hope

by

The March of Love and Hope

ON COURAGE AND LOVE—

MAGGIE’S VOICE

             Every Sunday the same group of women gathers in a small apartment on the ground floor of the complex to worship. Every Sunday they sing the same hymns.  Every Sunday they whisper the same prayer:

                        God feed our children—for they are hungry

                        God keep them safe—these times are rough

                        God give us strength on this journey—for we are tired

                        God keep us safe—these times are rough.

The worship service is a chance for these women to rest from the struggles of the week—a chance for them to be touched by a moment of peace.

            The worship service is especially important for Maggie.  Ever since she organized this women’s group, she has been under constant pressure. She’s recognized as “the woman who started all of this trouble.” Last week she had a rock thrown through her window. The week before that her youngest child had a bottle thrown at him on his way home from school. But Maggie is determined not to give up her fight.

            Today Maggie kneels by the board that the women use as an altar.  Her mind envisions what this world could be like. She imagines a time when no more children would die in the streets. She imagines a time when all people are treated with reverent respect. She ponders on what the world would be like if every day wasn’t a struggle for survival for so many people. But her mind is brought back to the realities of the moment by a call from one of the women.

            “Maggie, a newspaper reporter is here. Says he wants to do a story on you and that march you have planned on Sunday. He says you are really gonna stir up things if you really march all of the neighborhood kids into those churches on the north side of town.  He wants to be the first to interview you and print your story. “

            Maggie turned and answered them, “The time has come for a new world to be created.  It’s time for all that we see around us to fall to the ground.  And out of its remains our new world will bloom. And this new world will hold us all in a cradle of peace and love and wholeness.

            But for now, I am worried.  Should I tell God that I am tired of this journey that I began?  Should I call to the angels and tell them that I am turning away from our plans?”

            Maggie was interrupted by a voice from outside.  “Momma, look at me—I can do a cartwheel.”  And all of the children giggled. 

            Maggie gazed out the window and continued to speak. “These children just spoke to the future, not to me. They spoke to the world asking for a chance for laughter every day. They laughed for the new world to come. They laughed for me because the time has come for my laughter to be silenced.”

            She said this knowing the struggle that was to come.

            The reporter questioned her:  “Who are you really?  I have heard that you’re a strong woman and that you’re going to bring about big changes in this town.”

            Maggie turned to face him and said, “What else can I say while I’m still around?  Wish I could tell the whole world what I think, but the world wouldn’t listen. It closes its ears to the music—only hears its own humming as it keeps itself in motion. Wish the world could hear the song that I hear.”  And Maggie walked outside to play with the children.

            Neither the reporter nor the other women present truly understood what had just taken place until a week later when they were cleaning out Maggie’s apartment. Maggie had been killed by a stray bullet fired into the crowd during her march.

            One of the women found Maggie’s journal opened beside her bed. It read:  “I knew things were changing when that reporter came by. I knew that when more people began to hear my voice, then more people would want to silence my voice. But I had a choice, and I decided to speak for the laughter of the children. I decided to call out to those who never watched as the laughter ended. 

            I decided to walk in the light of love, hoping to make a difference in this world.  This journey is worth the struggle to me.”

            Underneath this Maggie had written:

            “1 Corinthians 13:4-7: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” There’s still hope and love…

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When You Take Away Hope

When you take away hope and opportunity for families to succeed, you weaken families, communities, and our nation as a whole. It breaks my heart that this nation passed a bill that will significantly cut Medicaid…a program that literally saved my life at one point. In Tennessee, it’s called Tenncare. When my husband left when the kids were younger, the health insurance was in his name. The court ordered him to continue to cover the kids, but he quit his job so he wouldn’t have to. I had to scramble to find a full-time job so I could cover healthcare for the three of us. I did, but…a few years down the road, my kids and my aging parents with dementia needed me. I took several part-time jobs so I could have a more flexible schedule, working 50 hours a week, but with the flexibility to schedule around appointments.

We were without healthcare until I enrolled in Tenncare. I was working three part-time jobs and was a primary caregiver for my children and a parent with Alzheimer’s. I wasn’t lazy (as the label seems easy to toss around by those wanting to end the program)…I wasn’t a “deadbeat” (word I hear a lot when I listen to the wealthy talking about why we should end certain programs)…I was “pulling myself up by my own boot straps” (another phrase often carelessly tossed at people in need) and was “being financially independent.” I paid taxes, paid my bills, and took care of my family while my ex-husband fought child support and quit jobs rather than pay it. Tenncare saved us…we got medical care when I needed to be present for my family. I’m not still on it. I was only on it for about three years until I bought my own insurance through the Affordable Care Act and then was able to go back to work full-time rather than work multiple part-time jobs.

What did I do with my life on Tenncare:

*worked 50 hours a week on three part-time jobs,
*raised my two kids as a single mom,
*took care of my aging parents…both eventually with Alzheimer’s.

What do my friends who rely on Medicaid for their families do:

*work,
*raise children with disabilities or face their own disabilities,
*take care of aging parents (which can run $200-800 dollars a day every day depending on their diagnosis).

Those who voted for this bill want to use language that implies Medicaid is a handout for people who don’t deserve it. Look at the truth of what Medicaid does. It saves lives…it builds stronger families…it offers hope in challenging times. So sad that we as a nation will turn our backs on those in need.

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Solace in Nature

“I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.” –Anne Frank

Today, I shared the path with deer pausing to study me as I studied them…I met the sun at the end of the path closing the day with one more glimmering moment of hopeful brilliance… I found remnants of winter’s dance across the land and found the determination of spring rising through the thawing soil…and I breathed deeply and carried the memories with me to remind me of the solace there until I could return…

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American Dream 2025

I keep seeing so much about politics and projects planned for our nation after the next election. People are grasping for power as if power will bring them joy or peace. Power over people only leads to despair and an emptiness that creates a craving for even more power because what was sought after doesn’t lead to fulfillment of any type. Power with people is what brings a stronger nation full of potential and hope. Power with people opens doors for all people to bring their creativity and ideas to the table. This leads to new innovations for problems we all face. This leads to beauty filling art galleries and music halls. This leads to medical research that brings hope to those who suffer. This leads to hope for all people.

Here’s a dream for America in 2025:

I have a hope that the sayings expressed in the beatitudes are breathed into life here on earth in this nation. May the poor in spirit, those who mourn, and those who are meek find blessings here in this nation. May we all be bearers of hope and comfort and respect. May those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and those who are merciful and pure in heart see the fruits of their labor growing and strengthening this nation. May the peacemakers know their efforts have truly brought peace to a divided land. May those who are persecuted find healing as they continue their good works.

I have a hope that the vision of our founders comes true. I hope that the dreams of the Anglicans, Baptists, Catholics, Congregationalists, German Pietists, Lutherans, Methodists, Jews, Mennonites, Moravians, and Quakers come true as they worked to build a nation free from religious rule. I hope the example of those who walked this land together knowing that they could each practice their religious beliefs and that they would not be forced to follow the beliefs of others inspire us to seek the wisdom they saw in embracing religious diversity and allowing others to seek God or their own spiritual path as they journey in life.

I have a hope that we will truly define our nation by the freedom we grant to all people. We will not hoard freedom in our own circles as if it is a limited commodity. We will see that freeing all people only strengthens our nation because we are showing the world what true strength and power look like. It looks like people standing together and working together without pulling others down. It looks like a place where all people are safe and can embrace their own identities and live and work and play without fear of being judged. A free nation is a healthy nation. A land of freedom means hope for all people. A land of freedom means we can work together to create a strong economy and healthcare system for all people to then thrive rather than just fight to survive. Let freedom ring throughout all the land.

I have a hope that we will be a wise nation. I hope that we will wisely examine our own prejudices so we can address what holds us back from following the ideals of freedom and justice and mercy. I hope that we will seek answers to the healthcare crisis in our nation and to the financial failures moving through our land. I hope that we will listen to the voices at the table and be willing to learn from each other. No one has all the answers. Together, though, we can find a path forward that will offer hope and stability and safety and beauty to our land…to all people in our land. We will be life-long learners who embrace exploring scientific studies and fund research and honestly explore history seeking accuracy and finding the stories that have been buried behind myths and wishful thinking.

I have a hope that we will be willing to address the mental health crisis in our nation. We have become a land where violence and abuse and despair flow from our communities because we lack resources to help people find answers and find healing.

I have a hope that we will care for the weakest in our land…that we will build communities that don’t take away from the strength of others but that do care for those people whose disabilities limit how they can care for themselves. I hope we care for those in need of medical resources. I hope we care for those who are lonely or scared or facing dementia and Alzheimer’s.

I have a hope that we will learn to care for this beautiful land we call home so the land can thrive as much as we can. I have a hope that we will keep our waters clean and our air pure. I have a hope that our parks will thrive and our natural lands be nurtured. I have a hope that our animals in this land will be treated with respect and cared for as part of our communities. We will fund our shelters and care for those pets who need to be re-homed. I have a hope that we are never the reason for the extinction of any species.

I have a hope that love wins and that everyone sees the beauty in that statement.

I have a hope that we work with other nations to bring global stability without the need for war. I have a hope that we help stop the need for killing so we can claim a power that is only fleeting anyway. I have a hope that we will help bring freedom and stability to other nations so that our world can be a place where hate and hurting stops, where peace and hope flow, and where all people of all identities and all genders and all races and all nationalities and all ages and all sizes and all levels of abilities are respected and granted access to resources needed to live out their days safely and surrounded by love.

What I know is possible…we can end gun violence. We can end domestic violence. We can work through and end prejudices. We can bring healing to those struggling physically and emotionally and mentally. We can stand together to build safer communities where racism is no longer real. We can offer equal rights to the entire LGBTQ+ community. We can create safe communities, including schools and hospitals and offices, for all transgender people. We can be stronger together.

Keep the hope alive in 2025.

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Every Now and Then

Every Now and Then

Every now and then I look ahead

and smile with joy at the hopes I see

where everyone in the land is living free

and hate is so faint that its power

has all but been erased

and I look at the present

and know that we are setting the pace

for equality to be reality

and for love to win

and I look back and see the faces

of those who cleared the path

for our today

where progress is real

and hope is embraced

and courage is clearly carrying us,

and I pause and say thank you

to Harvey Milk for the courage

to run and to serve and

to speak louder than those

wanting his voice to fade

and I see the steps of

Marsha Johnson and Sylvia Rivera

leading to the STAR house

and the hope that lived there

and I hear the voice of Barbara Gittings

who didn’t back down from the fight

to declare the worthiness of herself

and all whom she walked with

on the journey to demand

visibility and respect

and I read the words of Audre Lorde

who confronted injustices and disrespect

and was targeted for her race, her gender,

her class, and her sexuality

yet she persisted and wrote

to leave us all a legacy of

knowing better and doing better

and naming the wrong and claiming the hope

and I think of the teachings of Sue Sanders

and the strength of Lady Phyll

and know that we can

embrace their courage

and amplify their voices

and pick up the torch passed to us

so that what they began

will continue and

the path of love and hope

will change our tomorrows

and bring about the dreams

those before us could envision…

for the courage

for the hope

for the love

we honor the past

we stand strong today

and we hope for tomorrow

—Chris Pepple © 2023

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Darkness and Light

I am reminded by multiple friends this week that we are in a season of reflection on our move from light to darkness, fear to hope, grief to renewal.

Several acquaintances celebrated Purim this weekend, reminding me of the story of people moving from fear of annihilation to a moment of salvation. The story of Esther reminds us that an entire group of people were targeted for bullying and death, yet courage and faith brought another outcome.

My Christian friends are walking through Holy Week this week. They will face the story of the death of Jesus, the darkness of the tomb, and the hope of light and resurrection on the other side.

My friends who walk closely with nature are seeing the natural world awaken from the darkness and the cold of winter, finding a renewal through the light of spring and the warmth it will bring.

A young student studying Taoism reminded me that spring helps us to find a balance in life…a balance between light and darkness, cold and heat, stagnancy and movement so that we can find our own place of renewal and strength.

My friends and loved ones in the LGBTQ+ community are searching to find the light in these dark times…looking for hope against all of the laws that are trying to erase their identity. My transgender friends and loved ones face bullying and hate and uncertainty daily on so many levels, often coming from people they thought they could trust…their church friends, their neighbors, their teachers, their elected leaders.

Sometimes we find ourselves in darkness…in times of grief…in times of pain…in times of having a broken heart. We find ourselves torn away from the known and walking through uncertainty. We often can’t return to what we originally saw as light. We can’t go back to the same journey we were on. We are different. The times are different. But hope means there’s a new path waiting for us, a path where we will find love and peace and be able to shine that love and peace for others still searching.

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by

Easter Litanies for Transgender Day of Visibility

On March 31, 2024, many Christians will celebrate both Easter and Transgender Day of Visibility. Both days are equally important to many of us, especially in a year when so many laws are being targeting the rights of transgender people and when bullying is becoming the norm in schools across the nation. If you worship in an affirming church, here are a few verses you can add to your favorite Easter hymns or some litanies you can use in your congregations. Credit for all writing goes to Chris Pepple, but these may be used without requesting permission.

Palm Sunday Litany

“Hosanna, loud hosanna!”

all the people called

as they stood together in joy

welcoming their friend, their teacher,

their Shepherd, their Way.

We were the ones who called

out to be saved

before we turned on others

and asked for their arrest.

We were the ones waving palms

before we began to wave fists

at any we deemed unworthy

of entering our places of worship.

Save us from our paths

that have led us away from

the words of welcome,

the words that cheered

the one who taught us to love.

Save us from our laws

that lead us to shout

“Segregate and crucify the ones

we consider different!”

Save us from our own

unwillingness to remember

the community Jesus built

when he looked past the mores

of the religion of his day and

instead looked into the eyes

of the people who had forgotten

they were loved.

Let us once again stand together

in this nation and in this world

and call out in celebration

as we embrace the love

that came into our midst

so long ago…

to embrace the person who taught love

and offered hope and spread joy

and flipped tables and fed the people

and healed the hurting.

Let us stop the cries to crucify

and the cries to divide.

Let us stop the fear of otherness

and see that we are

better together.

Let us learn from history

and see that our story

can end with beauty

and hope and love

leading the way.

And the children sang

their praises and said,

“Let hope come today!

Hosanna to the One

who taught us that

loves leads the way!”

***

Easter Litany

When Jesus rises

God also calls our names

and boldly proclaims

“Rise up!”

Rise above the lies

that try to strip you of

your dignity…

Rise above the hate

that tries to bind you to

their splintered crosses…

Rise above the fear

that tries to toss you

in their graves…

You are an Easter people

loved beyond understanding,

offered hope beyond worldly limits,

given community to build tables

for all to join…shared tables

that join us in conversations

that unite rather than divide,

that bring understanding

rather than a litany of someone’s

self-defined transgressions,

that bring healing to the brokenness

and love to the hurting

and peace to all in the land…

May we remember to echo

the Easter words of hope,

“Rise up! You are seen!

You are loved! You are worthy!

You belong!”

**

Rise Up

Rise up, rise up!

Because Jesus is risen,

you, too can, rise up!

Because Jesus loved,

we can love,

because Jesus overcame

the fear, the hatred

and the lies

that entombed him,

because he rose

from the dark room

they banished him to,

we, too, can overcome and rise up.

Rise up, rise up!

Because Jesus is risen,

you, too can, rise up!

Jesus rolled away the stone

meant to forever keep him

from the people he loved,

from the community of believers,

and he has given us his Spirit

to roll away all barriers

that divide us and try to keep us

from God’s people and God’s table.

Rise up, rise up!

Because Jesus is risen,

you, too can, rise up!

Rise up! Rise from the grief and sorrow

of the events meant to destroy us.

Rise up! Rise from the barriers meant

to separate us from the glory of Easter morning!

Rise up! Hear the community of believers

call your name as they run

to the garden to find you!

Rise up! This victory is yours to embrace!

Rise up! You are loved, you are worthy, and

you have a seat at the table Easter morning

and forevermore.

Amen.

**

Love Lives

I love so many people I meet along my way

I know that hope is living, whatever foes may say.

I see the hands of mercy, I see new hope again,

and just when all seems lost in life, I see love win.

Love lives, love lives, love lives today!

Hope walks with us and carries us along life’s broken way.

Love lives, love lives, equality is near!

You ask me how I know love lives—I see it in us here!

**

( for Christ the Lord is Risen Today)

All our hope is rising today

Al-le-lu-ia

Reconciling voices all can say

Al-le-lu-ia

Transgender people, we do see

Al-le-lu-ia

Standing together with love for thee

Al-le-lu-ia

***

(for Easter people, raise your voices)

Easter people, raise your voices

words of love worldwide should ring

God has shown us loving choices

reconciling words, let us sing

Alleluia! Alleluia!

Transgender ones, I hear your name!

**

(for The Strife is O’er, the Battle Done)

Strife is still with us, the battle isn’t done

Equality for all isn’t yet won

But the work of hope has surely begun…

The hands of bullies have done their worst

put the power of love has dispersed,

let shouts of hope and peace outburst

**

Transgender Day of Visibilty

Today let’s all rise up and
celebrate visibility for the ones braver than those
who deny you,
stronger than the ones
who want you to hide,
more loving than the ones who
seek their own self-interests…
I see you
I love you
I stand with you
I march for you and with you
because you are undeniably real,
you are co-creators of hope
and designers of joy
and light bearers in this world
as you carve the path for your
own belonging through the rock walls designed to deny you your rights,
but you go forward
with strength and with love
and I see you.

—Chris Pepple @2022

**

To be read by a transgender person or a group of transgender people:

This We Say

Yesterday, today, tomorrow…

we have been among you

we are with you now

we will always walk this Earth…

we are the engineers and architects

helping to build your world,

the artists adding beauty…

the teachers leading a new generation…

the visionaries creating

what tomorrow will need…

we are beloved children

thankful for all fighting for change…

we are the strong ones

finding a way forward through pain…

we are the financial wizards on Wall Street

and leading performers lighting up the screen…

we excel in our field,

earn our way into the boardroom

and medicine and law,

dance every Pride,

write our stories,

compose new operas

and the latest rap hit

and know how to rock the night away…

we design the latest fashions

and love

and cry

and experience joy

and feel the sting of your words

and love anyway…

This we say…

we are transgender

and we are here to stay…

—Chris Pepple ©2023

by

Fruits of My Labor

Fruits of My Labor

I remember the first time

I baptized my soul

with the juice from 

the freshly picked blackberry 

that covered my tongue 

when my teeth broke 

through its flesh

and pulled the druplets

away from the whole…

I followed the new awareness

of the delight of the fruit before me

with the sweetness of a plum 

grown on my own land

against all odds as I 

learned to nurture the soil

and tame the tangle of weeds

that tried to devour my progress

and frustrate my soul 

as I worked to bring life

to what was buried beneath 

an almost unforgiving neglect 

of what should have been 

cherished as home 

and could still be 

the holder of hope,

and I remembered the witness

of those who taught me

to survive and to love

the feel of dirt moving 

through my hands

as I worked to understand

what I would devour

and what would try 

to devour me…

—Chris Pepple ©2022

by

The Dance of the Young Spirits

The Dance of the Young Spirits

I sat outside and pondered

all the lives lost and the grief

of all who are left behind

and I listened to the songs of the birds

floating from tree limbs nearby—

Mother Earth inhales my worries and fears

and carries them on dandelion seeds

that will become the hope for new life 

tomorrow—but for today

She exhales the very winds that

touch my soul on these grief-filled days

when sorrow lays heavy in my heart,

but as daybreak nears, I glimpse

a teacher’s smile and outstretched hand

calling to students who are rising

from the wounds they should never

have had to experience, but now

I see their spirits rise among us

and dance before us with a beauty

that only the forever healed can show

and they encircle us and call us forth

to be the ones to join them in

this dance of the spirits

and to sing their names as we move

free from their dance and as we

face the sunrise without them

and decide how we will walk

into the future with the promise

we whispered to them that

no more would have to join their dance

before their time and no more

names would be written into the heart

of Mother Earth who grieves all who fall

into her arms by the hands of another…

Can you see them rising into the morning

and saying their own names as they

move into their forever without

finishing out their todays…

I hear their names and promise

I heard their pleas…

—Chris Pepple ©2022