Lindy Thompson

Fear stood next to me at a parade yesterday.
Or maybe his name was Intolerance – I didn’t ask.
Could have been Arrogance or Disdain – not sure.
What I am sure of is,
since this person could not have been more than twelve years old,
whatever name he goes by, he was given it.
He did not choose it.

Who teaches their child to hate other people?
Who teaches their child they are better than other people?
What kind of world are we living in??
I am supposed to love my neighbor,
but some neighbors make this really hard.

I will be purposely vague here,
but this child made the most horrific remark
after being handed candy
by a parade walker promoting an inclusive cause.
Not to the candy giver, thank goodness,
but to two younger boys standing with him
who obviously hung on his words,
taking them as gospel truth.

I felt sick and my first impulse was to leave.
I made myself wait.
I did not pray –
I was too shocked.
The cold slosh of parroted hatred stopped my mental processing.
I just stayed so as not to leave precipitously,
and tried to gather my stalled thoughts
in case there was something productive I could do.

After a while I took a risk
and knelt down to speak to the seated adult behind the child.
I definitely could have been yelled at or worse
(as my husband has worriedly reminded me),
but I wasn’t,
and I took the tack of
“perhaps you are not aware …”
and “everyone is allowed to have their own opinion, however …”
and I communicated my feelings to this person the best I could in the moment.

***
Do you know why we are here?
I need reminding all the time, so in case you do, too,
here you go:
we are here to free one another.
To bless one another.
To carry each other’s burdens,
to walk each other home.
To paraphrase Jesus quoting Isaiah,
we are here to bring good news to the poor,
release to the captives
recovery of sight to the blind,
and freedom to those who are oppressed.
We are not here to place obstacles in each other’s way
or to make a stranger’s life harder.
The love of God for each of us is abundant and everlasting.
There is more than enough for everyone,
and love lavished on one
does not mean there is any less
for another.

***
My conclusion?
Blessed are the peacemakers,
but this is not going to be easy.
Thank God for faithful communities
because we need each other so much
in the arduous quest for justice.
When I stumble and get the wind knocked out of me,
I know I’m not alone,
and in your shocky moments,
I hope you are aware of the same.
Together we will bring peace to this hurting world,
doing small acts with great love
until everyone learns that they are welcome at the celebration
just as they are.
They can come without masks or armor
and be accepted,
given to
and loved
just as much as everybody else.

There is plenty to go around.