state. California groups are concentrating on implementation of same day voting (and other accessibility improvements) through implementation of SB450, the “Voter’s Choice Act.”   SB450 allows, but does not mandate, counties to use a new statewide database to allow early voting, late and even same-day (conditional) registration, and voting at any vote center in the county.  And it saves counties money!  Now we must convince counties to implement SB450.

Hosting a “Let People Vote” kickoff event, I met a group of passionate people who needed information and direction.  Seeking to provide it, I learned about the new law, our county’s plans to implement it (or not), and about voter registration and participation in my area.  I am a new member of the League of Women Voters too!  They care deeply about voter access, and produce the best information on local elections, at votersedge.org. We are building the road as we walk it, but we are learning, and we will make a difference.

Go to the Edges

Your inspiration for the week:

The center is not where

You come to rest

Apart from it all, 

But it is what holds you while

You go to
Edges.

And go to them for

Everything you believe in,

For everything that is 

Rare and real to you.

Go to the edges 

For the gaping earth and the 

Devastated lives,

For the swallowtail butterfly,

And the dog with the sad eyes,

And the mother who 

Went thirsty for days

To flee a pointed gun

And cross a border.

Go for the one who does not know

That her laughter is fragile,

For the one who holds a flower

And not a bomb.

Peace

Is not an inherited gift,

But is made 

As we live.  

     - Laura Martin

Question for discussion: Whose struggle touches you and inspires you?

Broken Hearted

Your weekly inspiration for action:

A new tragedy or outrage strikes.  First I am shocked.  Then I “hide.”  I get cynical or philosophical, which is my way of protecting my heart from what I cannot control by letting my head deal with it.  Then, when I make time and space, the dam breaks.  After a good cry, I can feel again.  I wrote this poem back in March– I can’t remember which bad news triggered it.

Broken Hearted

I witness the world turning.

I refuse to pretend it doesn’t hurt.

My heart breaks.

And I am not afraid.

I wear my broken heart with pride. 

I cry in public.

Over and over the tears flow.

Washing away bitterness, and, strangely, despair.

I will not hide from your pain.

I honor your broken heart.

I listen to its cries and

I gasp at the radiance that floods out from the cracks.

   -Terry LePage

Question for discussion: 

Where and how do you find a safe space to mourn the losses you are witnessing?

Closing Inspiration:

Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can’t ride you unless your back is bent. 

      - Martin Luther King Jr.

Blessing When the World is Ending

Your weekly inspiration for action:

This poem was read by Paul Tellstrom at IUCC this past Sunday.  It struck a chord.

Blessing When the World is Ending

Look, the world
is always ending
somewhere.

Somewhere
the sun has come
crashing down.

Somewhere
it has gone
completely dark.

Somewhere
it has ended
with the gun,
the knife,
the fist.

Somewhere
it has ended
with the slammed door,
the shattered hope.

Somewhere
it has ended
with the utter quiet
that follows the news
from the phone,
the television,
the hospital room.

Somewhere
it has ended
with a tenderness
that will break
your heart.

But, listen,
this blessing means
to be anything
but morose.
It has not come
to cause despair.

It is simply here
because there is nothing
a blessing
is better suited for
than an ending,
nothing that cries out more
for a blessing
than when a world
is falling apart.

This blessing
will not fix you,
will not mend you,
will not give you
false comfort;
it will not talk to you
about one door opening
when another one closes.

It will simply
sit itself beside you
among the shards
and gently turn your face
toward the direction
from which the light
will come,
gathering itself
about you
as the world begins
again.

Jan Richardson, from Circle of Grace, used by permission.

Suggestions for Spiritual Actions

Reprinting some food for thought this week:

100 SUGGESTIONS FOR SEEKERS, SPIRITUAL ACTIVISTS, AND INDIGO CHILDREN 

from Josh Bolton at thewisdomdaily.com (the first ten suggestions.)

1. Speak to the homeless.

2. Become sensitive enough that you’re overwhelmed with awe when you come upon old bridges and other long-standing architectural elements.

3. Social media fasts every Friday night through Saturday early evening.

4. Simple gratitude mantra recited every morning – whether you mean it or not.

5. Read Alberto Caeiro’s poetry in the moments closest to sleep – especially in the summer months.

6. Stop using the language of “belief” to describe the encounter with God.

7. Don’t employ hyperbolic cynicism on social media platforms.

8. If you earn more than $135k give away all monies above $135k.

9. Keep a small running list of friends who need to be “thought of” and think about them (even briefly) each day.

10. Annual ritual ablution in any natural (or unnatural) body of water for sake of washing oneself clean” and to reinforce inner-conviction that no matter what we have done, there is almost certainly the possibility to begin anew.

Building the Road as We Go

Many of us are finding our way into a new activism on behalf of our values. And we are building the road as we go.  Returning to California, I discovered some friends were participating in a rather ad hoc group. They answered one of those emails to “start/join a group in your area” from an organization that hasn’t given them much support since. They are learning that voter registration is not as simple as you might think.  Trader Joes won’t let you put a table in front of their store.  Several other organizations want you to write the corporate office first. The Post Office is friendly ground. The Highway Patrol must approve voter registration in front of the DMV. If they do,hopefully everyone will be so bored waiting in line that they’ll talk to anyone.  And typing  “rock the vote” in Google will direct you to online voter registration: good for Millenials.

It turns out you can walk around just about any public space with a clipboard and do low-key voter registration.  But Margaret does need a chair.  Margaret is the oldest member of the action group at 91. She experienced the Nazi occupation of Holland as a teen, and her father died at Dachau.  Trump reminds her too much of Nazis; she cannot stay home and do nothing.  So Margaret attends meetings and registration drives faithfully, speaks with charm and passion, and from her chair, helps builds the road for tomorrow's democracy.

(Margaret has a bit of a media presence too:

https://muckrack.com/andrea-adelson-1/articles

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2017/08/19/laguna-beach-unity-rally/)

Closing Inspiration: 

To grow a garden is to believe in tomorrow.

     – Audrey Hepburn

I Will Never Give Up on Love

My dear friends, today is a day of reflection for me. I feel the turmoil and the fragility of our democracy intensely. And I wonder: what can I do? Do I just turn away and close my eyes? Do I allow the sense of powerlessness that washes over me to win?  I don't know the answers. But I have decided that there are things I can do right now: I will stand up for love and inclusion. I will hug my children and kiss my spouse. I will love my neighbor. I will promote understanding and acceptance by listening deeply when I encounter viewpoints that are different from my own. I will be vigilant that my words are aligned with my sense of integrity. I will not use what I believe to manipulate others. I will personify the peace that I seek in this world. And when I fail to do so, I will forgive myself and try again.  I will fight hatred and injustice by not fanning its flames. I will reach out to people in need. I will seek to walk a mile in others' shoes before I judge. I will stand like a rock when winds of anger blow past me. I will not buy into the hype that seeks to only separate and outrage. I will deepen my commitment to learning our history and understand that freedom is not possible for all until truth and reconciliation (rather than repression and ignorance) are heard, processed, and honored.  I will do research when met with cheap talking points aimed to infuriate and inflame. I will embody love each time I am met with anger and fear. I will. And I will renew my commitment each time I fail and keep going. I will walk boldly and with determination. I will remind myself that growth is painful. I will never give up on love.      – Marie Trout, 8/12/17 Marie became a U.S. citizen this month. She says:  Feel free to copy, or modify (the above) however meaningful to you and state it to yourself, to your friends, and set your intention too for each step forward. We are the future. We have the power. Question of the week: What have you done for love or justice that was out of your comfort zone? Closing reflection:   There is no way to peace; peace is the way.      -A. J. Muste

Our House is Too Big

     To pray is to build your own house.  To pray is to discover that Someone else is within your house.  To pray is to recognize that it is not your house at all.  To keep praying is to have no house to protect because there is only One House.  And that One House is everybody’s Home…. That is the politics of prayer.  And that is probably why truly spiritual people are always a threat to politicians of any sort.  They want our allegiance and we can no longer give it.  Our house is too big. 

     – Richard Rohr

Question for discussion:  From which sources do you learn the back story— the context of issues?  Where do you get depth and clarity? (I'd love to hear responses in the comment section!)

A closing inspiration: 

In daylight, one candle is insignificant. In deepest darkness, one candle is radiant.

The Mighty Know How...

A holy man was once threatened with death by a bandit.  “Then be good enough to fulfil my dying wish,” said the holy man to the bandit. “Cut off the branch of that tree.”  

One slash of the sword, and it was done! “What next?” said the bandit.  

“Put it back again,” said the holy man.  

The bandit laughed. “You must be crazy to think that anyone can do that.”  

“On the contrary, it is you who are crazy to think you are mighty because you can wound and destroy. Anyone can do that. The mighty know how to create and to heal.” 

        (Sorry I have lost the attribution to this– one of my many books on nonviolent action.)