Actions Speak Louder

Once to every man and nation,

Comes the moment to decide,

In the strife of truth with falsehood,

For the good or evil side;

Some great cause, some great decision,

Offering each the bloom or blight,

And the choice goes by forever,

’Twixt that darkness and that light.

Then to side with truth is noble,

When we share her wretched crust,

Ere her cause bring fame and profit,

And ’tis prosperous to be just;

Then it is the brave man chooses

While the coward stands aside,

Till the multitude make virtue

Of the faith they had denied.

-- James Russell Lowell

These are the first two stanzas of a hymn written by James Russell Lowell on the occasion of the United States war with Mexico, which he opposed. It has been removed from current Episcopal hymnals not, as some would tell you, because it contains the word "man" and has been declared sexist. No, it has been put aside for a deeper reason. The crux of the hymn is that we get "one chance" to make the choice for good or evil. This notion is, in fact, heresy. Episcopalians believe that our lives are full of many choices and opportunities to take a stand for what is right. It's not just a "one and done" proposition.

Blame it on delirium. I'm home sick and I've lost my voice so I'm contemplating heresy.

I'm putting this in the context of local decisions today. We make our lives out of what we choose, what we support. The Board of Education must weigh what is handed to them which supports the status quo versus what they hear from parents, students, and teachers. The County Council must weigh the intent of the Downtown Plan and the proposals of the Howard Hughes Corporation. The Planning Board weighs the desires of consumers who want a liquor store near Wegmans along with the voices of local liquor store owners who fear more competition.

We make a lot of choices. We are in very big trouble if our salvation hangs on just one of them. And who on earth knows which one?

And yet. I'm also thinking about this quote:

When people show you who they are, believe them the first time. -- Maya Angelou

Most of us don't truly recognize that "first time" until there have been many such moments with someone and we come to the realization that this person has been telling us who they are all along. We just hadn't noticed. It's that "hindsight is 20/20" moment.

"Aha!" We say.

Look at their choices. Do they come from fear? Selfishness? A need to control? A desire for self-promotion? Or in those choices do we see compassion, fairness, thoughtfulness, open-minded balance?

People will show you who they are. We show others who we are. Not once, but over and over.

I'm on a bit of a Quaker kick, what with my new job and all. The motto of SSFS is "Let Your Lives Speak." Our lives do speak. What are they--we--saying?

Comments

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else. Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday. Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018. 2018 . But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest. In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...

What Kids Are Thinking

It’s a Monday in February, and if you guessed that a lot of Howard County students have the new cell phone policy on their minds, you’d be right. It will mean big changes and it will be stressful, no matter how much good we hope it will do in the long run. But on this particular Monday cell phones might not be top of mind, as amazing as that seems. Some kids will go to school wondering if they or family members will be seized by ICE. Some will fear that their parents’ employment will be purged by the ongoing rampage of Elon Musk and his cronies through Federal Government. Some fear heightened and renewed racism as programs that supprted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vilified and destroyed. Some worry that it soon won’t be safe for them to use the bathroom in school anymore. It goes without saying that some kids fear going to school every day because of the prevalence of school shootings. And look! Here’s something new to fear. That old hate group, Libs of TikTo...

Village Green/Town²

Search This Blog