by Brian Dugas

If you are at all like me then you are watching what is going on in this country with anger, frustration, and resentment, so much so that at least in my case, it’s beginning to take a toll. This social action minute is not meant to diminish the pain we are feeling as we watch many of the people and structures we cherish being attacked.

But In thinking about this Social Action Minute I was a little perplexed as to how I could talk without sharing my frustration and anger, because I really don’t think we need anymore of that right now.

I was reminded of a story I once heard that I would like to share:
Once upon a time there were two Buddhst Monks on the side of a road sheltering from the rain. It was a very heavy rain making the road a muddy mess. A woman wearing a beautiful silk kimono approached them and asked “excuse me, would one of you care to carry me across the road so I don’t get my kimono dirty”. The first monk said “I’m sorry, but our vows forbid us from touching a woman”. But the second monk smiled and said “Of course I will”, and then he carried her across the road. A little while later the first monk turned to the second monk and asked him “How could you have done that brother, how could you have betrayed our vows and our religion like that” To which the second monk responded “I put the women down hours ago brother, why are you still carrying her?”

This old Buddhist story illustrates the habit of not letting go of the things that cause resentment and frustration. It is about freeing yourself of the anger that will fester inside you, turning your mood dark, and weighing heavily upon you. The more we reflect and worry about things done to us, done to others, or even what is happening in the world, the more that the issues will amplify and cause us more suffering.
The story is about letting go of the things that you cannot control, letting go of the things that don’t serve you, letting go of those things that don’t make you better…… then maybe we can also be at peace like the two monks just watching the rain fall.
Now I’m not a Buddhist Monk, and I don’t think most of you are either, but I believe there is value in this lesson that we need to take to heart. We have this administration for the next four years whether we want it or not. Things are being done that will cause us all great pain and suffering if we let it. We can either let that fester and cause us suffering, or we can let it go.

If I may, I would like to add another option, we can work on making ourselves better and stronger because of it. As a congregation we have already begun taking action along these lines by:

• Creating our own food bank, and contributing to other food banks in the region.
• Contributing to a Collection for a Cause every month.
• Creating a new Pastoral Care Team.
• Running our own community garden at Hillside Farms.
• Sharing our gardening knowledge with anyone who wants to start their own home gardens.
• Reaching out to the Latinx population to provide support and encouragement.
• Meeting regularly with groups and friends who need our support and friendship.

For those of you with a more adventurous spirit there have been discussions among some members of the need to take additional measures to protect ourselves and the things we hold dear. Talk to me if this is of interest to you.

Maybe you have seen this cute little quote from the Winnie the Pooh series. Piglet and Pooh are walking together making tracks in the snow when Piglet says to Pooh “You only live once Pooh” to which Pooh responds “Wrong, we only die once, we live everyday”. I strongly recommend that you don’t waste a single one of those days on this administration. They are far too precious.