Blog 2: Helpless to Hopeful
Helpless to helpful
Coming into my placement the first week I was worried it would be super depressing to try and work for the environment when that’s not a priority for most of the government at the moment. My first day, my organization spent time talking about their game plan and how to approach the work going forward with an election coming up. Plans B and C for the work was defense, defense, defense. That doesn't paint the most uplifting picture.
I've found in my second and third weeks though, a real sense of hope has bubbled up. I get to do hands on work to try and push forward the stewardship of taking care of the earth in a more responsible manner. I have a community of other people who gather in faith and work together to push policies that will take care of the earth for generations to come. There is an amazing feeling that emerges when you can do hands on work to further God's call to us.
As a voter it can be hard to sit through congress hearings wherein members argue and entrench themselves instead of working to compromise, but as I sit in on calls where people strategize on who will take on which roles so that we have a wider reach, I feel the hope of all involved that we can make a difference.
It makes me think of the parable, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can move mountains. Most days it feels like there is an entire mountain range in front of the environment, blocking the needs of people, animals and nature itself. The mustard seeds of faith come into play with every letter that is signed by twenty different ecumenical ministries, rallying the public to call their representatives and voice their opinions, and even in the moments where I’ve gotten irritated with my own representative and reached out to express my concerns and needs as a constituent. I thought I would feel helpless, but instead each day a fire is lit in my soul for God’s work and I feel helpful.
I've found in my second and third weeks though, a real sense of hope has bubbled up. I get to do hands on work to try and push forward the stewardship of taking care of the earth in a more responsible manner. I have a community of other people who gather in faith and work together to push policies that will take care of the earth for generations to come. There is an amazing feeling that emerges when you can do hands on work to further God's call to us.
As a voter it can be hard to sit through congress hearings wherein members argue and entrench themselves instead of working to compromise, but as I sit in on calls where people strategize on who will take on which roles so that we have a wider reach, I feel the hope of all involved that we can make a difference.
It makes me think of the parable, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can move mountains. Most days it feels like there is an entire mountain range in front of the environment, blocking the needs of people, animals and nature itself. The mustard seeds of faith come into play with every letter that is signed by twenty different ecumenical ministries, rallying the public to call their representatives and voice their opinions, and even in the moments where I’ve gotten irritated with my own representative and reached out to express my concerns and needs as a constituent. I thought I would feel helpless, but instead each day a fire is lit in my soul for God’s work and I feel helpful.
Helen S.
6/21/19
Continue to gather strength, vision and passion from the faith community that surrounds you in this work. Let moments of hope continue to ignite the fire and passion within.
ReplyDeleteKatie