There is a song I learned at First Unitarian Church in Minneapolis. It goes like this:
We are a gentle angry people
And we are singing, singing, for our lives. 2x
We are a justice seeking people
And we are singing, singing for our lives. 2x
We are young and old together
And we are singing, singing for our lives. 2x
We are a land of many colors
And we are singing singing for our lives. 2x
We are gay and straight together
And we are singing, singing for our lives. 2x
We are gentle loving people
And we are singing for our lives.2x
There has been so much happening in our world in the last few weeks, perhaps the saddest was a mother of three being shot in the face and killed during non-violent civil disobedience. Her last words, were “That’s fine dude, I’m not mad at you”. A few seconds later the ICE agent shoots her in the face three times , walking away saying, “Fucking Bitch”.
I want that officer to have due process. I know what we saw. I saw excessive force. I saw something like Steroid rage. Maybe he was truly hangry and needed a sandwich. Fragile masculinity and guns are a dangerous combination.
Many of us are so angry. Furious. One person not having the humanity to think about whether lethal force was needed or not, killed an innocent woman. It cannot be undone. We may have wondered if we should return the violence. We may have imagined retaliating even if it was for a fleeting second. There is power in singing a song like this. For starters, when we sing or hum it activates our vagus nerve and calms our nervous system. Humming, singing , and dancing around can all three help when we are feeling the overwhelming heaviness of events like this.
Look for your songs. Hum, sing, dance…for your lives. Slow down and breathe. These have been the strangest days of news I can remember in my nearly 55 years on earth. If ever there was time where mindfulness could save us its now. Slow down, sing, hum, dance, make some art, breathe. This is how we begin to think clearer again and we can make our next moves strategically, and peacefully. Maybe this is why so many peaceful protests are filled with singing.
Peaceful civil disobedience on our part is what we control. We cannot control those who have set their minds to bring terror to gentle people.
Carl Jung said “I am not what happened to me. I choose who I become.” Let us choose wisely in these difficult times to find ways to respond with mindful intention.
In honor of and in solidarity with Renee Good and Minnesotans
Promising Connections 