By Wendy Morical
During an appearance on Stephen Colbert’s talk show a few weeks ago, RuPaul described his present practice when watching television: “I can’t take meanness anymore. After the past five years, if, like, there’s a movie or something on television where they’re starting to be mean, I have to look away. I only can do lovely, kind, sweet things.”
In the comments following this clip, many respondents said they were also “burned out on hate, anger, and violence,” including one person who commended RuPaul for his perspective, saying, “He allows his love and light to permeate the atmosphere and lift the spirits of all who come near. That is a gift straight from God.”
Yesterday, in our Epiphany service, Rev. Danielle guided us to pray to a God of light and love “who shines in our hearts”, and we sang together the upbeat hymn asserting that we were each going to let “this little light of mine” shine. Yes, please!
Like RuPaul, I have felt overwhelmed by the toxicity of discourse in our country over the past few years and paralyzed by my limited ability to address social injustices. We are traversing a painful stretch in our country’s life. Rifts in our society, laid bare by events in recent years, have been parlayed by the media into a never-ending stream of humankind’s least attractive attributes: violence, greed, divisiveness, dishonesty, vulgarity. What passes for entertainment often echoes these same themes. I have chosen to tune out, too.
So where do we find the “little light” of God’s still, small voice?
Well, there is something I have noticed recently, framed by the fact that nothing seems to run smoothly or efficiently these days. Last week, I was in the Post Office for over a half an hour to conduct a small task. The counter was understaffed, and the line exceeded 20 people. A few cheery children, unaware that standing in the Post Office for 30 minutes isn’t acceptable or normal, were playing and chattering, bringing smiles to the faces of some of the line members. Several people visited with those near them. Slowly, slowly we approached the counter – and as people arrived, not one person grumbled or complained but instead all greeted the postal workers pleasantly, even thanking them for their hard work. I realized I had been on alert, anticipating an episode of rudeness or disrespect, and it was a relief to witness goodness.
Likewise, in the grocery store, funneling slowly through the lone open checkout lane, people around me were pleasant in their resignation to the situation and each person was kind to the cashier in their turn.
Could it be that a groundswell of kindness and respect may be our national reaction to “meanness burnout”? What if, in years to come, historians look at this current ugly climate as a small blip and write about the years of goodwill that were ushered in as a nationwide reaction to behavior that was not acceptable to the good people of America…
That may not ultimately be our shared reality, but what is real is that each of us can gratefully receive the gift of God’s love and let it shine through our actions every day. At the conclusion of a long-ago yoga class, my instructor shared a focusing intention that I copied and have used as a touchstone when I am feeling put-upon, discouraged, or overwhelmed by events out of my control: Love is my gift to the world. I fill myself with love and I sent that love out into the world. How others treat me is their path; how I react is mine.
In this new year, and embracing our Epiphany celebration confirming Christ’s light in the world, let us all commit to sharing our gift of love, to letting our light shine.