I am a very careful driver. I use my mirrors all the time and they have saved me from more than one accident. I have gotten really lucky not to have been in a crash for many years now. The best advice I got from my dad was, “Drive every vehicle on the road and look a mile ahead.”
I’ve been thinking about the Rear View Mirror as a learning tool for our current situation in America. We can look back, not seeing the entire picture, of past mistakes and learn from them. In a recent interview with Heather Cox Richardson and Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Pete reflected on the uprising of the American voice against the current regime. It was an interesting conversation about patterns in history. It was worth the listen.
For me, life needs a rear view mirror.
One of the ways I understand my life calling as a pastor is the metaphor of a sheepdog. Sheepdogs listen to the Shepherd but they are not the sheep. Their role is to do the bidding of their Master. And, no. Congregational members are not dumb sheep, this is just a metaphor, pay attention.
What I have learned about sheepdogs is that they each have a role in the pack. There is one up front, one in the middle, and one at the back. The Lead Sheepdog is the one in the back. Why? To protect the flock.
Now, in my professional life I feel as if I failed in protecting the flock I’ve been called to care for due to a betrayal of my former colleague who is now in prison. And trust me, it has taken me years to forgive myself for not seeing a predator in the adjacent office.
As I look in that rear view mirror today I realize that all of us were hoodwinked and that is precisely what predators do, they distract and gaslight. According to Wiki,
“Gaslighting is the manipulation of someone into questioning their perception of reality. The term derives from the 1944 film Gaslight and became popular in the mid-2010s. Google Trends topic searches for "Gaslighting" began a substantial increase in 2016.”
I like that last line. Since 2016.
Today on the eve of No Kings protests, a bizarre ‘parade’ in D.C., and a deployment to ?California of all places??? we will collectively look to the rearview mirror and wonder WTF.
Government servants are just that: servants.
The first three words are the most important: We The People.
It is our time to protect the flock of those who have no voice. Whether you feel as if you have no time or energy, remember that it takes a village, a community, and a true sense of justice to make change happen. We can do hard things. It’s time to fight back with words and peaceful protests.
Let’s get into a little good trouble. Show Up. Do Good. Be Kind.
That’s where I’ll leave it today.
Great words and the metaphor is excellent! Thanks a lot, Peggy