And a Child Will Lead Them

-

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, 
The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, 
The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; 
And a little child shall lead them. Isaiah 11:6

 Yesterday, millions of children, young people, their teachers, parents and supports protested gun violence. This was a world-wide event with sister protests in every continent except Antarctica. 

The speakers at the Washington, DC protest were very articulate, very courageous children and young people. They brought me to tears with their words, their bravery, and their conviction. 

Emma Gonzalez, one of the Parkland students, a student leader and activist, stood for six and a half minutes in silence. Six and a half minutes - the time it took to the shooter to kill her classmates. She ended her speech with the challenge, "Fight for your lives before it's someone else's job." 

Martin Luther King's granddaughter was among the speakers. She shared that she too had a dream like her grandfather. Nine-year-old Yolanda Renee King said to world, "My grandfather had a dream that his four little children will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream that enough is enough. And that this should be a gun-free world, period."

Cameron Kasky, another Parkland student announced, "Welcome to the Revolution! We are the change...Represent us or get out!"

Another student, Naomi Wadler, 11 from Alexandria, is an activist that has, among other achievements, organized an 18-minute walk-out at her school (17 minutes to honor the Parkland victims and 1 minute for Courtlin Arrington, who was shot and killed after the Parkland shootings. "I am here today to acknowledge and represent the African American girls whose stories don't make the front page of every national newspaper," she told the protesters.

David Hogg, also from Parkland, declared, "We are going to take this to every election, to every state and every city. When politicians send their thoughts and prayers with no action, we say, 'No more.' " 

These are only six of the young people who stood up the Goliath of greed and capitalism. Hundreds of others spoke out around the world this weekend. They spoke for the generations to come; they spoke for those whose voices have been silenced forever; and they spoke for all those who believe, "Enough is enough!"

May the voices of our young people become the stone that smites the giant of avarice and economic gain. May their unabashed courage and tenacity inspire the adults of this country to vote for the change needed to keep children safe in our schools, streets, and homes. May the voters of this country carry the voices of these children and young people in their hearts and minds this November, so that we never again hear the words, "Enough is enough!"

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Whispers

-
Image
Photo Credit: (c) 2018 Linda M. Rhinehart Neas When I was, as my mother would say, a wee sprout, I had my first experience with hearing that soft whisper that has warned me, inspired me, and on occasion, nagged me. Perhaps because I was raised in a household where being "fey" was looked at as normal, I never questioned that this was not real.  I can't tell you what the first thing I "heard" was, but I do remember talking to my mother about it when I was about six years old. We had had a lesson in school where sister had told the class about a saint who heard "the whispers of the angels." I asked Momma if that was who was speaking to me.  I still remember her looking very seriously into my eyes and saying, "Lindy, it might be angels, it might be what artists call the muse, or it might be what some people call, 'the voice of your ancestors or guides.' I don't know, but I do know you need to listen and pay attention to what you he
Read more

Bible Sisters

-
Image
As a child, Bible stories fascinated me. I tried to imagine what it was like to live in times so long ago. Rarely, however, did I ever see any connection to what happened in ancient times with what was happening in my life. After all, my world was close to 2000 years older and far from the lands of Pharaohs and Roman invaders.  As I grew, I learned to see the lessons within Scripture. But, again, I found it difficult to connect to these men who battled giants or spoke eloquent words in the Temple. The only women I remember mentioned were few and far between. How I wished there was more for a woman to connect with in the Bible. A few weeks ago, I had the great pleasure of receiving a copy of Bible Sisters by Rev. Gennifer Benjamin Brooks in the mail. Bible Sisters is a 365-day devotional that includes the well-known women of the Bible (Eve, Sarah, Ruth, Rebecca, Mary, Martha...) as well as those we know little about and who often go unnamed like Hagar or the Widow of Zarephath.
Read more

Review of Gypsy for God by Yvonne Morgan

-
Image
  Ivonne Morgan has crafted an inspiring tale of how a woman blessed with the ability to recreate herself after retirement finds, through a series of epiphanies, the work she has always felt she was born to do.  Gypsy for God is a work of love and faith. This book looks at the dichotomy between privilege, poverty, disease and the horrors of human trafficking.  Kathleen, the protagonist of the book, not only has to come to grips with her own self-doubts and biases, but she also has to deal with a husband who has trouble seeing through her eyes. However, through deep faith and support, she realizes the path she is to follow as she travels the world, visiting various countries that often take her out of her comfort zone, which in turn opens her eyes and heart to the work she is called to do.  Gypsy for God is about asking ourselves those difficult questions and then listening with an open mind and heart to the answers.  I recommend this book, especially for women who are retiring or st
Read more