The Superbowl, Muslim Ban, and Compassion

So Superbowl 51 just happened. As we all know by now, the New England Patriots pulled off what was by the far the greatest comeback in Superbowl (and maybe sports) history to beat the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Most of you probably also know that I'm from Atlanta and have been an unabashed fan of the Hawks, Falcons, and Braves my whole life. So this one hurt. A lot.

I could go into great detail about all the reasons it hurt, like the fact that Atlanta owns only 1 sports championship in city history, Or that Atlanta sports teams ALWAYS seem to choke in the big moment (1996 Braves, 2012 Falcons, 2014 Hawks, and of course now, the 2016 Falcons come to mind). But for times sake, I'll spare you all that and just say that the biggest reason it hurt was because I wanted it for my city. I wanted it for Atlanta.

At a time where the ongoing issues of structural racism, LGBTQ rights, and immigration are at the forefront of our political landscape, I've never been more proud to be from a city with such a vibrant culture, diversity, and history. So when President Trump came out a couple weeks ago and called Georgia Rep. John Lewis "all talk, no action", and said Atlanta was "in horrible shape, crime infested, and falling apart", I just about lost it. How could he say that about such a prominent civil rights leader? How could he generalize so negatively about Atlanta? Needless to say, I was that much more ready for ATL to put a hurting on NE and golden boy Tom Brady, and to enjoy the parades, attention and celebration that come to every town that wins a world championship.

But enough on that. It didn't happen. It might not ever happen. So when I woke up and went to work on Monday I decided I would just put my head down, coast through the day without talking about the game if at all possible, and listen to a podcast while on my truck route. What I didn't expect was what would happen when I put on this weeks episode of 'This American Life', which was all about the ramifications of the executive order Trump signed into law temporarily banning travel from 7 countries. I drove around Nashville listening to the stories of Somalian families being turned away and told to make the 7 hr trip back to the refugee camp. I heard how some of them had been waiting in the camp upwards of 20 years (!) hoping to be approved to come to America. I heard how many of these people had already sold everything they owned, given up they're homes and jobs, and were no longer even in the books as camp residents. Listening to the podcast, I felt my heart sink in a way it hadn't in a really long time, and I quickly realized I needed to pull over. So I found the closest gas station, pulled in, and sitting in my work truck at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, I wept.

The honest to God truth is that in that moment, I was overcome by more than just sorrow for these families. I felt guilty. Guilty that while they're lives were (yet again) being turned completely upside down, I was sulking about my favorite football team losing a game. Now I know that guilt often carries with it a negative connotation, but I heard someone say recently that feeling guilty can be similar to feeling responsible. Sometimes, feeling guilty is actually a sign that your ready to take responsibility for something. And in a strange way, I think this is what was happening to me in that moment. I was hurting over a loss in a game because I somehow attributed that loss to the city of Atlanta. And not just the city, but the people in that city. And not just the people in the city,  but the issues facing those people. Issues like structural racism, LGBTQ rights, and immigration. Do you see where I'm going here? I'm not saying its right. In fact, I think its completely distorted. But somehow the Atlanta Falcons losing the Superbowl on Sunday allowed me to weep for Somalian refugees on Monday.

Aung San Suu Kyi, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and leader of the non violent movement for democracy in Bhurma, describes compassion as "the courage to see, the courage to feel, and the courage to act". She says that to live compassionately is to "see the connection between ourselves and those who suffer, to allow ourselves to feel that suffering, and to courageously take responsibility for those who suffer."

On one hand, its really sad that grown men playing a game for exorbitant amounts of money was the catalyst for my compassionate outburst on Monday. But on the other hand, what an overwhelming testament to the power of compassion! It has never been more apparent to me that compassion is the missing link to many of struggles we are facing in our nation today.

I believe that Sen. Bernie Sanders was right when he told Rep. Tom Price, Trumps choice to lead the Dept. of Health and Human Services, that "we are not a particularly compassionate society". Somewhere along the way, we've lost our compassion. Some blame politics. Some blame technological advances. Others blame social media. But I am convinced that the root of our lack of compassion is isolation. As insidious as hatred and fear are, they are not the greatest enemy of compassion. The greatest enemy of compassion is self interest. When your number one priority is you and your friends, its easy to hate people you dont know. When security rules the day, its easy to fear people you dont understand. 

One of the first things I explain when I teach on Environmental Justice is that the poor and the earth go hand in hand. Where you find the exploitation of one, the neglect and abuse of the other is often close by. And that if you are serious about seeking Justice, then a good place to start is entering into deeper relationship with the earth and those suffering in it. So here's my challenge. It's for myself but I'm sharing it here in case anyone's compelled to join in. This weekend, connect with something or someone on a deeper level then you normally would. Maybe its putting your phone down and going for a walk in the woods. Maybe its taking public transportation somewhere or sharing a meal with someone you normally wouldn't. Maybe you need to take to the streets and march for something you believe in. Maybe you need to stay home and meditate. But whatever it is, do it. Because connecting is what we need to be doing right now. And the more we allow ourselves to connect to ourselves, our Creator, each other, and the earth, the more compassionate we will become. And who knows, Maybe it won't have to take my favorite team from my favorite city catastrophically collapsing in the Superbowl to get me to see, feel, and act in compassion. Maybe, just maybe, we will slowly begin to live the compassionate life again.