Monday

Someone once said if you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.  Someone else once said “these are times that try men’s souls.”

Dateline: Monday – Unrest and protest in Syria and Saudi Arabia today.  Continuing crises in Yemen, Bahrain, Libya.  And those are just the things going on at the top of the news cycle having to do with wider North African/Middle Eastern developments.  There’s the natural, humanitarian, and nuclear crisis in Japan. The irradiation of Japanese milk and spinach, long lines and scant groceries and gas. There are new reports, and, it seems, new evidence, of military atrocities on the part of a rogue element in the US Army in Afghanistan.

Are you outraged?  How does your soul feel? I feel sick, disgusted, and tired. And I’m a relatively safe, healthy, American civilian.  The image of President Obama at the foot of  Christ the Redeemer in Brazil last night triggered all kinds of cynical thoughts for me about the audacity of hope.  Then I read a piece suggesting that perhaps the President was taking a kind of solace there.  Some might say he’s been taking solace for weeks, failing to lead, etc.  I don’t know how I feel about all of that. I don’t know if he was prevailed upon by State to authorize the strikes in Libya when his gut seemed to be telling him to keep the US role there as limited as possible.  I don’t know.

But I do know this.  1) We private citizens and co-people of Earth cannot succumb to soul fatigue.  We cannot ignore the news, and we cannot settle for the coverage we are given.  Free people especially must use their freedom to stay informed.  That’s just how it is. 2) If you are the praying kind, I hope to God you’re praying.  For everything.  For everyone. 3) Find some solace, but please, God, don’t roll up.