I recently posted about the Welcoming Prayer. Let's be clear - this practice does not invite us to welcome injustice, discrimination or hate. It invites us to know that the reality in front of us can be welcomed into the presence and resources of God. The Serenity prayer makes very clear the difference between accepting (ie welcoming) the things we cannot change and changing the things we can. Here lies the wake up call.
We may think that here in New Zealand, far from the epicentre, there's nothing we can do. Wrong! We live in a global village. These are our brothers and sisters. This our world. I am as shocked as anyone about the thought of Donald Trump as President of the USA. But I am very grateful that I am already part of many organisations that stand for justice, equality, human rights, care for the environment... People joining together in non-violent ways does have an impact. This is especially true in this age of digital communication. History has plenty of examples. It has examples of what happens when "good people do nothing". It has examples of "good people who did something" even at great cost to themselves. You can fill in the names.
Let's meaningfully pray the Welcoming Prayer and the Serenity Prayer and listen for the wisdom to know what contribution we can make to a world of love, peace and security for all. It always starts right where we are!
Here are some of the organisations that I belong to that have values I am happy to support. You may want to check them out.
Amnesty International NZ
Avaaz
Action Station NZ
350 NZ
Greenpeace
Green Party
