By Rev. Danielle Rogers
Last week I turned to my husband and sighed. I attended two meetings on affordable housing and poverty and proclaimed, “I want people to live a soft life.” He looked confused and with his eyebrows raised, leaned in and asked, “What’s that?” I hadn’t heard the term before that moment, but the feeling was pervasive of wanting calmness, of imagining a society where people’s needs were met. What would that look like? Could our society delve into discussions of work life balance, could every child be provided safe day care, and schooling regardless of their parent’s income? Could food be provided to the hungry and shelter to the unhoused universally. Could people earn a living wage that provided adequate shelter for all? Is this even an option in our current climate? Is society ready to move in this direction?
For the past two years I’ve become engaged in several committees pertaining to women’s rights and economic insecurity and at times, it’s exhausting. Although I have seen triumphs, the work is never done. It feels like the game “Wack a Mole.” Just when you hit the target another need jumps to fruition. It’s maddening and discouraging.
As we head into thanksgiving, a time for reflection and expressing gratitude, I am led to action. Being grateful and thankful is important for our self-care, but on this holiday, I am led to dream of what could be.
I have always looked at Jesus as being a wonderful social worker. He provided concrete resources and met people’s physical needs before engaging their spiritual ones. He fed them physically before feeding them spiritually. As we prepare for our own feast, what could we be feeding ourselves eternally. Living a soft life ultimately is a gift of foresight and optimism for society to reach it’s full potential. I know my ideals may seem unrealistic, but, as I look to Jesus’ teachings, so were His. Yet here we are, still learning and praising a Christian message. Perhaps it’s love that creates softness, and love is eternal. May you find a Soft Place to land and dream of what can be.