As I sit here our new president is being sworn into
office. I cannot watch. It is too painful. My stomach is in knots and my heart hurts. This is a dark day in American history. I am sitting in my room next to a small
table. On it are several crosses, some
rocks and glass stones, a white stone with the word “justice” and three small
candles, all lit. My favorite candle is
the heart-shaped one in the middle. I am
focusing on the light.
Donald Trump is now our president. That is difficult to accept but there is
nothing I can do about it. I refuse to
focus on this man and the damage I fear he will do to the country I love. Instead I will concentrate on what I can do.
The one—and only—positive thing I see coming from this new
president is the mobilization of progressive Americans. For example, here in Idaho Planned Parenthood
began receiving a flood of donations and new volunteers the day after the
election. Our Idaho Democratic Party,
which is small, also has a lot of volunteers.
Groups of concerned citizens are forming to stand up and fight for what
they value. This is happening all over
the country. Tomorrow, thousands and thousands
of women, and the men who love them, will march in Washington, D.C. to state
that women’s rights are human rights.
There are hundreds of sister marches all over the country. Here in Boise our march was organized by two
high school girls. This gives me hope.
What will I do?
Tomorrow I will walk with other Idaho citizens
in the Women’s March on Idaho from the Idaho State Capitol to Boise City Hall. I will continue to participate in marches,
rallies, and vigils to take a public stand for justice for all people. I will continue to wear black and carry signs
to demonstrate with Add the 4 Words to bring equality for LGBT people in this
state.
I will work with the interfaith coalition I
began 3 years ago to stand up for LGBT rights.
We have expanded our focus to cover other progressive issues. Our four pillars are: Climate Change,
Religious Respect, Economic Justice, and Human Rights & Equality. Interest in our coalition is growing,
especially among clergy. I am inspired by
the faithful, passionate, and articulate clergy who I work with on the steering
committee and larger planning team. While
we are just getting started with new plans for this year, our prayer vigils
will continue in front of the Capitol each Wednesday while the legislature is
in session.
I will work with fellow United Methodists on
justice issues. I am excited about attending a justice conference next month in
Portland. Our keynote speaker will be a
new bishop recently appointed in our Western Jurisdiction—a lesbian, much to
the dismay of many in our denomination.
I look forward to meeting and sharing ideas with other progressive
Methodists. How do we change our
church? How do we change our world?
I will try to be more diligent about contacting
my senators and representatives in Congress.
I live in a very red state so I rarely agree with the men who supposedly
represent me. Contacting them seems like
a waste of time so I have to remind myself that it is still important to give
them my opinion. When election time
rolls around again, I will work to support people who better represent my
values. ·
I will wear my safety pin so people who are fearful
will know that I am a safe person and that I will support them. I take this statement seriously and will do
all I can to stand up for marginalized people.
Do
not be afraid! (This is repeated many times in the Bible.)
I refuse to let fear of
what might happen stop me. I am
determined to make a difference in my community, spreading love and joy instead
of hate. I believe that my energy is best
spent working locally; there is plenty to do here. I will carry my little candle into the
darkness and together with my fellow citizens we will begin to light our world
once again.
