Geoffery Fieger, a smart young lawyer in Detroit MI, was made famous for defending Dr. Jack Kevorkian who was charged and imprisoned for doing assisted suicides. Today Fieger has a TV ad for his law firm, and in it he states “If you don’t stand for something, you stand for nothing”. Kevorkian stood for something and in doing so forced conversations on a hot button issue. Fieger, like a skilled neurosurgeon, fearlessly and creatively defended Kevorkian in a much followed trial. Through it all, we reflected, deepened and grew in our personal, political, religious views.
These words “If you don’t stand for something you stand for nothing” cause me to pause, ponder, and question my own involvement, commitment to beliefs, ideas, and values. I know that sharing in a group, “giving witness” can be affirming and engrains one’s thoughts, beliefs. So what is the hesitation to blog when I have deep beliefs about the value of blogs and like to read what others have written? The answer is likely fear of being open, honest and of being criticized, and yet to speak freely is such a privilege.
So Fieger’s words give me a push. I do some self-talk about my hesitation and with convincing encouragement from a friend, turn to my art and write four Advent reflections. I learned it requires work, discipline, and sorting around ones deepest thoughts, beliefs, plus doing some weaving of words. All of that stretches one into another level of knowing, being and living.
I am convinced that many of the great speakers and writers who we admire today, such as Carol Zinn csj, Pat Farrell OSF, Beatrice Bruteau and others, are so successful because they read, reflect, pray and process ample information and come out of it all knowing anew, finding new questions and avenues to wonder about, explore. As a result, I suspect they become more fully alive and compelling as speakers/writers/believers.
We each have something we are called to “to stand for” or give a voice to. What continually comes to mind, that speaks to you, amazes you, creates dis-ease? Sharing is fruit of wisdom moving in our midst and helps to awaken our consciousness and experience of God. We are each a witness by our prayer, reflections, longings, hopes, concerns which makes for great diversity and oneness at a time in our world when we see growing fragmentation and loss of hope. Opportunities abound “to stand for something or nothing”.
Patricia St. Louis, CSJ