Journeying Toward Freedom and Equity

  The Resistant Activist When we were children, our mother taught us compassion, showed us how to reach out to those in need (it might have been free day care, staying at our house, or giving of any surplus we had of food).   As an adult, when I taught CCD, in a rural community outside Albany, I talked to my students about Lent. The lesson I gave was to be reminded of the children who lived in Albany who had much less than them, and what did it mean to sacrifice.   The children were asked to give up something that they possessed, and we would give these items to children in Albany. They were to be guided by their parents. (Did not want them giving away something that maybe their parents would not approve.)   Every child had a reason for what they contributed:   a favorite piece of clothing, money earned from chores, a favorite toy.   We then made arrangements to actually visit a south-end neighborhood ministry in Albany (1970’s).   The parents and children walked away with a feelin

  https://ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/2021/03/28/palm-sunday-compassionate-solidarity/             I failed. Again.   This past weekend, I found myself in conversation with an in-law regarding the state of our nation and our differing political opinions. Both of us acknowledged that our faith and our understanding of God’s will were crucial in shaping our views. We shared common ground.   It was not long into our conversation that the very reactions I have been working hard to overcome surfaced:  anger, frustration, defensiveness – and not to be indelicate – sweaty armpits. Good grief, I thought afterwards, I am still incapable of engaging in conversations about polarizing topics without losing it.   What happened? Two things. First, I allowed fear to take over. I forgot to love. Love keeps my fear and desperation in check along with my need to be right, to have the last word. The second was that I stopped speaking from my heart; to explain that I have come to understand th

https://ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/2021/03/26/armor-of-peace-and-justice/             Friday’s reflection from the ISN refers to armor as a means of protection. We can look at armor and shields from a variety of perspectives. Usually when I think of armor, I think of protecting myself. But armor and protection comes in many forms that can sometimes serve others too.  As soon as I opened Friday’s email, the first thing that came to mind was wearing a mask during the pandemic. We wear masks to first protect those around us. Wearing masks is armor for our brothers and sisters. When we look at the plagues of racial and social injustice, though, it brings into question how we can protect our neighbors who are not physically nearby. What sources of armor and shield can we find to show our love for them?  I found the ISN’s reflection to be beneficial because it also helped me to reflect on the times when I put up my own armor and shield instead of working alongside and for others. So

https://ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/2021/03/19/steadfast-showing-up/ Day 31   Lately I have begun feeling completely overwhelmed with the task of showing up for justice. I have become discouraged with the long road and lack of progress in  the march toward equity and justice in our society. How can it take so long to deliver what Jesus has so clearly called us to do? To love one another. And then I reflect and recognize that my sense of urgency is born of my need to accomplish things quickly, to get the job done, to rely on myself. In Eileen  Markey’s reflection “Steadfast and Showing Up,” she reminds us of the importance of being reliable, doing the small tasks, and remembering that we are present and  part of a larger story. It is time to lay aside my pride, rely on the strength and commitment of my partners in the work of changing hearts and minds, and move forward with humility.   “Act Justly Love Mercy Walk Humbly With Your God”           Micah 6:8   Sandy B.

https://ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/2021/03/23/willing-to-look-at/ We have a sign in our Florida condo that says, “Blessed.” It serves as both decoration and declaration. It blends nicely with our Florida decor (sans flamingos!) but also acknowledges our gratitude for the many blessings we try not to take for granted.  Yet, this little sign prickles. It prickles because it is a constant reminder of the disparity  between my abundance and the scarcity and suffering experienced by so many of my brothers and sisters.  What did I do to deserve my advantages? Some would say good fortune and hard work. What I have come to learn is that much of my well-being is due to my white privilege. Being white gave me a head-start right out of the gate.  How do I respond to the prickle caused by that sweet little sign? I try not to look away. I wrestle with the tension. I acknowledge that racism still enslaves our people; I continue to educate myself and others; I try to support initiatives that

https://ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/2021/03/19/steadfast-showing-up/ Friday’s reflection from the ISN reminds us to show up for others and for the sake of justice even in the moments when we feel overwhelmed and tired.             I feel overwhelmed and tired this week, especially after hearing more information about the ongoing hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. In addition to that, I face the challenges that are part of everyday life: schoolwork, work, personal struggles, etc. As we continue to face the effects of the pandemic, I feel stuck mentally and physically. I find myself constantly asking God to show me the way and lead me through this difficult journey.               But then I remind myself that all these thoughts and emotions are normal. In fact, maybe my reactions to hate crimes and the circumstances of life as we face it today will help lead me towards something greater. Either way, this is where I stand today, and I am going to accept t

     https://ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/2021/03/16/last-shall-be-first/      How am I called to “seek out those in the back of the line”?      My Christian upbringing has led me to make many choices in my life, including finding ways to serve in my community and beyond.  I have served in many of the usual ways and some not so usual ways. It is not necessary to list them today, that is another story.  During this Lenten season, I continue to find ways to serve those less fortunate than myself, those of less privilege than me; but this year I have also chosen to reflect on my grief. Perhaps grieving can be another way to serve others?      As I have reflected on how I experience grief, I have recognized I have experienced grief through loss, especially loss of loved ones. However, I have also discovered my greatest grief - my awareness of the suffering of the world caused by social injustice.  This injustice comes in many forms from discrepancy of the rich and the poor, racism, religi

Note:  This is the second part of a two-part reflection by Lucretia H. that was inspired by a recent Lenten Ignatian Solidarity Network piece. The link to the ISN posting is provided for you here:   https://ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/2021/03/10/lest-we-forget/             Is racism Real?   You be the judge of my experience.             I know I never thought of myself as a racist.   My mother would never permit it.   My father pointed out to us how privileged we were.   “If you have an education, you are never poor.”   I was the oldest of twelve, and my mother was a stay-at-home mom while my dad held three jobs.   He was a Postal Clerk, which paid the bills, and a Handyman at a local hotel, and a janitor at our church (the church money paid for our Catholic Education).    My family is diverse in ethnicity; Russian, Polish, Italian, British, African American, Filipino, and probably more.   We went to what I called an Irish school (the Monsignor was from Ireland); we learned eve

https://ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/2021/03/10/lest-we-forget/             Recent reflections for Lent got my mind remembering history and my own encounters with social justice. My Inspiration came from Sister Barbara Ginter, who invited me to go with her to New York City to visit Drug rehab centers. My most memorable one was Teen Challenge. If you have not read The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson, this is an easy read about a journey of faith and courage to help teens face their drug demons and end gang violence. I felt privileged to see the actual house and wheat on the fireplace which was the inspiration and confirmation for David Wilkerson that he was to begin his journey. There is a Teen Challenge chapter in Syracuse. Plan to learn more and perhaps volunteer.           Of course, Barb wanted to complete our visit to New York City with a Protest at the Cathedral. It was my first journey to speaking out about social justice. I was fearful and got the courage to ha

https://ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/2021/03/12/beloved-by-god/   Love has so many parts that make up the whole. Love for God, love for Jesus, love for neighbor, love for God’s gifts given freely to us, love for the Holy Spirit, and love for myself.   What?? Love for myself? Isn’t that conceit? How can I love myself when others have not loved me? Doesn’t love for myself take away from my efforts to love God, my efforts to love Jesus, my efforts to love my neighbor…?   God in great love for us gives us gifts that are too wonderful and too numerous to comprehend. Why would God be so giving to us if God did not love us more than we will ever know?   And yet each of us who are the intended recipients of these wonderful, numerous gifts from God often struggle with loving ourselves and in turn, loving each other. If we are commanded to love  our neighbor as ourselves but do not ourselves, where are we??   Dave B.

https://ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/2021/03/09/grace-mercy-forgiveness-rooted-in-accountability/ The last few days of the Ignatian Reflection got me thinking. Our actions can be bold.  How is that?  Marching in protest rallies, calling on my Legislative Representatives when they make changes that make a difference for those who are working a full-time job and take home, (again take home), $400 a week…when just the rent is over $1000 a month or when food stamps are cut (food, a basic need).  It may also mean writing letters to the editor or signing a petition against gun violence.  Maybe it is looking at my own guns.  Maybe it is looking at my activities that are killing the air I breathe. My actions can also be a little quieter and more private.  Like the day I drove by a homeless man and felt guilty because I bought these awesome homemade oatmeal cookies and decided to give them to him.  That was a sacrifice, because when I had my afternoon coffee, something was missing.  When I gro

https://ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/2021/03/08/kindness-justice/           As I read today’s reflection, I am struck once again by the wisdom of youth.  Working as a tutor for at-risk students at Hillside Work and Scholarship, and advising the ACTS Youth Council, I am frequently in the company of young people who open my eyes with fresh perspectives and re-ignite my enthusiasm for working for justice and equity.           High school senior Timmy Lake’s assertion that once we observe injustice, we must act with kindness, offers the opportunity to begin the work with small, humble actions.  Reaching out to a child who has been hurt by unkind words because of being different, listening to a teen who is struggling with issues of racial inequity, helping a recent immigrant navigate the confusing systems of a new country—all these kindnesses move us from the passive world of observing injustice to the active world of confronting it with love.  Once we take this first step from observation

  https://ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/2021/03/05/cornerstone/           Throughout life we are told not to settle. When we face a challenging moment in our lives, we are told to keep moving forward or choose another path that better serves us. Yet, many of us have been forced to settle in numerous aspects of our lives throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Many individuals have lost jobs, been forced to work and study from home, have lost close family members and friends, and have faced other challenging situations in which they had no control. Plans have been pushed aside. Dreams seem far out of reach or are placed on hiatus for an uncertain amount of time. For the time being, we just have to settle with what we have. Friday’s reflection from the ISN focuses on feelings of rejection and moments when we feel like we are missing out on what God and others have to offer us. It is in these moments of rejection, though, that are actually a great opportunity for us to reflect on what we do

https://ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/2021/03/04/begin-to-heal/ Let us also reflect about how, in addition to our personal wounds, failing to address our society’s wounds with compassion likewise increases the depth of chasms in our world, that so they become harder to climb out of.   These challenges include caring for God’s creation/our common home, challenges with racism, how we address poverty in our midst, and our dealing with challenges of neglecting others around us. We can choose not to do address challenges in our society, because we are busy or because the challenges seem so daunting, but when we do so the chasms grow.   Dave B.

https://ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/2021/03/04/begin-to-heal             Wounded  parts-these are generally what we want to avoid in our lives. Who wants to face their own pain and suffering? In today's Ignatian Solidarity Network, Anna Robertson brings us face to face with the hidden struggles of our own interior lives:  “ When we fail to tend our wounds with compassion,  we often end up transmitting them onto others.”   For me, a midlife crisis that led to a 'dark night of the soul', gave me the opportunity to become deeply immersed in dealing with my wounded parts. Although this was a very challenging path, it led me to reconnect with Christ's Spirit in new ways that nourished my soul. As I faced my own wounds, my spiritual path led me to become aware of God/Christ within myself, as well as all people, and the world. I learned to see any daily irritations with other people as opportunities to learn more about myself, and what old wounds were triggering me to se

https://ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/2021/03/02/lamentation-fury-hope/           How do we wash ourselves clean? How do we put away our misdeeds? How do we make justice our aim? How do we set things right? The Lord tells us with certainty in today’s first reading from the first chapter of the Prophet Isaiah to hear and to listen and then to do. And Jesus tells us with certainty in today’s Gospel reading to serve. How we hear, how we listen, and how we do (serve) is up to us as individuals and as groups and communities of believers.           Do we trust God enough to make efforts to hear, to listen and to serve as God has told us?             When we trust God and make efforts to hear and to listen and to serve, God will show us ways, because God loves us more than we will ever know. God is more than worthy of our trust.             So many are struggling and suffering. I hear God pleading with us to hear and to listen and to serve as we are able even during a pandemic. And, oh by the w