These are trying times for most of the people I know.
Our country is in a shambles. The headlines dominating the news would have been unthinkable just two years ago – a porn star threatening to describe a sitting president’s “junk.” A US senator berating kinds for trying to stop gun violence. An unchained Russia meddling in other countries’ affairs with impunity, changing elections, supporting discord, and killing expatriates on foreign soil.
Closer to home, Mark and I have friends dealing with parental loss, cancer, and depression. In the midst of the longest run of economic “prosperity” in decades, we are scared for our own job security. And our hopes and dreams seem to be slipping away.
And yet.
There are still moments of pure beauty. Of grace.
On Saturday, millions descended on Washington DC to decry the epidemic of gun violence in this country, and the government’s utter failure to do anything about it. In the midst of this demonstration, Emma Gonzalez, a bisexual survivor of the Parkdale shooting, stood silent in front of an audience of millions, her tears counting down the full six minutes and twenty seconds that the school shooting lasted, every death etched on her face.
It was stunning and beautiful and cut through all the noise to touch my soul.
If you haven’t seen this, you must watch it now.
In the midst of all the madness, people are standing up. For women. For an end to violence. For our transgender friends and family. Against a backdrop of ugliness, these moments of grace and beauty are like flowers blooming in a garbage dump, slowly transforming it into something new.
They are hopeful. Human.
So… in the face of darkness, I’d like to ask each of you to shine a little light into the world. Share a link to something beautiful, something hopeful, something that gives you the strength to go on.
Let’s be each other’s grace and beauty.