Will We Still Care in a Week?

An angry post (and I’m preaching to myself, too).

The true test: Will you still care in a week?

In a week, most people will have forgotten why they raised their voices for “justice.” It’s trendy to appear socially aware instead of having social awareness. It’s the easiest way to get attention and look relevant and collect a choir. A post (like this one) which publicly announces a pseudo-rage against injustice often just adds to the neon circus carnival without actually engaging an important human issue. Will you really be “praying” for the families? Will you really send “thoughts and condolences” to them? I’ve quit declaring things like this long ago, because they’re too easy to regurgitate and don’t accurately reflect a furiously bruised heart.

If we must fight for justice, then don’t end it on your social media – but let it be everyday, on the streets and at the dinner table and for the neighbor you can’t stand. Genuine grief and anger doesn’t need to win points and debates with disembodied strangers online. The internet is necessary, but not sufficient. If we’re going to raise our voices, I hope we can push back our chairs and roll up our sleeves and call out injustice where we see it. That’s even if your voice trembles and even if you feel self-righteous and even if no one is looking and even if no one notices.

Everyone can talk about change. We’ve been talking about change for fifty years. Very few of us will be the active rogue elements in our respective communities that actually go upstream against the current. Only a few of us will quit caring how we sound. We will care about our human story without having to announce we care – for they will know by our rolled sleeves and shaking voices.

— J.S.