This past week in response to the news, I have been reflecting on blame, and the ways we respond to failure, disappointment or thwarted desires. On Friday, I sent a longer reflection, which you can read here.
In the meantime, a song was percolating in the back of my mind, and finally came forth. To give you some context for some of the verses, in the news articles about the fatal stabbing of five women and a security guard and the wounding of a dozen more women in Sydney, Australia, the assailant’s father blamed his son’s mental health and desperation about wanting a girlfriend as the reason for his rampage. The wars in both Ukraine and Gaza are, at least in part, about a land grab. In all of the news you can hear a much different perspective depending on who is telling the story.
Who Do You Blame? by Nancy Willbanks
I imagine this song as a pocket song where you might add your own questions for the verse, and then repeat the chorus. I’ve recorded the first three verses here:
As a warning, this is a really insidious ear worm of a song, especially given the many opportunities to witness the blaming, burden bearing and scapegoating that is going on in the news. I hope it prompts some self-examination. Again, if you want some more in-depth resources on dealing with failure and blame, see my Friday reflection here.
Reflection Prompt:
In any given situation, are you aware or asking: Who do you blame? Who bears the burden? Who is the scapegoat?
What verses would you add to this song?
We’ll Blame the Rain
We could blame the rain, but what good does that do? But no one wanted to walk in the pouring rain here yesterday, we will try to walk again on our “in case of rain” date. Join me and my friend Tom, the Shalem New England coordinator, for a Contemplative Nature Walk, now on Sat., April 27, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. at the Alewife Brook Reservation, Cambridge, MA. See the details here. Be sure to RSVP here so that we know to wait for you before starting our walk, or if, weather is not cooperative next Sat.
More Prayers Requested
As my friend Tom and I were in conversation about postponing the Contemplative Nature Walk, he shared that he had had a really horrible week at work because of the stabbing death of a colleague. He and a colleague were asked to break the news to, and work with, her family. It was a tragedy that just should not have happened. So please pray for Tom and his colleagues, for the family of the woman who was killed, and for the man she was dating who stabbed her.
Last week I celebrated and raised prayers for my friend Jeremy who is donating a kidney. He got COVID and so the surgery was postponed from last week until April 25. He started the donation process because a friend is in need of a kidney, but he decided to donate no matter what, in hopes that somehow in the process of donations and matches that his friend would get a kidney. The cool thing is, he and his friend turned out to be a match. I continue to celebrate his dream for his friend’s quality of life, his bravery, and generosity, and pray for skillful medical personnel and speedy healing for both of them.
I am writing longer reflections that come out on Fridays that go out only via email, and this last Friday, I reflected on blame, failure, temptation, fear, desires, dreams, scapegoats, love, justice. You can read it here. If you’re not already on my MailChimp list, you can subscribe here: http://eepurl.com/ilgIE9.