Joy comes in the morning
My post here yesterday — The only way out is through — focused on an incident in Hampton, Iowa when local residents awoke to discover that racist, threatening posters had been affixed to the front doors of 6 Latino-owned downtown Hampton businesses and a Latino cultural center in the early morning hours of August 13th.
In response to that post I heard from a long-time friend, not challenging me or what I had written but reminding me of the narrowness of the path that I have chosen for myself.
My friend George Barnes, from Jamestown, North Dakota, emailed me shortly after I published yesterday’s Substack post. He was appreciative and kind, as he always has been, and he pointed out that the people who do these things, such as putting up racist posters on Latino-owned businesses will not prevail. I agree with him, and I know this is true because George Barnes is out there in the world and there are others like him (at least a few) and I strive to be like him, so, I know, unequivocally, that he is correct, they will not prevail.
George did not stop there. He also reminded me of something of which I needed to be reminded, perhaps something that I need to be reminded of often.
“The minds of these folks are in a place that will be difficult to change, but somehow, some way we must meet them where they are. They live in a dysfunctional world created by experiences I have, fortunately, not had. They are messed up by the words of parents, friends or have had a life that dealt them some cruel experiences. We are not born to hate; it is taught to people by others that hate.” George Barnes, Jamestown, North Dakota
What I heard from George, or perhaps what his message spurred me to remember is that if we repay evil for evil, if we choose to hate in response to hate, we take ourselves right back into the darkness we hope to rise up from.
Moreover, there is another path, another choice, that also leads us back into the darkness. And that path is to do nothing, to hope that the darkness will pass us by, eventually. This is a craven choice, and it is one that will require any who take it to repent, eventually.
“History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the vitriolic words and violent actions of the bad people, but the appalling silence and indifference of the good people. Our generation will have to repent not only for the words and acts of the children of darkness but also for the fears and apathy of the children of light." Martin Luther King, Jr.
As difficult as it may seem when things like this happen, I believe that we must respond, we must not ignore, we must not let our fears and apathy rule us and win the day. We must respond with love, we must work for love and work for grace, in all things.
I have written much this last year about the importance of love, light and grace in my life. What I have learned, what I know, is that at times like these, in Hampton and throughout our state and nation, we must meet prejudice and hate with love and grace. When the deepest night descends upon us, we must be a light against the darkness. As I said yesterday, the only way out is through. But as the psalmist reminds us, “joy comes in the morning.” (Psalms 30:5)
If we work to love and give grace, if we work with love and grace in our hearts, that is precisely when the dawn will break, and joy will come with it.
OK John, what does this look like in the real world?
I expect at least some of you are asking this question. And, not surprisingly, I have some thoughts on the matter. First, to honor George’s kindly admonition, while I intend to keep writing about this incident in Hampton, I will not focus on the person responsible for this crime. The Hampton Chronicle is doing a more than adequate job of covering the charges and pretrial actions, and I am confident they will cover the trial in the same manner as well.
I am choosing instead to talk about what all of us can do in our communities, our states and in our country to respond to the darkness around us with light and love and grace.
If, like me, you think more needs to be done in response to this incident and others like it, then say that. Say it to yourself. Say it to your family. Say it to your friends and neighbors. Say it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok or wherever your write down your thoughts to share with others. Say it in a comment to me, here or anywhere you find me sharing my thoughts. Say it to the Hampton Chronicle, or your own local newspaper, or wherever you can. Shatter what Martin Luther King, Jr. called the “… appalling silence and indifference of the good people.”
Do not, however, just talk about living with love and grace, demonstrate it. If you’re in Hampton go have lunch at one of the impacted restaurants, or shop at the El Valle bodega, or get a haircut at the Admirable Barbershop. Stop by the La Luz Centro Cultural Center and tell them that you appreciate the work they do, volunteer to help out, I’m confident that they would appreciate the help. And when you do these things, don’t go alone, take a friend, take several, but don’t be shy about why you are there. Let them know that you value their business and service and let them know that you are there because you refuse to let hate and prejudice win, that you refuse to live in darkness, and you won’t let darkness overshadow goodness, there in Hampton or anywhere else.
Lastly, for now, while you’re speaking out in whatever ways that work for you, remember to speak your mind to your community and governmental leaders. Tell your mayor you expect more, tell your police chief. Tell your district attorney, your sheriff, county supervisor, legislators, attorneys general, governor, and anyone else with the civic and moral responsibility to respond to this incident and others like it that you expect a greater response than what you have seen so far.
Remind them all that when we are in darkness — and we most definitely are in it — the only way out is through. But also remind them that if we work to love and give grace, joy comes in the morning, no matter how dark the night.
Joy comes in the morning.
john
p.s. yes, I will be doing all of the things that I mentioned above, with regards to the incident in Hampton and to other matters just like it… JBC
