I met this woman in passing in a coffee shop at a political convention. We struck up a conversation and have been good friends and now colleagues at the Coffee Party USA ever since. I found her ability to blend her Christian belief, the secular, and other faiths for harmonious coexistence very refreshing, a trait that other faith leaders would do well to emulate. Her most recent article did not disappoint.
Many are writing about the Sutherland Springs massacre generally in either a polarized fashion or one resolved to unqualified acceptance. Charlotte Vaughn Coyle’s piece is the piece I’ve been waiting for from an ordained minister. An article from another preacher had my blood boiling which forced me to write a blog post that was very critical of the Evangelical Right. Charlotte’s husband, a man, well versed in the Bible in his “own right,” pointed out that he believed I took some of what the preacher said out of context.
Well, Charlotte wrote the article, secular guys like me want to read from the clergy in times like these. For some time I’ve complained that many in the religious community have been teaching their followers just to accept certain things when solutions conflicted with the Right ideologically. Moreover, they tend to discount those who think otherwise. This one segment of her piece dispels that in that it does not relegate all solely to faith but earthly intervention.
My faith is in the God I have come to know in Jesus Christ. I believe God is at work in in the world in mysterious ways. I believe God offers me wisdom and courage to participate in that divine work. Others carry faith in a higher power they call by a different name. Some put their faith in ideologies, scientific theories or the hopeful possibilities of humanity. Some only trust in themselves.
We all believe in something.
So let’s come together to believe in the shared power available to us and within us; power that we can wield against the evil that permeates our world. Let’s start believing in our ability to employ our power for peace and justice for all.
Let’s come together:
- to help heal the anger and hatred that fuels the violence;
- to find common sense solutions to regulate the weapons of violence;
- to advocate for the most vulnerable: the youngest, the oldest, the poorest and the sickest among us;
- to confront greed and hubris in our leaders;
- to care for the earth, our home.
We are not helpless.
Check out her entire article here.
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