Leslie’s Logos – February 2025

Mornings begun with a chaos of news has become a new normal. Energy spent trying NOT to pay attention is shaping other’s worlds. Our sense of disorientation and unreality has grown. And in this context, it is important for us to remember who we are, what we believe and what we still can do.  This is a time when we need many things:  and perhaps especially connection, care, and choices. What do I mean?  Let’s unpack these 3Cs.

Connection. Strengthening those relationships which nourish us is probably the most basic building block at these times. With chorus of hate-filled words barraging us on a regular basis ,we have to remember those who can hear what we are concerned about and who also want to make a difference for those most in need. We also need to be reminded of how we can offer care. This sort of mutual aid is an amazing balm in these times. We offer so many ways to the congregation to connect with others and this is the time to explore them. If you need any assistance with this, I invite you to call me or our Intern, Rose Reidel, or speak to any of us about how you might find a way to be in connection.

Care. Care is about remembering the worth and dignity that we have and helping others remember their worth and dignity as well. Self-care is the basic foundation of all other forms, so doing things that enliven your spirit and bring you joy are really important. It does not detract from the issues of the world for you to take some time and do something fun. You might crochet an emotional support chicken (use your browser if you don’t know what this is!) or play bingo or come to a game night. Any of these things might really work well in addition to other practices that are good for you like monitoring what you’re doing for your body and finding ways to get out and enjoy the beauty amid which  we live. Caring for others is another way to remember your power to make a difference. 

And that brings me to the power of choice.  As humans, we need agency and to know we can choose. While we are very aware of what we can’t change right now, remembering what we can matters. We still have so many ways to make choices, though if we live only within the grips of disturbing news cycles, we may forget this. We can choose to be kind, we can choose to keep learning and not shut down. We can choose which corporations get our dollars. We can choose when to write our representatives and when to take to the streets to defend our neighbors. All of these are choices that we still have.