Yesterday, a man on the MAX light-rail train began taunting and menacing two young Muslim women who were wearing hijab. Three other passengers stepped in and told him to leave the women alone. He pulled out a knife and stabbed the three men. Two of those passengers are dead and another is hospitalized. And Trump’s America, where bigots have permission to speak and act on their hatred, has claimed more innocent lives.
I lay this all at the feet of Donald Trump, his handlers, and the political party that lost its courage and its legitimacy hen it decided to back this man’s candidacy for President -- and lost its legitimacy by continuing to stand behind him today.
There is a vigil tonight at the Hollywood/NE 42nd Ave. transit station where the attacks took place. If I have enough spoons (my friends know what I mean), I will go.
Meanwhile, I am struggling with my despair and hope and determination, which all live side by side in me.
My despair comes from the understanding that change is slow, hard and often painful and sometimes fraught with personal risk.
My hope comes from a desire to see change happen in my lifetime. Sometimes that feels like a vain hope, since I know how slow change can be.
My determination comes from the knowledge, learned from my peoples’ tradition, that while I may not live to see the world repaired, that doesn’t let me off the hook to do my part to bring it about.
And so I’ll keep praying, and fixing bikes for newly-arrived refugees, and teaching young people that listening, REALLY listening to each other is perhaps the best antidote to the fear that can lead to hate. Like the song asks, “did you put more love in the world today?”
How do YOU put more love in the world?
Today is a good day to get clear on that, and to refocus our efforts.
Shabbat Shalom.