What to Do? Keep Hope Alive.

This is more of pool of Great Ideas, compiled from two different Substack posts.

Thanks to Garrett Bucks at The White Pages for Thirty Lonely but Beautiful Actions You Can Take Right Now Which Probably Won’t Magically Catalyze a Mass Movement against Trump but That Are Still Wildly Important [Why? Because others will see you do them, and it will make it easier for them to take their own (slightly less lonely but equally beautiful) action by your side.]

Bucks invites us to simple, introverted actions – and courage to share them with others.

He prefaces his post with these words:

‘I wrote this for people who, like me, have spent much of the past few weeks hoping that somebody else would do something bolder in this political movement. We are downtrodden because we’re full of rage and heartbreak, but the polls tell us that our neighbors don’t share those feelings. We realize we’re seeing something that iso many aren’t, but we’re not sure how to bridge the gap. We have wished (appropriately) for bravery from our media, from elected [Democrats], from public officials in general. However fair those wishes are, they come with a risk: that we miss the opportunity to be the money voice for justice in our own community, the person who makes it a little easier for a second and third and fourth only voice to start perking up by our side.’

There’s plenty more. And it’s encouraging.

What follows are 30 wonderful ideas for engagement.

These might be ‘first’ or ‘next steps’ for individuals or whole congregations. See our Practice Neighbor-Love Great Idea for an invitation to build on individual practices through congregational involvement.

In a similar vein, in posting about the upcoming February 28 Spending Blackout, one promoter created this list of things to do:

  • Get involved in your community
  • volunteer for causes you care about
  • make your voice heard
  • resist injustice:
    • stand up against policies and practices that go against shared values
    • use your voice, your not, and your presence to make a difference
    • Call. Write. Post. [Keep it up!! Watch this.]
    • Meet with lawmakers. March. Protest. Boycott. Educate. Activate. Advocate. Register.
  • Do something – anything! Avoid sitting in anger: move to action!
  • Hold onto hope: Surround yourself with people who inspire and uplift you. Focus on the good in the world, and celebrate every small victory. Spend a few minutes every day focusing on three things for which you are grateful.
  • Remember: We are not alone!! Millions of people in the US and around the world (and yes, people around the world are in this with us – and we with them as oligarchs grab for power across Europe and elsewhere) working toward a more just and equitable society. Together we can achieve a brighter future!
  • It’s Black History Month – own it!! Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, ‘We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.’ Hold onto that hope and keep moving forward together!

Stay strong. Be safe. Resist. Pray. And Keep Hope Alive.