If I Stall Will It Just Go Away?

Recently a friend jeopardized her career and her reputation to report some issues at her job. It required going over the head of the boss who had refused to listen to her. It led to pain for her and pain for her boss and pain for some people caught in the middle.

But finally, she was going to get some satisfaction. The higher-ups insisted her boss sit with her to compile a list of issues. A meeting was scheduled to discuss the issues and create action steps.

Then it was cancelled and rescheduled. And cancelled and rescheduled again. And then just cancelled. 

She wonders if the multiple postponements are in hopes that it will all just eventually go away. The more time that passes, the less sense of urgency there is for the big bosses to solve anything, to make hard decisions. And nothing gets solved.

Today I was thinking about how often I pull the same stunt when it comes to social justice issues.

The horror of a dead child in a red t-shirt on a Turkish beach shocked the world—and me. A church member asked what we could do and sent a link to information from We Welcome Refugees and our local Church World Service. What could we do, she wondered. Could we sponsor a family? Several of us were going to meet.

But life intervened. A broken arm for me. A fried computer, a retreat, and two funerals for my husband. A new job for her. No meeting.

A week ago my husband sent us another email. What are our thoughts? What might we want to do? None of us has answered it. It sits in my in-box waiting for a more convenient time (while refugees die).

I’m tired now. It’s 9 at night as I write this. My broken, cast-enclosed arm aches. My work surface looks like a bomb exploded on it. I just want to chill.

Instead I am determined to at least answer the email—today—to help get the conversation started. I am determined that the minimum I will do this week is take a photo of Les and me holding a “We Welcome Refugees” sign (see this and other ideas from Ann Voskamp here) and post it on social media, challenging my contacts to do the same and to also make at least a $15 donation to an organization assisting the refugees (which we will also do this week).

Feel free to hold me accountable, to ask about the email, the conversation, the donation, the next step. Look for the photo on Facebook or Twitter.

I’m tired of postponing the things that matter because I’m overwhelmed and they seem too big. Or because the solutions are hard. Join me. Postponing doesn’t solve anything.