December 7, 2023
Listen:
Read Along:
When Did We Stop Dreaming Big
by John Bridges
The book, “Give Us the Ballot,” recently reminded me that we as a nation once turned big dreams into reality. The book chronicles the passage of the Voting Rights Act—from the decades of discriminatory democracy before it, to unprecedented numbers of black and brown faces at the polls and in the halls of government afterward.
While reading it, I came to the somewhat obvious realization that I’m the same age as that historic legislation. Growing up in the South, I saw firsthand the gains being made for racial justice and equality. And I’ve seen the efforts of those working to roll back the clock.
The book was a reminder that we the people can effect change for good. That we’ve faced bleak days and dark nights before. That dreamers and doers can change the course of history and right societal wrongs.
This Advent finds us in some dark times as a democracy. It’s easy to focus on the darkness, to be discouraged and to give up on our dreams for brighter days. Powerful forces want to pull us backward.
But the coming of the Christ Child reminds us that the light will win. It reminds us to dream big for the betterment of all peoples. It reminds us of the hard work needed to realize those dreams. We’ve done it before.
“We wait for new heavens and a new earth. ”
“O Great Dreamer,
You dreamed up the stars in the sky.
You dreamed up that magic baby smell and the way cream sinks into coffee.
You dreamed up the crunch of fall leaves and jazz music.
You dreamed up wisteria and evergreen and the pure magic that is a six-foot-tall sunflower.
And in the midst of all of that, you dreamed up a dream for your people—
a dream of hope and justice,
a dream for eyes wide open, to both the world’s suffering and the world’s beauty.
Plant that same dream in us.
Pour out your Spirit on our hearts and minds so that we may see what you see,
and dream what you dream.
Gratefully we pray,
Amen.”
