This post is not my writing. It is from Kate Maynard who is a poet, a teacher and a very good friend. It just had to be shared and I am grateful she gave me permission to post here on my blog. —-Jeanne
In Plain View
Recently I placed a poster on our kitchen door that reads:
“Do not be discouraged. The Holy Spirit is not asleep.” – Thomas Merton
It is a challenging reminder. The rumble of potential war in Europe disturbs us all. We grieve for our ailing planet, watch with dismay the rise of hate groups in our nation, face ongoing threats to our democracy, endure endless shootings in our schools. My ability to keep the faith can lag in the face of so much wrong.
In his book, God has a Dream, South African Bishop Tutu spoke directly to this spiritual struggle. He described how, in the face of the insurmountable odds presented by Apartheid, his faith in the justice and love of God held him steadfast. He wrote:
“All the objective facts were against us – the pass laws, the imprisonments, the teargassing, the massacres, the murder of political activists – but my confidence was not in the present circumstances, but in the laws of God’s universe. This is a moral universe, which means that, despite all the evidence that seems to be contrary, there is no way that evil and injustice and oppression and lies can have the last word. God is a God who cares about right and wrong. God cares about justice and injustice. God is in charge. That is what had upheld the morale of our people, to know that in the end good will prevail.”
He went on to say something I imagine we have all thought:
“Of course, there were times when you had to whistle in the dark, to keep your morale up, and you wanted to whisper in God’s ear: God we know you are in charge, but can’t you make it a little more obvious?”
Sound familiar? I find myself at times thinking the same. And then I see this photo on social media.
It’s a photo of 12-year-old Ciro Ortiz in his Brooklyn, NY neighborhood offering emotional advice for $2.00. Here he’s talking with a police officer. After coping with bullying at school, Ciro set up his table to help others. He uses his earnings (circa $50/day) to buy snacks at school for kids who lack funds.
I admit, I often want God to take drastic action – to do something sweeping and, as Tutu says, OBVIOUS. And sometimes God does. But my hunch is that more often, if we want to see the Holy Spirit at work, we’d do well to notice the little things in plain view, the steps many of us take on a daily basis that in their subtle way proclaim the consistent love, presence, and healing action of God in our world.
For, as Bishop Tutu also said, “Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”
Most uplifting and helpful..I too often feel I am not doing enough to calm the pervading distrust and fear or that I could do more. This article really is a great reminder that it is most often the little things that may go untocied that make a difference, that uplifts us all in small and intimate and personal ways. It does take a village! Thanks again Jeanne. Anna