10/21 SBX #06265 - Houston, TX

Franklin, Tennessee. October 26, 2009

what will you leave behind - once you've gone? what signs will remain to show that you were here?

will you, like a storm, leave behind a trail of destruction and chaos? or like a spring breeze, will you have been only a momentary sigh - or a quickly forgotten smile?

or, like a caring parent, will you have been that one who leaves a room a bit cleaner - a bit less cluttered - one who brings back some warmth and calm to a room's rattled nerves?

or, better yet, will you be the healer, the builder, the one who births new and better things. one who seeks to always walk lightly through perfection, but who also never stops trying to better those things that need love and attention.

or, in a more darkened tone, will you be only a tyrant, one whose words defame, whose actions destroy the beauty, the love, the good intentions of those with whom you disagree?

The Limbaugh's, the Dobson's, the Beck's of this world have always been with us - and they always will. Eugene McCarthy, John Birch, and David Duke all railed in fear and anger against the coming changes they despised. they longed for an ideal past that never was instead of a different, but better future that they refused to see.

fear restricts. it narrows the sight and constrains the vision. it covers the ears of understanding and shuts out any possibilities that frighten those of little minds or stunted souls or shrunken hearts. fear handicaps us all. it blinds us to opportunities for compassion. it deafens our ears to the cries for help and mercy.

our arms fall limp to our side, unable to act when they are paralyzed by fear. we cannot stand up for justice or freedom of conscience if our legs have crumpled beneath us - weighed down by the unbearable weight of judgment, prejudice, and fear.

the continued effort to keep a clinched fist is tiring. the relief that comes from an open palm brings a relaxed hand. it not only relieves cramped muscles, but also leaves us with the possibility of receiving something new and unexpected.

the beauty of the rising sun - magnificent and brilliant - comes in a moment we can only anticipate, but never precisely predict. i intend to be ready. i intend to be open. i intend to be hopeful that - at any moment - joy can rise and shine on us all.