A Time For Vigorous And Positive Action

You may have heard the headline in recent news where “the U.S. Census Bureau reported the child poverty rate has more than doubled since Congress allowed expanded pandemic benefits to expire, including the child tax credit, leaving millions of families with less money for essentials like rent and food (DemocracyNow 9/19/24)

Just last month, our elected officials could not bring themselves to a consensus on a vote related to the child tax credit and, thus, the measure failed.

I know that there are a lot of factors involved in budgets, line items and votes on bills, but making sure kids don’t go hungry seems like a pretty easy thing to agree on.

So many decisions I hear about make me pause and ask, “If you could have easily done something good for someone else, why wouldn’t you do it?”

In today’s first reading from Proverbs, the author tells the readers to “refuse no one the good on which they have claim when it is in your power to do it for them.” The passage goes on to ask why we’d make them wait (even one more day) when we could have easily given it to them today. I am not sure if Benjamin Franklin was thinking of this Proverbs passage when he said his famous, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” But it fits quite well!

I know that I have waited on doing good for others, and I don’t always have a very good reason for it. I meant to give a contribution. I meant to show up for the event. I had hoped to lend a hand. But somehow, something got in the way and I just didn’t do it.

One of our favorite comedians, Nate Bargatze, has a really funny segment from one of his comedy specials. He is joking that now that he’s been married to his wife for a long time, she just “tells me what she was going to buy me for my birthday…but she never buys it.” And he concludes, “I’ve almost had some pretty awesome stuff!”

While Nate’s reflections are humorous, failing to do things for others in a world of such inequity and need has real and serious implications for people’s lives.

Back in 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his now famous “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, DC. He said a lot of things in that speech, but part of what he said was, “We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there “is” such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.”

I think about his phrase, “the fierce urgency of now” quite often. I think of it especially when I have a crisis or a problem. I want the people around me to have a “fierce urgency” and try to help me. Maybe you do too.

But what of those who need our assistance. Do we have a “fierce urgency” when addressing their needs? Do we engage in “vigorous and positive action” to assist them?

Many of the needs that King was speaking about in 1963 are still with us and quite a few have evolved and grown worse (or have become more entrenched). Sadly our government historically seems to have a fiercer urgency for war and weapons exports than we do for domestic uplift and tending to families and children who struggle to make ends meet or secure enough food each day. 

The gospel reading from Luke 8 has Jesus telling us that, “No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, it is placed on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light.”

Lamps are not meant to be concealed, Jesus says. They are lit so that they can impact the darkness NOW. In the gospel accounts, we often see Jesus acting in the moment – when he is presented with the need. He does not ask people to wait for their liberation. He does what is in his power to do.

My guess is that this week, you will feel compelled to do something for someone else or a need will be presented to you. Maybe you will feel urged to attend an event, respond to a need, make a contribution or take a meaningful action related to a cause or issue.

Once you have decided that it is something that you want to and can do (and I always have Sr. Margie’s voice in my ear saying, ‘If you can’t do it with joy, don’t do it…’), don’t wait. Give what must be given or do what must be done in the moment. Let yourself feel that “fierce urgency of now.” And remember what MLK said back in 1963, “there “is” such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.”

May it be so!