What Is Your Foundation?
| It feels to me like cruelty is very popular these days. We seem to be rewarding people the more ferocious they are. I keep wondering when this hostile spell will wear off, and we’ll come back to our senses. It feels to me like we need to remind ourselves that we are one people with common goals that we should work to accomplish together. A few hours ago, I was walking around the Center, noticing people crammed in from wall to wall, fleeing this bitter weather. Most people were just minding their business, trying to stay warm, maybe having a meal, doing their laundry, or talking to one of our caseworkers. One person was yelling loudly, the response of some form of psychosis. A bit later, an ambulance arrived to care for someone who had lost consciousness. There’s a common term I’m not particularly fond of called compassion fatigue. I don’t believe we get tired from compassion, or that love is a limited resource. A better term to describe the experience that occurs when we are exposed to so much hurt is secondary trauma. The witnessing of trauma can cause trauma itself. One of the main symptoms of trauma is cynicism. We grow hard. We become prickly, fiery, hostile, protective. We lose our connection with our hearts. I’ve been asking myself lately what keeps me grounded in the midst of all of this, what keeps me firm in my beliefs and values, what connects me to my heart. For me, and this isn’t for everyone*, but for me, it’s the words of a little Jewish man from 2,000 years ago who told us, “Blessed are the poor,” and, “Whatsoever you do for the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you do for me,” and, “The first shall be last and the last shall be first,” and, “God is Love.” His words guide me and form me and carry me. They inspire me. They remind me of who we are supposed to be. Who and what inspires you? In these cruel times, what grounds you? What serves as your foundation? Now more than ever, we must hold to what is beautiful, good, and true. If you wish to contribute to such goals through the work of Beacon, we welcome you to be in touch. _ Beacon was founded by a church and is inspired by religious values but is not explicitly connected to any particular faith tradition. We welcome everyone. |