Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Bruises

 

Bruises (updated November 3, 2020)

Many years ago, when I was blissfully young and ran several miles each day, I suffered from plantar fasciitis. The pain in my feet was excruciating. But I kept running. I finally went to my doctor and he said, “If you continue to run every day, the trauma to your feet is like the action of punching a bruise. You must stop the daily trauma. You must let your feet heal. Stop running.”
Today is election day 2020.
Of course, voting has been going on for days and weeks in many states. Counting votes after the election might take some time, as well.
How have the last four years been for you?
Are you healthier?
Are you safer?
Are you more fulfilled?
Are you less stressed?
Are you happier?
Are you more joyful?
Where do you find goodness, gentleness, and kindness?
Where do you see generosity, empathy, and hope?
Personally, I feel like the last four years have been one punch after another on bruised souls. On a bruised and battered country. I’m tired of running from the chaos.
A nasty President has treated the people of this country, those he took an oath to serve and protect, with disdain, deceit, and death.
He treats children and adults from other countries with cruelty and torture. Families ripped apart on our land, children who may never see their parents again. Parents who have no idea what happened to their little ones.
Infants, children, and adults have died from his direct schemes, malignant passivity, and savage commands.
Babies in cages.
Kurds slaughtered.
Innumerable gun deaths on our streets, in our schools, at social gatherings, in houses of worship.
Over 230,000 people have died of Covid-19 due to his lack of planning, refusal to speak the truth, and incompetence of leadership as the pandemic swept our nation earlier this year, and in now is surging again.
He’s not really a pro-life kind of guy.
He’s brutal.
So many punches. So much trauma. Bruised. Battered.
But not broken.
His crimes will unfold and all will eventually be revealed. His cohorts will have no place to hide. There may even be a little bit of justice.
Justice for all.
Liberty for all.
We’ll see.
The list of offenses is long. Four years of daily assault. Four years of abusing human rights. Four years of corruption. Impeachment.
Four years of simmering racism and White Supremacy set on fire. Four years of unbridled violence and fear.
Four years of punching the bruise.
What will happen today, election day? Who will be inaugurated January 20, 2021?
We’ll see.
For now…
I wish you time to catch your breath. May we begin to heal the bruise of exhaustion, with the balm of remembrance.
Remembrance of what we have been and what we can be.
I hope your health is manageable and that you are listening to doctors and scientists.
Wear your mask.
May we begin to heal the bruises of dangerous lies and deceit, with the balm of truth.
I pray that if you need food, shelter, a job, healthcare, a break, a tiny spark of hope…that you will find exactly what you need with the support of people who are reliable and available to you.
We are a community called to care for one another. May we begin to heal the bruises of loss, fear, and despair, with the balm of loving our neighbor, loving the stranger, loving "the other," and building and sustaining, authentic relationships.
If you are lonely and weary of the pandemic, please be courageous a little longer. May we begin to heal the bruises of isolation with the balm of belief in restoration.
If you are missing your loved ones, consider sending emails today listing the things you love most about each and every one. Then you will begin to heal the bruise of separation with the balm of love.
How have the last four years been for you?
Are you healthier?
Are you safer?
Are you more fulfilled?
Are you less stressed?
Are you happier?
Are you more joyful?
Where do you find goodness, gentleness, and kindness?
Where do you see generosity, empathy, and hope?
Today is election day 2020.
Breathe. Pray. Vote.
Stop running. Instead, let’s walk with hopeful purpose into a brighter future.

It’s time to heal the bruise.