Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about despair and hope… how do we move from one to the other, how do we not lose hope when so many terrible things are going on — from our own neighborhood to all around the global community. In this age of nearly unlimited internet connectivity, we hear about these tragedies in nearly real time:

More than a thousand people killed in Gaza, no end in sight…

Kids from Central America and Mexico locked up in Texas warehouses…

Thousands of impoverished Detroit residents lose access to their water…

In the middle of my comfortable life it can be easy to ignore all this and more. But the practice is: Not turning away…. Being present to the truth of suffering, connecting with compassion, and then taking loving action from that place.

Over the past weeks, I’ve thought a lot about how to respond in each of those cases. Initially I felt a sense of hopelessness,  how daunting it is to consider addressing any one of those. But thanks to that very internet connectivity that made me aware of these situations, I was able to find what some other folks are doing. And so was born… The Yes! List… designed to offer you creative and positive ways to respond.

Gaza

This Open Letter crafted by Jewish Voice for Peace is eloquent and powerful, a call for compassion for all sides, at the same time recognizing the root causes of the violence. I encourage you to sign the letter.

If you know of other generative responses to the crisis in Gaza, please share them in the comments below. It’s important to me that the response is respectful of the deep complexities of this region and the histories of oppression that both Israelis and Palestinians have experienced.

Refugee Crisis

The good work of United We Dream, an organization pushing to re-frame the situation with the children in Texas as a refugee crisis, not an “illegal immigrant problem.” UWD  organized a three-day vigil in McAllen, TX, to raise awareness of this issue and they’ve got a petition you can sign to urge President Obama to take action to protect all immigrant families.

Detroit Water

Ever hear of “mutual aid”? It’s one of the oldest ways that human beings have helped other human beings out in difficult situations. The “mutual” part implies that both parties have something to gain… for the ones offering the help the ‘gain’ may be as simple as the satisfaction of altruism.

Following this great tradition of mutual aid, a group of people were inspired to set up the Detroit Water Project to help folks in Detroit who are unable to pay their water bill.  So far, over 4,500 donors have helped to cover close to $20,000 worth of water bills, thus preventing those in need from having their water turned off. If you have some cash to spare and want to help someone in need, make a donation here. The money goes directly into the Detroit Water and Sewage Department account of the resident you are helping.

BONUS YES!

And for good measure, here’s one more to add to the list, a creative response that I just love. A group of folks in Dallas, TX, took to the streets a few weeks ago to demonstrate for their right to open carry…. guitars. Yep, guitars instead of guns. Amen.

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Got ideas to add to this list? Leave a comment below! 

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