Mercy Between Mayhem
I awoke this morning to a text from a dear friend. It included an article about, Teaism, a favorite cafe of ours located just blocks from the White House. Besides an abundance of tea choices, Teaism serves a Coconut Miso Sipping Broth that I dream about. It’s piping hot, served in a mug with no handle and smells and taste divine. It warms my heart and soul, especially in the dead of winter.
Over the past few days, people in cities all over the US and in other countries have been protesting the killing of George Floyd by Police Officers. Many protests have been peaceful, but many, too many, incidences, injuries and death have occurred. In DC, as in other cities, protests have turned violent. So much so, that the Presidential Family took shelter in the White House Bunker on Friday night. The last person to shelter there was Dick Cheney, in 2001, after the 9/11 attacks on DC and NYC.
Over the weekend, I have been saddened by the pain, heartache and destruction surrounding the senseless, brutal killing of a fellow American at the hands of those who are called protect us. I am saddened by the fact this is far from an isolated incident. According to The Washington Post’s database tracking police shootings, as of this morning, June 2, 2020, 1028 black people have been shot and killed by police this year. Thats an extraordinary number. One person is a tragedy, one thousand and twenty eight is catastrophe.
Today, I am not going to address or debate about the history of racism, injustice or inequality. I am just focusing on pointing out the capacity individuals have for Mercy.
What struck me, reading about the fire at Teaism was the compassionate response from the co-owner, Michelle Brown. She tweeted after she received a phone call of the news, as she was grabbing her keys to go to her restaurant...
“Before anyone puts words in our mouths. Black Lives Matter”
Teaism was vandalized and was burning, she was still in her pajamas, and she had the where with all to Tweet her support. I can tell you from experience this is not an easy feet. I lived across the street from the world trade center on 9/11 and when the second plane hit the towers and things started flying through our windows, I grabbed my kid, but not my purse or shoes. It’s not easy to think straight, let alone about others in these situations.
From the Washington City Paper -“Whatever comes next, first and foremost, black lives matter,” Brown, says. “I don’t think we have any interest in it being about us. Because it’s not about us. It’s so much bigger. It’s about this moment where we need justice and healing as a country”.
This week, we have seen many acts of Mercy, as well as Random Acts of Kindness. Sherifs taking off riot gear to walk and pray with protesters. People grabbing trash bags and helping business owners clean up the glass and debris from their properties. A Police officer comforting a crying teenager. Officers in Portland, OR taking a knee with their community. Protestors handing flowers to officers in Madison, Wisconsin. Officers taking off gas masks to talk to protesters. People handing out water and face masks.
These are the stories that for me, offer hope. These are the stories that in-between the Mayhem, give everyone involved a moment to breath, possibly reflect, and hopefully, to see the humanity in the people around them. We are one collective.
Over Centuries, every nation, and people have utilized anger, violence and hatred to settle differences. When I, personally, feel heard, listened too and loved, its very difficult for me to respond with hate and anger. What would happen if we utilized love, compassion and understanding as our weapons? I believe these tools are much more powerful and could lead us on the road of healing that we all crave.