
“Love who you want, Hate who you want, do not oppress anyone.”
“Normal fear motivates us to improve our individual and collective welfare; abnormal fear constantly poisons and distorts our inner lives. Our problem is not to be rid of fear but rather to harness and master it.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
Our first-year Congresswoman, who is a refugee from Somalia, has not been able to ask questions without being faced with unbelievable barrage of hate and incitement to violence, including a resolution condemning her remarks. This hypocrisy must be questioned and challenged.
Consider the bright morning hours, and the night when it grows still and dark. Thy Sustainer has not forsaken thee, nor does He scorn thee: for, indeed, the life to come will be better for thee than this earlier part [of thy life]! And, indeed, in time will thy Sustainer grant thee [what thy heart desires], and thou shalt be well-pleased.
The voice of hope, like the voice of faith, continues to invite and engage. This is very different from the voice of manipulation that takes advantage of those rejected by society. We may be rejected, but faith should help us deal with this rejection not with anger, but with hope, wisdom, and persistent engagement.