Sitting Uncomfortably

photo taken at Washington National Cathedral; January 2013
Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his last Sunday sermon on March 31, 1968 from the pulpit on the right.

It may be that I'm more aware of uncomfortable realities than I used to be because I've gained compassion as I've made my way through my twenties.  That, or my world is shrinking and the rosy glasses that I wore even a few years ago no longer shield me from the conflicts that had seemed far away.  Regardless, I don't remember feeling such a sense of urgency around difficult issues as I do now.

There are so many things I'd rather not have to discuss.  I wish we weren't forced to wonder why it's necessary for former Representative Gabrielle Giffords to beg Congress to enact responsible gun control legislation two years after she was shot with weapons that were purchased legally.  You'd think we wouldn't have to redefine democracy in the Middle East every five minutes because the will of a nation would be respected by its own leaders.  It would great if we weren't still arguing about what constitutes sexual harassment and/or assault and if women in the workplace didn't have to tolerate casual sexism alongside inequality.

But we do have to discuss these things.  The above stories were taken from The New York Times' website over the past few days - you know I could go on if I went back even a week into the archives or scrolled through other publications.  Our world is broken, and we have to confront the fractures in order to heal them; without taking responsibility to right the wrongs we see, we cannot expect to ever better our own circumstances or those of our fellow men.

Tomorrow would be Rosa Parks' 100th birthday.  I cannot imagine how uncomfortable the situation must have been on that December day in 1955, but she knew that it had to be endured to make an difference.  In her honor, think of something that you'd rather not discuss - and do until it's no longer an issue.