Two Souls

Two souls, alas, are housed within my breast,

And each will wrestle for the mastery there.

               Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust

Faust complained about having two souls in his breast, but I harbor a whole crowd of them and they quarrel. It is like being in a republic.”

                                                                                       Otto von Bismarck

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The heart of our nation is conflicted

My heart is conflicted to

I want to hope, I don’t have much hope right now

I want to be kind, but I feel the call to speak the truth (and find it hard to do that in love)

I want to be generous, and give Trump a chance

But I am horrified by the people he is choosing to surround himself with

And the things they believe and espouse

I want to keep all my friends

But some of the really upset me with their comments

And I upset them with some of my comments

I don’t want to be angry

I am

I don’t want to judge

I do

I want to represent Christ

And at one level I think I do (theologically, intellectually)

But in terms of my attitude?  My behaviors?  My words?

Not so much.

My “souls” are not wrestling

That are in an all-out war

God help me

Calm me

Forgive me

Soften me

I will not do it all perfectly

May I simply do the best I can

(hopefully in the power of the Holy Spirit)

May I do as little damage as possible

May I be forgiven for what damage I created

And may Sacred Presence

Bring healing into the midst of all the hurt

That we cause one another

In the end

As I have often said

We are all in this, together