I don't think I'm breaking any news to say that it's not pretty out there right now. There's a global pandemic that's brought the economy to its knees, and this serves as the backdrop for significant political and social unrest. It's not at all how I thought 2020 would look, but that doesn't change the fact that this is our reality right now. So how do we respond? How do we tell children, youth, and young adults to respond?
The first thing I'll say is that it is completely acceptable to have negative emotions. It's normal to feel sad, anxious, frustrated, angry, or anything in between. Those emotions are justified. But when we're ready, how do we move forward in this world? How do we move and engage with such big issues in our world when our lives and voices are feeling so small? Being raised Methodist, I learned the quote usually attributed to John Wesley below.
“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”
For years my perfectionism has led me to put emphasis on the "all" in each line. Do all the good you can... nothing less. By all the means you can... nothing less. In all the ways you can... you get the idea.
But what if we read the quote again with emphasis on "you" in each line? It totally changes the meaning. Do all the good you can... right now, whatever level that is. By all the means you can... right now, in whatever ways make sense. In all the places you can... because you can't be everywhere.
On days when the weight gets a little heavier, this is my new starting point.
Here's to doing all the good we can,
Ryan "Flash" Moore, Director