Apathetics Anonymous

Last Sunday, Texas State Representative Lon Burnam preached at the Cathedral of Hope. He suggested that our culture, and even our own community, needs a 12-step program to recover from the apathy and malaise that has engulfed us for the past eight years. In addition to being a uniquely progressive State Representative from Ft. Worth, Mr. Burnam has served since 2000 as the Executive Director of the Dallas Peace Center. That organization has been one of our most consistent partners in our mutual struggle for peace and justice in this region.

Below are Rep. Burnam’s steps to recovering our passion to change the world:

1. Admit that you are not powerless to change the world.
2. Believe that a Power greater than you desires peace and justice and is working to restore it.
3. Make a decision to turn the results over to God; concentrate instead on the work.
4. Make an inventory of what it is in the world you want to change and what skills and resources you have to change it.
5. Recognize where you have not done all you could to work for peace and justice.
6. Be entirely ready for frustration and feelings of futility.
7. Ask God to help us find joy in the work, regardless of the results.
8. Be aware of how we can be agents of oppression.
9. Make direct appeals to those who work against us: politicians, religious leaders and captains of industry.
10. Continue to always look for ways in which we can strive for peace and justice.
11. Seek, through dialogue and action, to be committed to the work for equality, leaving the results to God.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, work to carry this message to all apathetics, and to strive always for peace and justice.

As the economy continues to worsen, it will be greatly tempting to pull back and take care of ourselves. We, who are people of faith, know that is an evil temptation because compassion, mercy, justice and peace are the will of God. Resist the evil call of apathy and pray that God will show you a new way to use the energy of your life to leave this world better than you found it.

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As part of its commitment to ensure equal rights for all people regardless of economic status or race, Hope for Peace & Justice will embark on a journey to educate its members about capital punishment. At the heart of our mission to equip progressive people of faith to be champions for peace and justice are values such as hope, acceptance, repentance and forgiveness. The death penalty is in opposition to all of these. Yes, some people do terrible things and should never be allowed out of prison, but surely no person is ever beyond repentance and forgiveness.  As Sister Helen Prejean said, “People are worth more than the worst act of their life.”

The three-month journey will commence on Sunday, July 20 when singer, songwriter and speaker Sara Hickman joins Cathedral of Hope for both its morning worship services, and presents a special concert at 7:30 p.m. that evening Sara, a longtime friend of Cathedral of Hope, has teamed up with the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (TCADP) on the “Music for Life” concert series, which combines music and discussion in one Texas city per month. We are honored to be the host, along with our co-sponsor, The Dallas Peace Center, for her visit to Dallas. Tickets are $15 for Adults and $5 for Students. Click HERE to get your Tickets NOW!

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