Nourished by Joy, Rooted in Justice

Source: @Feminist on Instagram

Beloved friends of LaSalle - 

This has been a heavy week for our nation. We began with celebration and marking the courageous life and embodied faith of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and then were catapulted into a political reality that many have dreaded becoming reality. For those who are feeling the anxiety, worry, and fear - you are not alone. For those who are not sure what to do, or where to focus - let me offer just a few reminders.  

I've shared on Sunday with our congregation that in this coming year, I sense God is reminding the Beloved Community gathered at LaSalle to focus equally on two things - engaging in justice/advocacy, and pursuing joy/beauty. In other phases of my life I would have likely felt that justice was the real work, and beauty the add-on luxury; or for some of us, maybe advocacy feels tangible and real, while joy seems ephemeral, and hard to nail down. But there's something somehow inextricably linked between our capacity to do justice, and love others, and follow God - and our ability to seek out and get refueled by joy, beauty, community, and creation. Sometimes our heavily-western-shaped lenses of doing, pushing, making, controlling, and measuring can push down on the list the very human, spirit-filled needs for what is life-giving, what helps us rest and reset, what speaks to our deep longing and reminds us, we are human, we are not alone, we are fed by the light. 

I want to encourage us all again to protect our attention, our energy, and our focus in this coming season. When possible, turn off the news, the screens, and instead get outside, slow down to pray and listen, or create something with your hands. Remind yourself that joy and beauty are good, God-given, and necessary. And after that, we can pay attention to the strategic political realities that we're called to, and prepare and plan for what area of justice, advocacy, and engagement you can put your hands to - no one can do everything, and we can all do something. Find things, people, past times, poetry, music, and art that feeds your soul. Gather with friends to lament, or ask for a ride to the doctor's office, or to share how you're really doing; grab others and make time to have a drink, tackle a board game, or find a new thrift store. Check in on your neighbors, help shovel or take out the trash, and make time to hear from an elder about their story, or talk to a teenager about their favorite class at school. In other words - stay human. Stay healthy. Take care of yourself, and one another, so that together - we can engage in the long-distance marathon of being a beloved community that focuses on and walks in solidarity with the marginalized, together.

With deep thanks - RevLiz