Super Moons
Last night I received a text from my mom ' be sure to look at the moon.'
I was grateful that she reminded me to check out the super moon and all of this glory. Looking at moons isn't new to us. My parents encouraged me to spread my wings and so I left the nest to attend college 5 hours away from home in the deep south.
I think college was where I first realized the fullness of racial tension. I'd grown up being part of a school system that bussed their students across town to integrate students. I'd been the minority for most of my school aged life. I had been part of a community of friends that didn't see the color of anyone's skin, we didn't care which neighborhood you lived in or what kind of car you drove (we were just lucky to have a car at all to drive). We danced together...we laughed together...we cried together.....we hated assignments together....we worked on homecoming floats together....we celebrated birthdays together....we stood up for one another when we were away from our school....we went out together. We didn't see people as 'other' or 'them'...we were simply all in it together.
I had to come to believe that this was the way the world functioned. I believed that everyone saw the good in others. I believed that everyone strived to treat one another with respect, shared acts of compassion toward one another. I believed that all of us were created equal.
The reality of hostility and disrespect came breaking through when I moved to the deep south to attend college. I didn't have a car my freshman year and I remember asking what I thought was a friend of mine to take me to the Civil Rights Monument that was part of the city's history. The friend responded: 'no, they didn't deserve it to which I responded back then you don't deserve to be with me.' I ended the friendship that evening.
I vividly remember conveying that story to my mom and feeling as though I was alone in this world of hatred and sense of rightness. She reminded me that the very one who had taken the time to create me, had also created the person with whom I was talking so fiercely about just seconds before. The one that had created me, the other person had also given birth the moon, the stars and the sun. She reminded me to go outside, to look up at the bright moon, to stand under its light and be reminded that all (every single one of us; even those with whom we disagree) were formed with the depth and breath of our God that I firmly put my faith in.
Over the years, we have called to say, go, look outside, be sure to see the moon. We'd go outside under the cover of the light to share the reality that all of us no matter what state, timezone or country we may be in, we were encased in the glory of the moon. We've stood under the light of the moon talking about those with whom we disagree and push our buttons to be reminded that the light stands with us in the darkest of the places and guides us ever so gently into a new day; new opportunity; new beginning. The moon has always been a place of comfort that all of us were created as scared, joined together in a journey of life to encourage, stand with and call out to in our time of need.
As we stand under the super moon tonight as a country, I'm praying that we'll be reminded that there is a light pulling us out of the fear, disbelief, anger, disappointment into a life of trust, honor, compassion, joy and solidarity.
Go stand outside..... Look up..... Feel the breeze.....Stare at the moon....Let the Gravity of Love pull you towards a new beginning; a new life; a new courage!
I was grateful that she reminded me to check out the super moon and all of this glory. Looking at moons isn't new to us. My parents encouraged me to spread my wings and so I left the nest to attend college 5 hours away from home in the deep south.
I think college was where I first realized the fullness of racial tension. I'd grown up being part of a school system that bussed their students across town to integrate students. I'd been the minority for most of my school aged life. I had been part of a community of friends that didn't see the color of anyone's skin, we didn't care which neighborhood you lived in or what kind of car you drove (we were just lucky to have a car at all to drive). We danced together...we laughed together...we cried together.....we hated assignments together....we worked on homecoming floats together....we celebrated birthdays together....we stood up for one another when we were away from our school....we went out together. We didn't see people as 'other' or 'them'...we were simply all in it together.
I had to come to believe that this was the way the world functioned. I believed that everyone saw the good in others. I believed that everyone strived to treat one another with respect, shared acts of compassion toward one another. I believed that all of us were created equal.
The reality of hostility and disrespect came breaking through when I moved to the deep south to attend college. I didn't have a car my freshman year and I remember asking what I thought was a friend of mine to take me to the Civil Rights Monument that was part of the city's history. The friend responded: 'no, they didn't deserve it to which I responded back then you don't deserve to be with me.' I ended the friendship that evening.
I vividly remember conveying that story to my mom and feeling as though I was alone in this world of hatred and sense of rightness. She reminded me that the very one who had taken the time to create me, had also created the person with whom I was talking so fiercely about just seconds before. The one that had created me, the other person had also given birth the moon, the stars and the sun. She reminded me to go outside, to look up at the bright moon, to stand under its light and be reminded that all (every single one of us; even those with whom we disagree) were formed with the depth and breath of our God that I firmly put my faith in.
Over the years, we have called to say, go, look outside, be sure to see the moon. We'd go outside under the cover of the light to share the reality that all of us no matter what state, timezone or country we may be in, we were encased in the glory of the moon. We've stood under the light of the moon talking about those with whom we disagree and push our buttons to be reminded that the light stands with us in the darkest of the places and guides us ever so gently into a new day; new opportunity; new beginning. The moon has always been a place of comfort that all of us were created as scared, joined together in a journey of life to encourage, stand with and call out to in our time of need.
As we stand under the super moon tonight as a country, I'm praying that we'll be reminded that there is a light pulling us out of the fear, disbelief, anger, disappointment into a life of trust, honor, compassion, joy and solidarity.
Go stand outside..... Look up..... Feel the breeze.....Stare at the moon....Let the Gravity of Love pull you towards a new beginning; a new life; a new courage!
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