Resilient Hope

To my More Light family, Today and in the coming days, we hold a watchful vigil for democracy. We are being asked NOT to rush to answers, but to sit in the liminal space between where we've been and where we are going.  Today, I choose to hope, to let it rumble in my chest, to let it cast a vision for the outcome we long to see. I know that if I let go of hope, I am more willing to accept false claims of defeat only because they validate my despair. I will risk the vulnerability of hope as empowerment to work for a better world. Though it is still several weeks away, in many ways Advent has already begun. As we wait for God’s Holy Light to break in, may we remember the world we have worked to transform, despite the setbacks we’ve experienced. When scarcity beckons, may we remember the abundance that comes when we engage the world and one another with integrity, courage, and the trust that God’s promises are true.  We don’t know what the future holds, but we do know we will meet that future together. As I sit in the continued unknown I share these words and art from More Light pastor Rev. Shawna Bowman. They are a balm to my spirit, my hope is they will be a balm to you too. On More Light’s Facebook page, Twitter feed, and Instagram, we will continue to share perspectives from our MLP community that offer a word of challenge, hope, and comfort knowing that this community has the resilience, wisdom, and courage to keep us going in the face of uncertainty and fear.

Knowing we won’t know and sitting in the not knowing are not the same. We are in this together, for the short term and the long haul. We see each other and we know that the only path to wholeness is through the rough terrain of truth telling and repair work that will be required no matter the outcome of this election. We will feed each other and care for one another, meeting despair with tender compassion and anxiety with deep peace. We will reach for the visions and dreamcasts of our ancestors and conspire for a kind of peace and liberation that will set us loose in ways our opponents can’t even imagine. Good night community, rest now, so you are restored for the resistance. Breathe deep so you are grounded in love. Take courage and remember, you are not alone. -Rev. Shawna Bowman Rev. Shawna Bowman

Remember that none of us can do everything, but all of us can do something to help co-create the world we long for.  In continued, patient, and abundant hope,

Rev. Alex Patchin McNeill he/him/his Executive Director More Light Presbyterians P.S. Looking for an easy way to stay in touch with More Light? Or receive regular messages of support and affirmation? Or make donations in a snap? You can now stay in touch with More Light via text messaging! To sign up, simply text 72572 and enter the code 1MLP to connect with the speed and ease of a text message.