I have been thinking about the phrase “stand down” and what it means for those who desire peace and crave freedom.
“Stand down” isn’t backing down. It is a powerful step in de-escalating hostility in dangerous situations.
To stand down means to keep your position and dignity, while honoring the truth that violence begets violence. It is like Gandhi says, “an eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind.” Standing down is a mantra for pacifists who are engaged in conflict. It is a prayer uttered by people who allow their better angels to keep them from lashing out in anger.
Standing down is a brave and holy act.
Lynne McFarland, one of my oldest parishioners at the chapel where I serve in Nashville, was recently arrested in the Tennessee state capital.
As she sat in silence holding a sign, Lynne was arrested for, what she believes with all her heart, was loving her neighbors. Lynne never gave in and never fought back.
Although in her eighties, she stood down as troops carried her down the stairs, handcuffed her, and placed her in a state trooper car. When we talked later, she said she had no idea that was going to happen, but that she felt ready.
When I think about “standing down,” I think of Rosa Parks, who stood down in the front of a bus and Gandhi, who led millions to stand down against the hate-filled actions of those in power upon those longing for freedom.
I love imagining the multitude on a hillside learning about standing down as Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers and it is a blessing to be reviled for one’s truth.
In those examples, standing down was born out of years of preparation and practice.
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For my eighty-year-old friend, who had buried her husband this year, it has been a faithful practice of the Prayer of St. Francis.
It has also been a commitment to volunteer at spaces like Thistle Farms where homes and jobs are offered to people who have known the short side of justice and the dark side of anger. While Lynn may not have anticipated her arrest that day, she had been practicing and preparing through her daily prayers and actions for decades.
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I have tried over thirty-four years of priesthood to practice pacifism. It is taking me forever!
Whether it was on the steps of the South African Embassy protesting Apartheid, or on the streets before we invaded Iraq in the early 2000s, I have tried to show up and stand down. When the peace that passes understanding infuses me with enough courage, I can keep cynicism, fear, and numbness from overtaking my heart.
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There is so much to gain from tension. There is so much to glean from the wisdom of justice leaders.
There is so much to grow in the fertile ground when we stand down alongside brave men and women who are laying down their lives for the sake of love. |
-- Becca Stevens