(Churches around the US and the UK have decided to conduct "Resistance Bible Studies" which I introduced in a recent "musing". All I ask is attribution - and feedback! Let me know your experience in leading or participating in this study. The companion text to the study (and to this "musing") is "On Tyranny" by Timothy Snyder.)
WE ARE THE RESISTANCE.
We resist the dangerous tilt toward tyranny in America.
We acknowledge that dictatorship can happen here, if we let it.
So we defend our democracy by practicing it with renewed vigor.
We vote in every election, but more importantly, we engage with each other in public life every day.
We leave no lie unchallenged; we let no disgusting deed become normal.
For every hour we spend in resistance marches on the streets, we spend ten communicating with our public officials.
We are active contributors in local organizations: churches, temples, mosques, civic associations, service groups, sports teams, art classes.
In them, we talk to our neighbors about civic affairs.
We maintain relationships with people who do not share our political views, and we listen to them with respect.
We know the difference between opinions and facts, between loud rants and serious debates.
We pay attention to the big picture, not just the latest scandal.
We follow the news and get it from credible sources, not propaganda outlets.
We read in-depth articles about public issues in reputable publications.
But we don't assume that credible sources are always correct: we hold all authorities accountable, however worthy of our respect.
We take care of ourselves so we can take care of others in this time of crisis, through spiritual practice, physical exercise, and healthy ways of living.
We believe that government, through the democratic process, is meant to serve the people in ways that the market economy cannot.
We work for government policies that reflect our moral values of freedom, compassion, peace, and social and personal responsibility.
We defend our Constitution, but more importantly, we defend our free institutions upon which its credibility rests.
We defend the freedom of the press, especially when the press says things we don't like.
We defend the free practice of religion, but not the right of religion to take freedom from others.
We defend free speech, especially when it is offensive to us.
We defend the checks and balances of the branches of government, knowing that absolute power corrupts absolutely.
We wave the American flag when we march, lifting it up as the symbol of our resistance to tyranny.
Because resistance is what it means to be American.