Like everyone else, my mind is full of opinions. My opinions are formed out of my personal experiences. I defend a lot of criminal defendants. I am a lover of words. I am a white, male son of the South. I am a follower of Jesus, a United Methodist, a father, a grandfather, a Democrat with libertarian tendencies and more. But it seems that every opinion expressed these days provokes an equal and opposite opinion. We all feel threatened. Some of us have good reason. Most of us do not.
Those of us who do not have a good reason to feel threatened owe the rest of our sisters and brothers a helping hand. . . and head and heart. Those who are truly threatened because of their skin color, or because of the badge they wear, or because of the God they worship, or because of the person they love, or because of whatever label or target is slapped on their back by public opinion and discourse are afraid for good reason. Some of each of these groups have very recently been shot and killed just because of their label, for Pete's sake. Fear causes a focus on survival, to be defensive, to fight or to flee depending on the threats of the moment. For the benefit of all who have good reason to feel truly threatened, to be afraid for their lives, the rest of us need to step back, cut them some slack, offer them love and support and safety in this moment.
All of them.
But the truth is, we cannot afford to step back to a safe distance and expect them to find us and come. The threatened, frightened and injured often hunker down and retreat to their sides for defense. We who are not truly threatened must step forward. We must step forward into the in between.
Into the cross fire.
Carrying nothing. Open hands. We must drop the weapons of our harsh, judgmental words, our positions of privilege or power, our eloquent opinions, our revelations of blame. We must strip off the jerseys we wear to identify which side we are on, revealing only our bare human identity. We must be willing to take the bullets and stones throne by both sides out of their fear. And in that place, between the fearful, injured sides, we must create a place of safety born of justice and love. A place that we must not be tempted to give up, leave and join or rejoin a side, even though living in the cross fire is frightening. We must create a place so good, so just, so loving, that those in fear will feel safe to leave their opposing sides, drawn to join the loving circle. A loving circle has no sides. Everyone sees the face of everyone, as everyone faces the center.
It is a dangerous place to stand defenseless, with open hearts and arms spread wide, taking the blows of both sides meant for the other.
That's the way it has always been in the cross-fire.
But it is our only hope. It always has been.
.
.
Into the cross fire.
Carrying nothing. Open hands. We must drop the weapons of our harsh, judgmental words, our positions of privilege or power, our eloquent opinions, our revelations of blame. We must strip off the jerseys we wear to identify which side we are on, revealing only our bare human identity. We must be willing to take the bullets and stones throne by both sides out of their fear. And in that place, between the fearful, injured sides, we must create a place of safety born of justice and love. A place that we must not be tempted to give up, leave and join or rejoin a side, even though living in the cross fire is frightening. We must create a place so good, so just, so loving, that those in fear will feel safe to leave their opposing sides, drawn to join the loving circle. A loving circle has no sides. Everyone sees the face of everyone, as everyone faces the center.
It is a dangerous place to stand defenseless, with open hearts and arms spread wide, taking the blows of both sides meant for the other.
That's the way it has always been in the cross-fire.
But it is our only hope. It always has been.
.
.
nice article
ReplyDeleteBob - thanks for always boiling the isue down to the simple question: "What am I gonna do?" - Jim Ed
ReplyDelete