Sleepers Awake

Now comes December and we are falling into a deep, cold winter. It is the time of year when many are looking for the light and the warmth of better times, deliverance from conflict, pain, violence and war. We might be tempted to be like a bear, hibernate and dream of Hope – or just wish all the bad would vanish.

In just the last week, news reports of 2 studies by 2 different, reputable groups have appeared. As reported in The Washington Post, a Pew study surveyed Americans’ trust in the federal government and measured record levels of anger among members of both major political parties. Pew cites notably high percentages of distrust and anger. Meanwhile, a poll by the Harvard Kennedy Institute of Politics of 18-29 year olds (Gen Z) uncovered their seriously low approval rates of political parties, legislators, the current presidential administration, major economic ideologies, and their overall low social trust. A person can be seriously worried about these reported trends or in the words of the 1950s character actor, William Bendix, proclaim, “What a revoltin’ development!”

While such attitudes or mood of the times might tempt a person to take the path of the bear, I suggest that sleepers awake; we can instead come forth to make better times. We can use this period to reflect on how each of us can contribute to the coming of stability, peacefulness, safety and well-being. We can aim to cleanse ourselves of a bad habit, of self-centeredness.

One can consider that doing for others does for oneself. Being kind and civil in community actually contributes to one’s own sense of well-being as well as to the mental health of the community. We each have power to build light and peace even in our own small corners of the world.

So, sleepers awake (!) and let us use this time to seek light and help each other find the future we hope to see.