The Christian season of Lent is a time of self-examination and repentance. But when economic forces work overtime to endlessly distract us and evil rises up amid lies and anger to destroy what is good, where and how should we focus our reflection, attention, and energy?

“To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.” 

Mary Oliver

There are tens of millions of men, women, and children facing devastation in their lives—lost jobs, lost homes, cuts to health care, lack of access to food, families torn apart, crippled social services, deportation—because of the capricious, cruel, and often criminal decisions made by troubled and delusional men.

There is so much to do. Where then, should we focus our attention?

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First, be intentional

Desert Rains & Where We Focus Our Attention by writer and poet Carrie Newcomer begins in an Arizona desert that has experienced an endless drought. “Even the desert has its limits and water was sorely needed, plants that had perfectly evolved over thousands of years to conserve and endure a harsh environment were showing serious signs of stress.” But rain arrives, providing Newcomer with the setting for a beautiful meditation.

“Just like a seed that requires all the energy it gathers beneath the February snow to push up through the surface in the spring, I cannot hope to grow with real clarity and purpose unless I also gather and expend my energy with intention. Just like the desert plants who needed to give full focus to what was life-giving during a threatening drought, I cannot hope to weather my own personal tragedies and challenges or faithfully respond to the collective environmental and political crisis we currently face without guarding my attention and being deliberate about my energies.”

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We cannot do everything. We can do something.

People Get Ready by historian and writer Rebecca Solnit begins with an admission of horror at the moral ugliness of what the Trumpists are doing. But the fear is balanced by exhilaration at “what a whole lot of the rest of us are doing, and the moral beauty of it. The horror and the wonder can coexist, just as the worst and best of us do.”

One way evil affects us is by isolating the mind and killing the heart. “Isolated minds disregard the essential value of others . . . when evil kills the heart it takes away love, compassion, understanding, forgiveness, and gentleness.” To combat that in your own life, remember the wonder amidst the horror. And consider a means of activism that works for you.

“. . . just speaking up and not letting the truth get buried under lies matters. A huge percent—ultimately all of us—in this country are impacted by the destruction of a functional federal government and the attack on a whole lot of stuff we love and need, from reliable weather reports to public health to science research to sane international relations. In a way, Trump and Musk may be building the broadest coalitions this country has ever seen, or at least giving us the basis for such coalitions by injuring and outraging almost everyone.”

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It is up to us

We’re seeing the beginnings of mass noncompliance by Daniel Hunter “describes how first ordinary federal workers and then Trump cabinet members and heads of departments refused to comply with Musk’s insanely demeaning ‘list five things you did this week’ email directive.”

“This is how noncompliance works. It’s a chain reaction of smaller to bigger dominoes—the smaller ones knock down the bigger ones and on and on until the bigger dominoes fall. What we just saw is the largest mass noncompliance with Elon Musk (so far)…. This is the general direction we need to go. Musk says ‘jump’—and we all say ‘nope’ . . .”

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Don’t let them bury the truth

For those who feel more comfortable writing or speaking with neighbors about what is happening to our country, consider reading Anand Giridharadas piece from a few years ago on The Myth of the Good Billionaire in the New York Times.

“. . . our problem isn’t the virtue level of billionaires. It’s a set of social arrangements that make it possible for anyone to gain and guard and keep so much wealth, even as millions of others lack for food, work, housing, health, connectivity, education, dignity and the occasion to pursue their happiness.”

Multibillion-dollar fortunes are not only excessive and decadent, notes Michael Tomasky, but they are also anti-democratic. These fortunes are literally destroying our democracy. We need to make and reinforce that point again and again.

We can also be ready to respond to outright lies. The Economic Excuse Industry is Booming by Paul Krugman is helpful in understanding the coming tsunami of falsehoods around the completely understandable disappointing economic performance under the new administration.

The response to Donald Trump’s speech to Congress by Senator Elissa Slotkin also provides simple yet powerful words to help us all understand the issues and frame our conversations.

“President Trump is trying to deliver an unprecedented giveaway to his billionaire friends. He’s on the hunt to find trillions of dollars to pass along to the wealthiest in America. And to do that, he’s going to make you pay in every part of your life.”

Senator Slotkin calls us to continue to use our minds and hearts. Democracy is at risk, she notes, “when the President pits Americans against each other, when he demonizes those who are different, and tells certain people they shouldn’t be included.”

“Because America is not just a patch of land between two oceans. We are more than that. Generations have fought and died to secure the fundamental rights that define us. Those rights and the fight for them make us who we are.”

Oh, and bring some humor to your conversations. Even though these are serious times, don’t be over-cautious and over-earnest in how you talk about everything. Humor is important to any political movement, but especially in the anti-Trump resistance.

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“Our goal in life is not to become more spiritual, but to become human” writes Franciscan priest Richard Rohr. When we easily slip into judgement about the worth of others, either individually or as groups, we diminish our own humanity. As a mentor reminds me, the job of God is already taken. This type of judgement isn’t ours to make. Reuniting our minds and hearts can set us on the path of becoming our true selves.

Don’t feel bad if you cannot sort through all the moral ugliness of the moment. To have all the answers might be proof that you aren’t asking the right questions. Be intentional about guarding your energies and focusing your attention.

Paradise on earth is a paradox. Life is and. There will be good and bad.  Uncertainty and mystery are perhaps where all of us need to make our home.

More to come . . .

DJB

UPDATES:

• Just a quick note to say that Dan Froomkin had an excellent summation on his Heads Up News this morning about the range of reactions we’re seeing across the country to the Trump regime.
• Also, you may find Ryan Holiday’s How I’m Decluttering My Life This Spring to be of use in thinking about focus.

Photo by Steve Knutson on Unsplash