Monday, January 11, 2021

Gratitude Monday: Servants' hearts

Whew—what a week, eh? If you’re reading this, you and I have lived through the Pennsylvania Avenue Putsch. It remains to be seen what consequences the rioters and their political allies will suffer; at a minimum, a lotta law enforcement folks gotta lotta ‘splainin’ to do about why the Capitol was left nearly defenseless on an extremely important work day.

I’d personally like to hear from those posturing asshats Dan Crenshaw and Matt Gaetz about how they personally defended the country from insurrectionists. Especially if Nestor was in danger.

Also—impeach the motherfucker already. Again.

But there are two stories that emerged from that horror show, stories that reminded me that for every aggrieved, screeching Confederate flag-waving loser about to become friends with their worst nightmare in gen pop, there are dedicated, humble, good people who represent the best in us.

The first story is about Representative Andy Kim, Democrat, of New Jersey. In the early hours of Thursday morning, after the Joint Session reconvened and certified the election, the son of Korean immigrants walked outside the chamber and looked at all the rubbish left by the insurrectionists on the rotunda floor. Janitors and National Guard members were picking it up, so he asked for a trash bag, got down on the floor and started clearing it away. The photo taken by AP’s Andrew Harnik, makes me weep even now.

“When you see something you love that’s broken, you want to fix it,” he said. “I love the Capitol. I’m honored to be there. This building is extraordinary and the rotunda in particular is just awe-inspiring. How many countless generations have been inspired in that room? It really broke my heart and I just felt compelled to do something…What else could I do?”

I take this message seriously—when something you love is broken, you want to fix it. Even if it means getting down on your hands and knees and sweeping trash into bags after an exceptionally hard day at work.

The second story is about the Chaplain of the House of Representatives, Rear Admiral Margaret Kibben, for whom Wednesday was her third day on the job. As the mob swarmed closer to the chamber, a House aide asked Kibben if she’d say a prayer. Kibben, a combat veteran, took the microphone and asked God for “covering”. “

“It was a matter of asking for God’s covering and a hedge of protection around us,” she said, “And that in the chaos, the spirit would descend in the room to offer us peace and order. That we would look to care for each other, even as we are under stress.”

As the Chamber was evacuated, she continued, seeking out people who looked particularly distressed. In the secure room where they ended up, Kibben read from Psalm 46, ““God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea.” And then again prayed for a “covering peace and shelter”.

I think we could all take comfort from the notion of a covering peace, and I am grateful for that message emerging from such a gawdawful day.

I’m leaving you with one more thing, from a rather unexpected source (kind of like control of the Senate coming via...Georgia): Arnold Schwarzenegger recorded his thoughts on the insurrection, and it’s a succinct, heartfelt summary of the stakes.

When he speaks of the Servant’s Heart, I think of Kim and Kibben. When he speaks of tempering the blade, it gives me hope. For which I am grateful.


 

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