Five simple words.
It was a poster designed 70 years ago in Britain, as war with Germany loomed just over the horizon. One of several developed by the government, this particular one was to be used should a national catastrophe, such as invasion by the Nazis, actually have occurred. Millions of the poster were printed, but never used, but the message may be just as powerful for us in our time of uncertainty, fear, worry.
Five simple words . . .
Keep
Calm
And
Carry
On
In these days of rancorous, uncivil discourse over the issue of universal health care for all people, in these times of wonder and worry about how the job market will ever bounce back, when foreclosed families now live and sleep in shelters or on the streets, in these moments of looking just over the horizon, to see what evil might be advancing towards us, couldn't we use these five simple words?
Simply to remind us that when we keep calm, we are able to be that non-anxious presence that Edwin Friedman told us over and over again that our families, our congregations, our communities, our nations, our world needs so desperately. Simply to remind us that when we carry on, we are able to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, care for the sick, visit those who are held captive (literally and figuratively), to do all those tasks Jesus calls us to take on, that our families, our congregations, our communities, our nations, our world needs so desperately. If we keep calm and carry on, maybe, just maybe, we can face whatever lies over the horizon with resolve, with civility, with hope.
Five simple words.
(c) 2009 Thom M. Shuman
It was a poster designed 70 years ago in Britain, as war with Germany loomed just over the horizon. One of several developed by the government, this particular one was to be used should a national catastrophe, such as invasion by the Nazis, actually have occurred. Millions of the poster were printed, but never used, but the message may be just as powerful for us in our time of uncertainty, fear, worry.
Five simple words . . .
Keep
Calm
And
Carry
On
In these days of rancorous, uncivil discourse over the issue of universal health care for all people, in these times of wonder and worry about how the job market will ever bounce back, when foreclosed families now live and sleep in shelters or on the streets, in these moments of looking just over the horizon, to see what evil might be advancing towards us, couldn't we use these five simple words?
Simply to remind us that when we keep calm, we are able to be that non-anxious presence that Edwin Friedman told us over and over again that our families, our congregations, our communities, our nations, our world needs so desperately. Simply to remind us that when we carry on, we are able to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, care for the sick, visit those who are held captive (literally and figuratively), to do all those tasks Jesus calls us to take on, that our families, our congregations, our communities, our nations, our world needs so desperately. If we keep calm and carry on, maybe, just maybe, we can face whatever lies over the horizon with resolve, with civility, with hope.
Five simple words.
(c) 2009 Thom M. Shuman
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