Photo Credit Sonia Sanmartin

Navigating Tension-Filled Times
 

Stealers Wheel nailed it: “Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am, stuck in the middle with you.” (pun intended =) Welcome to life in 2025, where everyone has a hot take, and somehow, we’re all just trying to make it through without losing our minds (or our souls).

Today’s lectionary passage hits us with a question: What is mine to carry in the stuckness of it all?

“If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)

Okay, deep breath. Time for a gut check. In these days of division, outrage, and people throwing verbal grenades on social media, we need to ask:

  • Am I actually helping?
  • Or am I just adding more noise to the clown-and-joker circus?
    Sustainable engagement means checking ourselves before we wreck ourselves (and others).

And let’s be honest—there’s never a shortage of people ready to tell you exactly what your role should be. Because, obviously, their part must be your part too. (Bless their hearts.)

How Do We Engage Without Becoming Part of the Problem?

  • Clarity > Reactivity. There’s a fine line between righteous anger and a full-on rage spiral.
  • Silence isn’t golden, but neither is shouting. Speak up, yes—but make sure it’s rooted in love, not just the need to win an argument.
  • Stay in your lane. You don’t have to be an expert on everything. Know your gifts, use your voice, and resist the urge to micromanage the world.
  • Rest like it’s your job. Burnout isn’t a spiritual gift. Step away, recharge, and come back ready for the long haul.

Howard Thurman, in Jesus and the Disinherited, speaks right to this. He reminds us that following Jesus isn’t about passivity—it’s about resisting fear-driven survival strategies and embracing a way of love, justice, and nonviolent resistance. Which, let’s be real, is harder than firing off a snarky comment online.

How Do We Resist Evil Without Becoming Jaded & Cynical?

Ditching Power Plays & Fear-Based Living

*“He who fears is literally delivered to destruction.… The fear that segregation inspires among the weak in turn breeds fear among the strong and the dominant.”  —Howard Thurman

Translation? Fear shrinks us. It twists our conscience, makes us hoard power, and convinces us we have to fight dirty to survive. It segregates us. Jesus’ call to deny ourselves isn’t about weakness—it’s about refusing to play the fear game.

So, what’s yours to carry?
Let it be love. Let it be truth. Let it be the way of Jesus.

And maybe, let it be fewer Twitter fights. Just a thought. 😉

*Extracted from Thurman, H. (1949). Jesus and the disinherited (Chapter 2). Abingdon Press.

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You can join us in June for 4-days of –
“who am I and what is mine to carry?” with the Enneagram Harmony Model.

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Love God, Neighbor and Self . Sharpen personal and professional skills with the Enneagram here.