To be perfectly honest, I have been wrestling with the idea of participating in the Women’s March since I first heard about it after the election. Initially, I considered going to DC, but it was cost prohibitive. Then a march was organized for Boston. It seemed so easy. I live nearby, I have friends in Boston, I know the city like the back of my hand, I even had the day off from work.  But something inside of me was holding me back. Part of me was afraid. Afraid of a shooting, a bombing, a rogue truck driving through the crowd. Afraid of being stampeded, getting lost, ending up hurt and alone. But then two things happened.

1. I read a blog post by the Rev. Wendy Vander Hart. Wendy is a mentor of mine, and it was inspiring to see her connect our faith with this march. It was the first time I had seen religion mentioned in connection to the march, and it made me think of the march very differently. I now consider the march to be a fulfillment of my faith commitment to loving my neighbor and working toward the vision to build a just world for everyone. The march, for me, will be a way to put my faith into action, and will hopefully be a way for all of us to promote the message that every single living being is worthy of dignity and respect.
    
2. I am a member of the First Congregational Church of Rockport, and at worship last Sunday, the Rev. Derek von Gulden preached a sermon titled, “Come and See” based on John 1:29-42. The sermon was about the invitation that Jesus has extended to all of us: Come and See. It is a call to action. Prayer and giving money are actions that most of us already do on a regular basis, and they are definitely good and holy actions to take, but it is not enough. Sometimes you have to accept the invitation to do more, to get involved with something that makes you feel uncomfortable. I thought Rev. Derek was speaking directly to me. This is the invitation I needed to hear. An invitation to “Come, and See.” Anything can happen. Which made me realize that NOTHING will happen if we do not accept the invitation. Complacency and fear will paralyze us and will not bring about the change we need in this world. So I accept the invitation of Jesus to “Come and See.”

As a progressive woman, feminist, and ordained minister, I feel called to make our world a better place. My hope is that I will see love, peace, beauty, compassion, kindness, and understanding at this march. My hope is that all participants in the march will BE love, will SHOW love, will do everything with LOVE in mind. And not just love like you love pizza, but love that is unconditional, self-sacrificing, active, volitional, and thoughtful. Agape Love. Love is our reason for being, our purpose for living. Everything we say, every decision we make, and everything we do should be done in Love. Because love is all there is. I look forward to helping BE LOVE at the Boston March. Come and See me there!