We are in the midst of parsing through the line of the Lord’s Prayer that is traditionally translated: “Forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Neil Douglas Klotz translates it as: “Untangle the knots within so that we can mend our hearts' simple ties to others.”

Over the last 10 days we are public witnesses to two assaults on men of color, one that resulted in death. Just today a 16 year old boy in Maryland was shot and Derek Chauvin is on trial for the murder of George Floyd that occurred just under a year ago. We are in the grips of two things that keep us from “mending our hearts’ simple ties to others:” violence and racism. They often inform each other. They continue to separate us from one another.

Untangle the knots. There are so many to untangle.

We sit with some despair as to whether this can happen without more violence, without more grief. What is the collective wail we need to lift up? And can we live as if hope for a more just society is possible and still face into the reality of what is? I like to imagine what bell hooks calls a “love ethic” applied to our laws and structures in such a way that they are protective for all. This could help us “pay our debts,” that are both psychological and spiritual.

Fact checks:

The majority of British police do not carry guns - approximately 90%! Read here for more info.

We listened to a beautiful life lesson from a little girl on “bringing our hearts down, steady on the floor…so that we don’t become monsters and eat each other.” Check her out here. Her teaching is all you need! Let us live as if her world is possible.