I was in my weekly meeting Monday night, and we were trying to keep the conversation light as we mused about current political events. One of my friends said, “I would love to see what Saturday Night Live does this week.”
And that brought me back to 1977.
I was attending Seattle University in their Nursing program. I was active in the campus ministry group and attended midnight mass every Saturday with my roommate and a couple of friends. That time of my life was probably one of the most difficult. I didn’t know it could get worse.
My big brother was sick and in the hospital less than a mile away. I was going to class each day, and then walking over to visit him. They thought he had cancer and he was treated with both chemotherapy and radiation. It wasn’t helping.
Sister Joan Harte was a constant source of encouragement and empathy to me as I wrestled with the changes happening to the brother I knew to be strong enough to walk away from bullies with his head held high. The brother who had driven me to the hospital every Friday in high school so I could volunteer as a Candy Striper. And the brother who filled our house with saxophone music. Now he lay in a bed, a barely living skeleton.
One Saturday Sr Joan was giving the homily, (otherwise known as a sermon). And she was talking about a show called, Saturday Night Live. At that time the cast consisted of Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, George Coe, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Michael O’Donoghue, and Gilda Radner. I don’t really remember much else about her talk other than the show was a great satire on what was happening in our world at that time. The Cone Heads, French chef, and Rosanne Rossana Dana became a favorite way to lighten my week.
Sister Joan also had me come to her house for weekends. We would go for walks in the nearby park and cook wonderful meals.
My brother died and my faith took a hit. I still believed in God, but doubted that he could love me and take away an essential person in my life. I was sad and felt alone as my young friends didn’t understand the grief I was experiencing. I was no fun to be around and so they chose party and study without me.
This time of political uncertainty reminds me of those college years. When it feels like a dark cloud is hanging out, like sadness and pain is waiting to take over.
The word I was given for this week is “Imagine.”
You know I am a great believer in the power of attraction.
Right now our whole country is totally focused on the unconstitutional changes that the president is trying to put in place. Social media is blowing up, Church officials are weighing in, and I would say that many people are like me, living in dread of what will happen if he succeeds.
That’s a whole lot of energy directed at evil, anger, and hatred. Because make no mistake, attempting to arrest and deport anyone of color is because of hatred. Native Americans are being stopped because these officials can’t tell the difference between them, hispanics, and middle eastern people.
I could go on about the fact that our indigenous countrymen are the original habitants of the country and we are the immigrants. But the point I want to make today is that I want to change my focus.
I want to imagine this country as a peaceful place to live. One that is working to restore harmony with nature, rather than continue to destroy it. One that believes in the equality of every human being. One that works to provide the best medical care for every citizen and supports continued research into effective vaccines and treatments for all medical conditions. And the end to illegal drugs.
I see a county that celebrates the differences in each of it’s citizens.
I imagine the evolution of creativity in all areas of the arts. Where each artist is supported and where art is displayed in federal buildings, schools, and hospitals. Installations are placed in parks, and the arts are taught in all schools.
I see a police force that learns to deescalate anger, partners with mental health professionals, and choses to talk and listen rather than use force. I see the sharing of resources and the capping of inflation to make homelessness obsolete.
I imagine a country that respects all beliefs and religions. One that allows their schools to teach the beliefs of all religions and teaches their students to honor and respect each other. And I imagine a time when no child will be able to get their hands on a gun. When no child will be afraid to walk down their street, and when the color of a person’s skin will not influence their safety.
If the law of attraction is a real phenomenon, even if we become curious enough to put it to the test, wouldn’t this image be worth working toward?
I believe anger comes from fear and ignorance. I lived as a white person in a county of brown skinned people. And until a group of people tried to overthrow the government, I was never afraid. Skin color isn’t indicative of a person’s integrity. Who a person loves shouldn’t matter to anyone but the two of them. And what if all religions are really the same? What if the god, or supreme being we all believed in were one and the same, and we are just worshipping in a different way?
We are all flesh and bone. Our blood is all red, our bodies all become frail, and when we die, they all decompose in the same way. We are all vulnerable to disease. All our bones can break, and we all cry salty tears. We are all human.
I am going to imagine a country that wants to support each human body in becoming their own unique person. Maybe you can, too.
I'm going to try to imagine.