Messages From Carrie
We are the prophets we've been waiting for
October 16th, 2006
Dear Friends,
I'm going to go ahead and say something quite directly about the upcoming elections, and encourage everyone to exercise their very important right to vote. I have been doing shows in the past months to raise awareness for particular health, hunger, human rights, environmental and peace issues. So many of us have become increasingly disturbed by the ugliness of politics and political elections in the past years. What is necessary is a call to talk about the issues and the real records of our elected officials, and not except smear or hate filled disinformation. Somehow it's become unpatriotic or rude to have a real discussion about values and issues. For many of us raised to be polite and respectful of other's opinions, this is a particularly challenging time. In this climate of incredible divisiveness, we wrestle with how to be true to our most deeply held beliefs and values, speaking the truth as we know and see it, but always with compassion, openness and clarity. How can we ever find our common ground and work effectively toward a better, safer world without that important dialogue? It's easy to point fingers and say, "You are a bad person." But what we really need now is honest and loving dialogue about where we are going as a community, and what needs to change. Bottom-line folks, we have been misled into thinking that there is no common ground, that its always us and them. But I have seen good and caring people on all ends of the political spectrum. What I propose is to encourage others and ourselves to look deeply into what it is we value most. Will we live in love or fear? How do our deepest spiritual truths guide us to want to interact in the world and with others? If our value system says that we have a responsibility to the poor, to those in need, to the care and respect of this good green earth, to hear the words that resonate across all cultures and religions calling us to live according to a higher law of love, then now is the time to put those beliefs into action . . .in our daily lives . . .and in the voting booth.
William Sloane Coffin said, "The world is too dangerous for anything but the truth, too small for anything but love."
We live on the edge of change, in disturbing and sometimes overwhelming times. But we also live with a great potential for being a force for good. When enough of us are willing to be candles, all those small flames become an ocean of light. In times of great change and uncertainty there is always a greater responsibility for those willing to live out a life a love, as well as a greater need for deeper listening. Truth is more than a sound bites and reality is not found in black and white, but rather in the infinite shades of gray. I've been seeing and hearing an awakening across the country friends. For so long I have heard the lament, "We need another Martin Luther King or Gandhi." But I say, "Be not afraid, we are the prophets we've been waiting for."
Carrie