I’ve been talking about our upcoming trial on September 6, 2017 and listening to the responses. While people have generally applauded being arrested for civil disobedience most people have a negative reaction to the idea of going to jail for 3 months. “Is this the best use of your time? Couldn’t you just plead guilty, pay the fine and do something positive with those three months?”
(The six of us – one Catholic priest, three Catholic Workers of various ages, and two lay women – have pleaded not guilty. If we plead guilty, an offer of 50 hours of community service is on the table. If we plead not guilty, we could be looking at three months in the federal penitentiary.)
I’ve been mulling this while enjoying the sun this summer, spending time with “The Grands” and reading science fiction. Here’s a quote from Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie.
"'If you're going to do something that crazy, save it for when it'll make a difference'"... I still agree. The problem is knowing when what you are about to do will make a difference. I'm not only speaking of the small actions that, cumulatively, over time, or in great numbers, steer the course of events in ways too chaotic or subtle to trace... (but) the single word that directs a person's fate and ultimately the fates of those she comes in come in contact with..."
So, I’m doing something crazy here, and under no illusions that it will make a difference. Nonetheless, it feels like a prayer. It’s been a prayer from the beginning, from the moment Nick and I decided on January 1, 2017, to pray more intentionally about nonviolence.
Crazy
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