The last year and a half has been difficult here in the USA. We’ve been on a roller coaster ride that is sometimes terrifying mostly because most of us never consented to enduring the difficulties that we face. From day to day we can’t predict what new horror will be introduced by a president who seems to take delight in coming up with strange ideas in the middle of the night. For a supposed conservative it is amazing how much radical change he has introduced in a very short time. It feels as though a barbarian horde intent on trashing programs and changing the foundations of our nation has invaded Washington D.C. The whiplash from day to day is often violent, leaving many of us in a dreadful funk. It can be difficult to keep the faith that good will ultimately triumph over the madness. We all find ourselves in need of emotional support, evidence that there is still a vast store of hope that might keep us eying a better future.
In the midst of the crises along comes a group of four astronauts who remind us of all that is good and wholesome in our country. The crew of Artemis II that flew around the moon are just the steadying force that we needed to drown our doubts about humanity. These four incredible people are the very picture of goodness and heroism even as they themselves admit to just being human rather than superheroes.
Imagine being in a confined area for days with three other people. Even a loving family might snap from the constant pressure of having to get along and yet our four astronauts seemed to truly revel in each other’s company. Watching them meet challenges and interact with one another was inspiring. They seemed to be the best among us, the kind of people who respect others regardless of differences. They were diverse in backgrounds, gender, race and nationality and yet they used those differences as a positive aspect of their mission. Their mutual respect and dependence on one another was so wonderful to witness. They were just the group that we needed to see in a time of so much turmoil.
These men and women are so accomplished, the best of who we are as humans and yet they all bear a sense of humility and even gratitude for the opportunity to be part of an historic moment. Just thinking of the remarkable feat that they demonstrated to the world was a kind of tonic for all of our souls. Realizing the level of cooperation and intelligence that that was required for their mission to be successful was an inspirational reminder of what we humans are capable of doing, not for power or riches, but for the betterment of all people. Their time in space was just the panacea that we needed.
There have been other moments and people that have reminded us of the courage and goodness of people in the midst of ugly chaos. Pope Leo is a steadying force for the world, constantly reminding us of what the message of Jesus was. He challenges all people everywhere to remember the poor and sick and wanderers of the world. His is a message that we would all do well to consider. He too has become a source of emotional support.
I have hardly been a fan of King Charles. I tended to write him off as someone of little merit but when he visited our nation he so quietly and deftly outlined the very foundations of our nation. He helped us remember why we exist as a free and independent country. He iterated the hopes and dreams of our Founding Fathers and challenged us to be the kind of people that they hoped we would be. He touched my heart and calmed my insecurities. As he spoke I realized that we the people of the United States will honor our ancestors by righting the wrongs that have dominated so much of the past year and a half. We will not let power hungry would be kings destroy the human progress that we have made as we strive for the ideals of our Constitution.
I sometimes feel as though we the people have been thrust into an abusive relationship with our own government. We watch rules being twisted and flaunted while our taxes are being diverted from the good of humanity to treasure troves for war and construction of unnecessary ballrooms. Emotional supporters like Heather Cox Richardson remind us daily with her letters that we Americans have faltered before and always found our way back to the pathway of freedom. We wake up from our fears again and again and figure out how we need to be.
It has been said that the United States of America operates on eighty year cycles during which we grow lazy and distracted from protecting our government. It has been eighty years since the end of World War II which was the culmination of horrors like World War I, a pandemic and the Great Depression. We lived a kind of golden age in the years since that time and our memories blurred as to the horrors that we should avoid. Now in our celebratory year of the founding of our nation we are being challenged once again to set things right. We would do well to look to the emotional support individuals who show us the proper way to be. They are the heroes of our era and their wisdom and example will show us what we must do to reignite the promise of our nation.
All It Takes Is A Little Love 