Devotional: When the Ground Cries

The Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

He answered, “I don't know. Am I supposed to take care of my brother?”

Then the Lord said, “Why have you done this terrible thing? Your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground, like a voice calling for revenge."

As I have watched the Michael Brown situation and all the subsequent events in Ferguson, I am in awe of the utter disregard for human life.  Now, please don't think that I'm just now noticing that there is racism and violence and all manner of evil in the world.  But as I reflect on slayings like his that have robbed communities of black men for centuries, as I ponder the journalist beheaded by ISIS, as I think about the abuse of women and the chronically poor in Africa and around the world, I am overwhelmed by the sheer... inhumane treatment that comes from so many people, especially people of faith.  

I am angry that racism continues to kill young black men in America, especially since I have a passion for young people.  I am angry that sexism continues to keep women subjugated, whether in sub-par relationships because we've been taught not to be single or at jobs where we mean (and make) less.  I am angry that homophobia in the guise of religious zeal has torn apart families and killed countless people who others couldn't bother to love for the sake of being "right."  

I am angry that mental illness is treated like a plague (when people bother to pay attention to it at all) and blame the person suffering as if they chose it.  I am angry that children are often the helpless victims of predators, whether it is the issues, prejudices, and mistreatment of their parents/relatives or the school systems that treat them like numbers.  

At what point do we say, hey....  Maybe I should treat folks better.  At what point do we say, it's not right for someone to be hurt this way, even if I'm having a bad day, I shouldn't take it out on someone else.  Regardless of what I think of someone, they still deserve some BASIC human respect.

Am I the keeper of other human beings?  Yes.  Does that mean I have to provide for every single one or invite them all into my home and completely forsake myself or my needs for everyone else?  No.  It does mean that I should care when they die, be upset when they are hurting, and push for their rights just as hard as I push for mine.  And if I have all of mine without issue (certain groups with privilege - white, male, straight, financially stable, able-bodied, Christian in America, etc - I'm talking to you), then I should be working twice as hard to push for others.  

While we can act otherwise, we are accountable for the things that happen to those around us.  We are so much richer when we connect with others, especially those who are different from us.  But we won't know that until we do it.  Until we can step out of our comfort zone and embrace others, we can't imagine the fullness that we can gain.  

And even if you don't become best friends, at the very least, we cannot abide these abuses of power that the police, the government, or any type of leadership feels that they have.  

SC Justice John Roberts ruled that gay marriage in Virginia would be delayed.  He (and much of the government) feel that they should have that level of control over someone else's life because of something that they don't personally agree with.  The same way Darren Wilson felt he had control over the life of Michael Brown because of his discomfort with a large black male.  And now blood (whether literal or emotional) is crying from the ground....

When are we going to start being the keeper of our brothers and sisters?

http://colorlines.com/archives/2014/08/police_shoot_and_kill_another_black_man_near_ferguson.html
http://www.wmcactionnews5.com/story/26318439/pastor-to-challenge-church-board-on-female-preachers#.U_QUcFqmz9Y.facebook
http://news.distractify.com/people/compassion-in-conflict/?v=1

Devotional: When I Can't Trust My Mind

"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." -Psalm 34:18

When I found out about the death of Robin Williams, I was saddened, because he's an iconic actor who has played countless amazing roles.  Then when I heard that it was suicide because of depression and related substance abuse, it took the wind out of me.
You see, as I look back over my own life, I remember the moments where I battled depression.  I think of the times when I pondered getting into a car accident or driving off of something.  I remember moments where the pain was so thick inside that I couldn't speak.  I also reflect on the people closest to me who have suffered/do suffer because of things like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and other invisible mental/emotional conditions.  There have been times when I have even been "blessed" (and I use the quotation marks because it's not a blessing anyone prayers for, but it's better than the alternative) to talk someone down off that ledge.  
Today, I read an article that said Robin Williams' death feels more personal, because if he could succumb to something that so many of us deal with in one way or another, and he had enough resources for great treatment (even having recently checked himself into rehab), what hope do the rest of us have?  I think there is some merit to that, but I think it goes further.  On a Facebook post about his passing, someone gave the usual rhetoric about suicide being selfish, and someone responded that in cases of depression and mental illness, the element of choice which would make such an act selfish is either diminished or completely missing....  And that struck me....
It's easy to make determinations and assumptions about the motives and heart of others.  But at the end of the day, we have no idea what someone is really fully going through.  No matter how well or how long you've known someone, there is no telling what is really going on in the quiet recesses of someone's mind.  I love Brooke tremendously, and we share and talk and open up quite a bit on a regular basis, but there are still things that have happened in her life that have shaped parts of her that I will never fully understand.  Even some of her reactions puzzle me at times, but my job as her partner is to love her, accept her, and be there for her like she is for me.  
I could talk for days about this, especially as the emotions are flowing and moving in some unexpected ways, but I'm gonna jump back to the title - I know that it's like to look at life and wonder what the point is.  My heart has felt the overwhelming desire to just rest for a while, tired of all that life takes away or deals without mercy.  The only reason I've not made that transition of my own accord is because I was able to sense and receive some love from the Divine.  It may have been through another person, a song, a meme, a renewed sense of purpose, a rainbow, time in God's presence, a gentle inner nudge, or whatever other divine intervention that God chose in an otherwise dark moment.  
I don't say these things for sympathy or whatever.  My purpose in writing this (and calling it a devotional) is to call our hearts and minds to the realities that affect so many people.  My devotion today and every day will be the two greatest commandments according to Christianity (and some rules that I think are fairly universal in spirit): love God with all of who you are and love your neighbor as you love yourself.  Whatever your understanding of the Divine, know that there is something bigger than you connecting you to everything else in life.  The fact that you are alive speaks to a purpose, and that is worth devoting yourself to.  And yes, people and life can cause tremendous pain, but I (and I would venture to say everyone) need to know that when I can't trust my own mind to tell me the truth - I am beautiful, I am loved, I am worthwhile, I am enough, I matter, I have a purpose, etc - that there will be Someone who cares and someone who will reach out, so I should be willing to do the same for someone else.  And if I cannot feel the arms of another or reach for the Divine, I have to pull out the pom poms and be my own cheerleader, even if that means writing affirmations, tattooing a reminder on my arm, or making the screen of my phone words to live by.  
Let's devote ourselves to (re)building community so that we can hopefully lessen (if not eradicate) tragic losses like this one.  

And if you are suffering, know that there are professionals and people who can provide assistance.  Don't ever try to go it alone....

Genie, you're free....

RIP Robin Williams

Devotional: Speaking to the Dead

Ezekiel 37:3 - God said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"  And I answered, "O Lord God, You know."

How often in life do you feel dead?  If you're like me, you've had some dead zones in your life where, like your cell phone, you couldn't get any services, you felt no meaningful connection, and you likely felt useless.
This dead feeling can result from any number of troubling situations and circumstances:

• Dead finances when you lack a job or a job sufficient to your needs
• Dead confidence when you've failed at something or been told that you're not _______ enough
• Dead hope when too many things have failed to come through for you
• Dead trust when people you cared about and trusted have hurt or let you down
• Dead desire when your efforts never seem to payoff
• Dead spirit when the Divine feels far from you
• Dead emotions when your heart is too tired to try or it's emoting out of control
• Dead mind when it's clouded and cluttered with chaotic thoughts, too much stuff, and unproductive ponderings
• Dead body when you feel unhealthy, achy, exhausted, and unable to really function

I could go on, but you know your situation and the aches that you feel for a part of yourself basically being inactive. 

One of the things that I find fascinating about the Ezekiel text is that God brings Ezekiel into the valley.  While God possessed the ability to bring the army to life, God brings in Ezekiel to speak.  While in that context, it was Ezekiel's job to hear from God and speak to the people, I think there's an important, relevant lesson here: sometimes it takes God bringing us into the midst of Death Valley to get us to both listen and speak.  It's there that we can see the situation, we can hear what God knows, and we can be empowered to speak into our lives.  

While there are some legit obstacles and issues in life, I feel that at least part of the issue is a problem of belief, especially in ourselves and the power we possess.  There is so much we could accomplish if we believed enough to give ourselves fully in pursuit of our goals and desires.  In fact, I think that laziness in a lot of ways is really about fear, especially of failure but also of success.  So rather than try, we chill in easy, comfortable spaces...

So let's take the time today to come face-to-face with our bones, seeking Divine guidance, and begin to speak.  This speaking can be to ourselves in an affirming way, to our situation that it will not win, to others to gain assistance/support, or even speech through the necessary actions to grow and move forward.  And you might be surprised by what comes from within.  In the story, Ezekiel didn't have to tell the bones how to come together - they automatically knew and did it.  You know more than you think - trust yourself.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. -Marianne Williamson