Who and What I am for . . .

I feel like we’re living in the upside down (Stranger Things, anyone?). And I’ll be honest, I’m sick about some of the harmful things from the federal government this week. This is not a political newsletter, but life is political, isn’t it? I am an American, white, cis-het, educated woman of moderate means. I recognize that I have a level of privilege others do not. I’m not sure of the best way to use that yet, but for me, it starts by speaking up and making clear who and what I am for.

I am for people.

Every person is worthy of respect and care. I am not so narcissistic as to think there are levels of worthy and that I get to decide what they are and who fits where.

Worthy. Everyone. Period.

And whether or not someone was born the way I was born, or looks the way I look, or chooses what I would choose, is just about the worst way to measure someone else’s worth.

I am for mercy and grace.

Life is such a mess most of the time. If not for mercy and grace, all of our lives would look very different. How can I deny mercy and grace to others?

I know it’s not always easy in practice. I do live in this broken world. But there’s a mindset, a core belief, that the mercy and grace of others got me here, and I have a responsibility to show mercy and grace myself.

I am for justice (for all).

Justice for women, who are abused and ignored and not believed; for children who cannot speak out or fight for themselves; for people with disabilities, seen and unseen, who suffer in a million unnecessary ways, because people can be horrible and uncaring; for the marginalized who suffer because people fear anything different from themselves and are hateful as a result; justice for every race that isn’t white and people who were not born in America — we can cry that it’s not about racism and nationalism all day long, but in the end, it always is.

I fear misogyny and racism and bigotry will be the end of us, eventually.

I am for education (for all).

I am for access to books. I am for more learning and more education. The more we all know, the better. I am for teaching (uncensored) history and critical thinking skills and science and the arts and emotional intelligence and everything else that makes well-rounded, well-educated people—people who can manage their emotions and admit when they are wrong or need to learn more; people who can use their minds to make logical and well-reasoned decisions and assessments; people who can analyze sources and find their way through all of the mess to actual facts and solid theories; people who understand that knowledge without compassion is incomplete.

I am for healthcare (for all).

I am for good food and lifesaving medications and procedures and healthcare available to everyone, not just the wealthy. No one should have to decide between medication and rent or food or anything else. As one of many examples: my mother, who lives on a social security income that just covers her needs, was recently prescribed a heart medication that has proven very successful at treating her specific condition. There is no generic version yet and the lowest possible cost is $567/month, with medicare + her supplemental insurance (which she can barely afford). $567/month is entirely out of reach. I have checked Cost Plus Drugs, Good Rx, and all of the various local and mail-order pharmacy options — which, it’s important to note, is a luxury of time and knowledge and support and internet service that not everyone has. There is a different med that is not nearly as effective. It has more side effects that will require yet another med to mitigate. Her doctor recommended that as an alternative because “it may be better than nothing.”

This isn’t about my mother’s heart meds. Hers is one of thousands of stories, most of which are much worse (at least the doctor listened to her and ran the appropriate tests).

It is about equal access to care that goes beyond, “not the right medication/procedure/plan, but maybe better than nothing because it’s all you can afford.”

I am for a higher standard than this.

Costs aside, I am for trusting scientists and medical professionals and their patients to make the right choices for their own care. If I don’t understand the intricacies of biology or medical procedures or vaccines, that doesn’t mean the medical care I don’t understand shouldn’t be available . . . even if I think I understand it. This goes back to education.

RELATED: Just because I don’t understand how people came to be like they are, doesn’t mean those people are evil or bad or “making terrible choices.” It means I need to make more effort to learn about things I don’t understand. Then, I can meet people with the compassion that comes from knowledge, rather than the hatred and cruelty that comes from fear of the unknown.

I am for celebrating people for who they are, and for being grateful I am allowed to be who I am, too.

I am for doing the work of managing my own mind and behavior.

It’s the only thing I can really control. And attempts to control others are unkind at best and abusive or life-threatening at worst. Why would I think that other people should be like me? Why would I want to take away anyone’s autonomy?

I am for all the ways people try to connect to a higher being or spirituality.

My way is not any more right than anyone else’s. I happen to be Christian, and because there are so many people doing terrible things in the name of Christianity, I tense a little saying that. To be clear, I am a Christian who tries (and routinely fails) to follow the teachings of Christ — as Christ followed the teachings of the Jewish holy texts.

Justice, mercy, humility.¹

Blessed are . . . the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers.²

Christians are commanded to be like Christ (“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus”). We do this, according to Paul, by not doing things from “selfish ambition or empty conceit,” but by being humble and thinking of others as worthy —as much as, or more than, ourselves. We are to consider what is in the best interest of others — rather than only what is in our own selfish interest.³

Of course, there’s also a lot in the Christian bible about caring for the poor, the widows, and the sick. Or as a favorite Lutheran pastor, Nadia Bolz-Weber⁴ puts it, “God, please help me not be an asshole . . .” which about sums it up.

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I don’t know exactly what to do in this time when people are so afraid, so unsure of the future. Episcopal Bishop, Mariann Budde, was asked in an interview how she would respond to the vitriol and death threats she’s received from government officials and private citizens since the National Prayer Service. She said she would ask, “Could we speak to one another with respect?”

Maybe it starts there.

Maybe it starts with respectful words even when, especially when, we disagree.

Maybe it starts with taking care of the people in our little corner, reaching out to those in our orbit, speaking up when we hear others spouting lies or cruelty or treating people unkindly.

Maybe it starts with learning more, reflecting more, and deep breaths.

I think it definitely starts with finding ways to avoid social media and as much of the news as possible while still being responsible.

You are welcome to disagree with me, of course. You are welcome to unsubscribe. This is where I stand, and with whom I stand. Everyone is loved and worthy. Even the people whose behavior and words I don’t like very much.

Even me.

xo,
Beth

Photo by Brittani Burns on Unsplash

1. Micah 6:8 “Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.”

2. The Beatitudes from Christ’s Sermon on the Mount: Matthew (5:3-9)

3. Paul, writing to the Christians in Philippi: Philippians 2:3-5

4. Nadia Bolz-Weber wrote a beautiful, short Prayer for Monday in her newsletter, The Corners. You may want to have a look, whether you’re “religious” or not.