Dreaming the World

A grumpy, much warmer day, after deep cold. Our first snow, which fell all day Sunday, is melting, which allowed Jennie to empty and bring in the bird bath. Another storm of high winds and heavy rains is forecast for Friday.

I have been trying to decide how to write this post for days. Now I have simply decided I can only do my inadequate best, knowing the content will exceed my capacity to write cogently about it.

We are a complexly blended family, Jewish, Christian, Native, and Buddhist. This time of year is sacred to most of these traditions so December is usually very busy and interesting. Friday night we attended an Armenian Christmas concert in Providence (I slipped on black ice in the parking lot and it took a while or Jennie and I to figure out how to get me back to my feet), and last night we streamed Hannukah music and stories. Come Sunday we will observe the Winter Solstice and the last Sunday in Advent, and next week celebrate Christmas.

Today we learn that the present administration and the fossil fuel industry are intensifying their attacks on climate science and the natural world, and the administration’s overt racism is in full view. They have brought unthinkable violence, lies, and erasure to our communities, and seem intent on increasing the violence as we approach Christmas. We are left to ponder how people of faith can continue to support them.

This week unthinkable violence has once again struck close to home. Last Saturday we were in Providence for most of the afternoon. On our way home we drove by Brown University, something we do frequently. Suddenly there were emergency vehicles everywhere. We pulled over repeatedly to let first responders pass, then stopped to let a police officer cross the street. As he reached the other side, which was Brown’s campus, he began to pull his gun and run deeper into the campus.

Once we were past the campus we noticed that emergency vehicles were traveling quickly in all directions. We had planned to do a little grocery shopping but decided to go to the Interstate and drive home immediately, instead. This turned out to be a good choice as much of Providence was soon shut down.

When we got home we checked the Providence news outlets and learned that two students had been killed and nine injured (eight critically) by a shooter while taking a final exam in the engineering building, less than a block from where we had stopped for the officer. The area around the campus was in lockdown; we are told that the lockdown was subsequently extended to much of the city. (The shooter remains at large and the FBI’s uncharacteristic apparent incompetence has raised questions about their intentions regarding apprehending the shooter.)

Later in the evening we learned that many people had been killed or injured at a Menorah lighting on a beach in Australia. A couple of days later we learned of a mass terrorist kidnapping of students in Kenya where Jennie’s niece is a physician and teacher.

Ordinarily we light the Hannukah candles and recite the blessings but this year have simply been unable to do so. Yesterday I was speaking with a psychologist friend who quietly pointed out that clearly Jennie and I are experiencing a severe stress reaction. It was helpful to be told the obvious as we are in the middle of it and it was not so obvious to me.

Jesus, and Buddha both taught that our task is to be compassionate, caring, and kind. Theirs is a deceptively simple message; being kind is often a very demanding practice. Our age of devices was supposed to make the task of empathy easier but our devices have made us less caring instead. Studies repeatedly show that the more we use devices the less we care about the environment and our greater communities.

Of course, our devices are now central to our lives. Just a short while ago we lost the internet while Jennie was in a work meeting. Fortunately she still had cell coverage so could finish. Later she will teach online. I meet with friends, and former students and clients, regularly online. I try to remind myself frequently that, like most technologies, the Internet is both a blessing and a curse, largely depending on how it is used.

As we celebrate Hannukah, and near Christmas, may we remember that these holidays celebrate hope in the face of darkness, that each is a story of resistance and resilience in the face of tyranny, racism, and unspeakable violence. May we choose kindness and awareness over ignorance, greed, and harm, and may we be generous with ourselves as we struggle with a world gone increasingly mad.

In this time of family, celebration, and joy our hearts go out to all those impacted by poverty, war, and violence in its many forms. May all who suffer be comforted.