Talk to People as if They are Angels

Social activist Dorothy Day once noted that, despite her impatience and strong opinions, she sought to “talk to men (sic.) as if they are angels.” I think the mystical activist meant that in times of challenge – and especially in times of challenge – it is important to address others with respect and compassion. Day believed that deep down, we are all one as God’s beloved. We are all kin, left, right, and center. There is no “other."

Day claimed that she discovered the solidarity of all life during her first experience of incarceration for civil disobedience, “I was that mother whose child had been raped and slain. I was the mother who had borne the monster who had done it. I was even that monster who had done it.” She also realized that within God’s earthy body, “I was no longer a young girl, part of a radical movement seeking justice for those oppressed; I was the oppressed. I was that drug addict, screaming and tossing in her cell, beating her head against the way.” (For more on Dorothy Day, see Bruce Epperly, “Mystics in Action: Twelve Saints for Today,” Orbis Books, 2021.)

In this time of polarization and incivility, I have sought to live by her wisdom. It isn’t easy. I still have visceral feelings of disgust when Donald Trump appeals to Qanon sentiments at rallies and when I observe the crowds at these rallies filled with rage over CRT, undocumented immigrants, drag queens, and mainstream media. I think to myself, “these people are subhuman.” And, then I catch myself, and remember that we are connected and that I can challenge their viewpoints and the destructive policies of politicians who incite their anger and see a glimmer of the divine behind the hateful exterior. I realize that despite their scathing critiques of the wealthy and powerful, prophets like Amos were motivated by love and their hope that the perpetrators of injustice would find their way and escape divine judgment. Injustice shrinks the souls of perpetrators. As pastor and activist, and Deputy Director of Faith in Action, Michael-Ray Matthews notes, “White nationalism hurts white people.”

I have found a spiritual practice that helps me respond to my feelings of alienation. I do not want to blunt my concern for social justice and opposition to racism and earth destruction, but I know that if I succumb to hate or condescension, I am giving in to my “lower angels” and adding to the alienation. In this practice, when feelings of alienation and judgment surface, I do the following:

· I pause and breadth deeply, opening to God’s presence.

· When I feel a sense of spiritual calm, I take a moment to pray for the wellbeing of those whose behaviors and words disturb me.

· I conclude with prayer for guidance as to how best to respond to injustice, racism, and incivility.

We may always struggle with our own feelings of alienation. Still, when we respond prayerfully we experience the inner peace we hope for in the eternal world, and can awaken to ways we can find common humanity – and perhaps areas of common ground – with those whose policies, words, and actions differ from our own.

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Bruce Epperly is a pastor, professor, and author of over sixty books, including Prophetic Healing: Howard Thurman’s Contemplative Activism; Walking with Francis of Assisi: From Privilege to Activism; and Mystics in Action: Twelve Saints for Today, which includes a chapter on Dag Hammarskjold’s mystical activism. Currently “retired,” he is an active grandparent and is working on a text on the Prophet Amos words to America. He can be reached at drbruceepperly@gmail.com.