Who will lead us out of darkness?

A Surviving Facts blog

Each day brings new devastations. Our country deports American nationals without due process. Our country abducts American citizens off the streets threatening deportation simply for their using their right to freedom of speech. The Supreme Court permits such actions. RFK, Jr. and his incompetent appointees make every effort to ignore proven science and put in place tracking lists similar to Nazi Germany. The National Guard is deployed in the Capitol, although crime has decreased 30%, because “Big Balls” was carjacked. The person called president plans a review of items in the Smithsonian to assess whether they meet his definition of patriotism. The government removes sections of habeas corpus from the copy of the US Constitution on its website, 404 error in its place. The person called president rounds up and arrests homeless people rather than helping them. The Supreme Court is reviewing and could revoke same-sex marriage.

When does this stop? How far do we go? More importantly, who will lead us out of darkness? I’ve been thinking about this last question a lot.

I’m missing people like Princess Diana, Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa. Why? While they may have all had faults- I’m thinking particularly of Mother Teresa- these people were global voices for good, for the downtrodden, for the beaten-down, for the poor. They chose to speak out even when opinion was against them.

Princess Diana and Mother Teresa both engaged early in the AIDS epidemic. In 1987, Princess Diana shook hands with AIDS patients without wearing gloves. In their support house in San Francisco, Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity nursed dying gay men, helping them reunite with families who could be by their side at death. Both women touched the sick, unafraid of infection. They treated stigmatized gay men with kindness and humanity and spoke publicly about compassion.

Mother Teresa and Diana also challenged other misconceptions. They worked with people afflicted with leprosy, challenging the belief that it is highly contagious. They raised awareness of poverty and homelessness, highlighting social causes rather than blaming victims. They were voices of humanity, nudging us to think from compassion rather than judgment. Diana demonstrated the responsibility of extreme privilege; Mother Teresa championed love for the most unloveable. Interestingly, their shared compassion led to a meaningful friendship for both of them. They died within days of each other in 1997.

Nelson Mandela was the first Black president of South Africa, leading the country’s fight against apartheid. He also was a global voice for human rights, forgiveness and peace. He famously said, “Real leaders must be willing to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people,” a very different sentiment from our country’s current approach, which seeks to imprison rather than free. Mandela inspired the world to address prejudice and oppression rather than hide and deny it. He spoke openly about the great power of humans to lead humanity out of darkness.

He said, “Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” Think about this idea. Mandela is saying that humans fear their own ability to foment changes. With this idea, he led an entire nation and much of the world toward freedom. In comparison, US “leaders” today support separation and judgment The wealthy are better than the poor, white oppressors are better than those oppressed, Christian nationalists are better than those who truly follow principles of kindness.

These powerful voices are gone.

We do have champions: Ocasio-Cortez, Newsom, Reich, Crockett, Thornberg, and others. They are trying. California Governor Newsom has taken courageous steps to block various outrageous and illegal policies. Ocasio-Cortez and Crockett boldly challenge and question. Reich publishes daily criticism and analysis. Greta Thornberg has taken more risks than most adults.

I’m missing, however, the ethereal quality of Princess Diana, Mother Teresa and Nelson Mandela. I’m missing their global moral barometer and luminosity to guide us to better versions of ourselves. I miss their ability to transcend base humanity to find higher missions and purpose. I’m missing the vision of what we could be rather than what we are.

I’m not faulting our current outspoken leaders. I see how hard they are trying. But I fear we have fallen too far.

We have been thrust into non-reflective blackness- Vanta black, the blackest of all black. We swirl in the endless black hole of the present. We are trying to part the Red Sea. We are forty days and forty nights in the desert among wild beasts with no angels ministering to us. We are screaming, “why hast thou forsaken us?”

I say all this without drama. I am serious. This is where we are. Can’t you see it too?

I would love to hear from you, even if, especially if, you disagree. Perhaps we can bring back the American tradition of debate. Please like and share this blog with others. Subscribe to receive it by email and go directly to the Walk the Moon website (www.walk-the-moon.com) to peruse the full collection of articles and updates. You can email me from the Walk the Moon website as well.