just because you are

right now the boys have the voice of my childhood summers- the noises of outside playing, barefoot, warm, finding themselves in sticks and leaves and rocks- coming home with dirty feet and hands - with the smell of air and grass and the goodness of life.  i'm mildly envious.  the other day i climbed a tree to free a batman mask they'd tossed in the air and had gotten stuck.  the spontaneity of jumping up and grabbing the branch and swinging up- inching along- hands hot- stomach showing with the stretch of my body- bark in my eye- but connected with the tree- it felt so good (and won me instant heroism).  i could live outside- fo' reals'.

last night mike and i went to a panel discussion on human rights in a pluralistic society. it was frustratingly stagnant- full of politically correct language and people speaking to sound intelligent- but empty of true questioning- mostly empty of passion. but there was one man who spoke with a grass-roots knowledge and the perspective of years with his white hair and tanned skin- someone who lives in the trenches- who lives with risk and danger- for the sake of others who don't have a voice.  i loved him.  i felt (or assumed) his frustration at this ivory tower dialogue- that sounded pretty and kept peoples feet clean.  at the end- when i was extremely ansty for someone to shout something about how we hadn't really learned anything- how we hadn't been changed- or even challenged- he began to ask "what are you doing about human rights in this world?"  and students began to share about the meetings they were having, the human rights interest groups that had formed.  but he was relentless,  " what are you doing about injustice?" i so got it.  no i'm not claiming to be an older south east asian human rights advocate - but i understand that feeling of being overwhelmingly frustrated by the endless talk and talk and intellectualization of other peoples deep suffering- and our lack of willingness to humbly find our role in it. i sensed his sadness in the complacency of  not moving beyond words and into some sort of action.

afterward, it drove us to discussing our connectedness in this issue- and our differences, which was weird and kept us up too late. but it left me all day thinking about what are rights? how are they related to responsibility? how do we function as a world community around this issue? should we? do we?

and it raises issues of justice and equality, and the hierarchy of needs- and the possible universality of poverty- poverty of what? poverty of the material? of the spirit? of the soul? of community? and it raises questions of inherent human value- and what do we deserve just because we are a person?

after zoe's orthodontist appointment we met mike for lunch and saw his beautiful, new, cool architecture office.  at lunch mike and i were back on the topic of how we should define human rights- and zoe was interested in this- she thought it was only fair that everyone should have food.  so i asked how we should make that happen? "well we could take the cold food and put it in a cooler, and the rest and put it in boxes, and send it to the places where poor people live."  yes, zoe- give.  if you have two, give one to the person with none.  but who are the poor exactly? and where are they? and how do we feed the poverty of spirit?  how do we feed the de-valued person?

as we walked back from lunch we passed a guy setting up to play the saxophone on the sidewalk. he had his case open for dollars and change.  zoe couldn't resist.  she stopped and listened and told him his music was wonderful- what was his name? how did he learn to play so well?  who had taught him?  what was his favorite song to play?
she's so good at touching the lives of others- of giving value- of reaching into places of possible need.

last week when i gave my lecture on homelessness- someone asked the question- "what do they want? what is it that the homeless want?" i was kind surprised and tempted to say- what don't they want? their need is great- for housing and food and access to health care.  but i paused and said that i think they wanted to be treated with the same dignity, the same voice and expression, the same hope and faith, that you would have in the president of a large company- or a colleague- or your dad- because they are human- they have inherent worth - they were created in the image of God and are loved by that God, just as you and i are.

so that just might be it- our human right is to be valued as a child of God.  and zoe's gift is her pure vision - her ability to value with genuine equality.