These days so much is transitioning as we figure out what is next in this pandemic and there is a lot of pressure on decision makers. As our Bishop and our Governor make decisions around reopening, safety protocols and more we each in our own individual lives must once again readjust as we get vaccinated or as others around us begin to go out more and more. I am noticing how tempting it is in moments of conflict to just say my hands are tied and I’m doing what the Bishop says. This is something that is so easy to do. Even though I actually have a lot of power and agency, when someone raises an issue or a disagreement I can just claim to be a victim of the system too so that I don’t have to deal with the relational fall out. We can all just be made at the woman behind the curtain, in this case the Bishop.
When I reflect on this I see it again and again. We blame the government, the conservatives, antifa, the district, the state, the system. These groups of people stop being people. They start being this faceless organization that receive our blame, our fears, and our worries. This erodes our ability to problem solve because we give up our power, we disassociate from the actual people who are complex, real beings.
I believe our faith calls us to see people. Our faith calls us to take up our own authority and claim the agency and responsibility we have to make the world better. Our faith asks us to challenge the status quo and seek justice.
As we continue our work this Lent let us all be aware of our own power and the humanity of the systems we operate within. That is how we will find a path to Liberation.
-Eilidh
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