We All Have Our Causes

I used to get worried that I didn't care about or think about things enough to get all worked up about them. When someone told me it was the rule in the school that parents not enter the classrooms, I figured there was a good reason that I just didn't know. I assumed no one was trying to hide something from me or leave me out intentionally (and I didn't have any great desire to go into the classroom). There were, however, many parents who really railed against what they called an injustice. You can take that example and fit many other times in my life when I just didn't feel the need to stand up and fight--I didn't think anyone was stepping on my rights. But, being who I am, I worried about it. I worried that I didn't think deeply enough or that I just went along without a backbone of my own. Well, the worry is over for me. I realize that we all have our causes and there not all the same--I now have a constantly upset stomach, ulcers in my mouth and a racing mind that tell me I do feel deeply about some things.

I'm having a hard time putting into words what my cause is, but it goes something like this--I think you could call it the cause of social injustice, but in the little things of life. Let me explain--I think women who have fought for our rights are amazing; I think people that march for causes should be applauded and I'll even donate money to them, but that's just not me. What really gets my beef is just the ordinary everyday prejudices and attitudes. It angers me beyond rationality when I see people and some are people I know treating others unkindly or as second class citizens. I can't stand listening to the way people treat sales clerks, landscapers, domestic help or anyone they see as beneath them. I become internally enraged when I hear someone make a comment about someone else and they only know half the story. I can't stand when someone draws a conclusion about someone's money, marriage, children faith or anything else with only what they've observed. (That doesn't seem to be clear but for example just because someone drives a BMW, it doesn't mean they are materialistic or just because someone doesn't attend church regularly, it doesn't mean they're not a Christian.) I hurt for those on the front line who get the rages of customers--the service man who didn't come on time because someone in the home office made a scheduling mistake. And the people who think the rules don't apply to them--well they have me running screaming to the hills-if it says no parking, for goodness sakes don't park there!

So these are my causes, the ordinary, every day injustices that I don't think people notice enough or even think about. In fact, I'll bet there are some people who don't even realize they are treating others unkindly, but that's the problem, there's not enough thinking. Someone asked me several months ago what theology I mainly use as my starting point and the answer is Incarnational theolgy. I think we all need to put our faith in action but not just as charity work, but truly to imitate the mission of Christ, expressing concern for the lives of others and I need to do it with knowledge gathered from Scripture. I do believe this is my calling to ordination--to learn to live out this theology in my own life and to challenge others to do the same. So, I do have a cause; I do feel passionately; and I do want to work for change. My question, and here I'm truly asking for your help, is how to do this without tearing myself up.

Chris and I were talking tonight, and while he has been equally outraged over the past several weeks about things we have seen, I can't seem to let it go. I truly have physical stress signs, I can't sleep well, and I'm incredibly tense. I rant and rave at home but I'm not doing anything out there or at least I don't think I'm doing enough. It's my cause--how do I fight it?