Kardia Kaiomenē: Back on the Road

Lawrence, KS

“Social change happens from the ground up and from the inside out.”—Charity Hicks

On Monday night, we rolled into Michigan, traditional land of Ojibwe, Potawatomi, Ottawa and Huron peoples--where the FBI just charged a white militia group plotting to kidnap the governor. We drove here (2500 miles) to soak up this beloved swing state for a month-long stint in the lead-up to the election. For the past year, we've been paying attention. Specifically, we've been tracking the massive voter suppression orchestrated by Republicans. In some states, voter rolls have been purged. In other states, polling places have been eliminated. Some conservative organizations are recruiting "poll watchers" to show up on election day to intimidate voters. Now, in a pandemic, their focus is on mail-in ballots and a defunded postal service. This is all soaked in the script of a lying, deceiving president who, on many occasions, has refused to assure a peaceful transfer of power.

We are joining the Poor People's Campaign effort to recruit poll watchers on election day to bear witness to whether or not we will have a safe and fair election on November 3. We are also on weekly calls with national organizers who are organizing nonviolent mass disruptions in the likely event of a coup or stolen election. It sounds rather dramatic, doesn't it? But think about it: there's nothing that this president has ever said or done that makes us believe he will leave office under any circumstance. As we discern where and how we will respond to this crisis of democracy, and the live possibility of white militias hitting the streets, we are strategizing with our friends and partners in Southeast Michigan, Central Oregon and Southern California who have also been thinking about this for quite some time.

While we are here in Michigan, we will connect with soul friends doing compelling work for long-time, low-income Detroiters. In the coming weeks, we'll join the women of We The People of Detroit in transferring and distributing massive amounts of water and hand sanitizer. We will serve at the Manna Meal soup kitchen. We will participate in a 4-week teach-in on "The Bible, Water, Race and Climate" that our mentors Dr. Lily Mendoza and Dr. James Perkinson are facilitating. We will be hosting socially distanced lectio divina bible studies, a powerful spiritual practice that we've been committed to for the past decade (last month: we got to sit with small circles in Bend, OR and San Clemente, CA). We will also spend time just being present to folks--some to celebrate, some to lament, some to discern big decisions. We look forward to writing about our experiences, bearing witness to injustice and oppression, but also amplifying the hope that inspires us along the way.

While we are here in Michigan, we are committed to staying in our lane. We recognize that much of our ongoing work of soul accompaniment will continue to be with others who are thousands of miles away. The economic and political climate is carrying with it more fear and anger, more confusion and despair. We will remain committed to phone and zoom calls, checking in on friends and couples across the continent. We will continue to stay alert and study the signs of these treacherous times. More than anything, this season is shimmering with spiritual practice. Prayer. Fasting. Yoga. Journaling. Al-Anon. Now is the time to get free from anxiety and addiction and be present to the flow of Spirit in and through and around each of us.

We are always seeking to swap watching and reading recommendations. Last month, we watched The Social Dilemma, a must-see Netflix documentary on the impact and influence of social media on everything. We are getting back into the rhythm of listening to DemocracyNow every day (at least the headlines for the first 15 minutes). Check out the five-part interview that Tommy did with Dr. Bruce Rogers-Vaughn on how our neoliberal economic system shapes us. For more on voter suppression, this is a longer piece from The Guardian from a year ago.