bear witness

If I have a duty in this time it is to bear witness

                     Etty Hillesum

_____________________________

 

in times of darkness, there is a need for the light

when we are blinded by the light, there is a need for shadow

 

it is so easy to become overwhelmed

and allow the steady drumroll of chaos and fear

to occupy our minds

 

to allow the steady drip of hate and greed

to eat away at our souls

like acid rain

 

assailed we want

to burrow and hide

to close our eyes and our ears

to barricade our hearts

 

our silent scream

echoes

 

“please, make it all go away”

and our prayers become wishful thinking

 

overcome

we want to lash out

spraying vitriol wherever we go

attacking, minimizing, demeaning, dehumanizing

the other

 

the hardest thing in the world

it seems

 

is to stand firmly

on the rock that is Love

and bear witness

without hiding or without flailing

 

to stand with our fear and our anger both

and allow Love to transform them

so that we become

agents of reconciliation

 

we bear witness when we see past our own anger

and the anger of “the other”

and see the wounds

 

we bear witness when we see the lies

those we carry and those that are flung at us

like weapons

and hold fast to the truth

 

we bear witness when we let go of our desire to win

to dominate

to control

and embrace service

moving beyond our own toxic individualism

to work for the common good

 

these are indeed times that try our souls

the forces of evil are strong

the people of the lie ascendant

 

if we have a duty in this time

it is to bear witness

 

to love