Words of hope and courage

(This article first appeared in the January issue of the Anglican Journal.)

Yesterday, I received this on Facebook from a friend. She says, in so few words, that which so many of us struggle to say with many:

“Went for an evening walk. Some scattered curled leaves on the ground covered in hoar frost reminded me of our lack of snow, of the imbalance of our world. Here, I carry this new life inside of me and I am grateful and I am blessed. And yet, I walk with the thoughts of a warrior, of a woman well aware of the troubles of the world, of the injustice, of the crimes against our Mother Earth. While I find time to laugh, to smile, to experience peace and love, and I do allow myself the excitement of bringing new life into the world, I also keep in mind always there is much work that needs to be done. I want our children to experience equality, I want them to have compassion and to be able to hunt and fish and keep our culture going. I don’t think that’s too much to ask, but I also know I’m going to have to fight for a change to the current system.”

-Princess Daazhraii Johnson, Gwich’in, Activist, Mother.

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“I believe that the present suffering is nothing compared to the coming glory that is going to be revealed to us. The whole creation waits breathless with anticipation for the revelation of God’s sons and daughters. Creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice-it was the choice of the one who subjected it-but in the hope that the creation itself will be set free from slavery to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of God’s children. We know that the whole creation is groaning together and suffering labour pains up until now. And it’s not only the creation. We ourselves who have the Spirit as the first crop of the harvest also groan inside as we wait to be adopted and for our bodies to be set free. We were saved in hope. If we see what we hope for, that isn’t hope. Who hopes for what they already see? But if we hope for what we don’t see, we wait for it with patience” (Common English Bible, Romans 8:18-25).