These days it is so easy to feel overwhelmed by wave after wave of deeply distressing events in our country and world. I’ve been looking for an alternative to becoming numb to the suffering and fear, and one of my colleagues, Dan Nejfelt, shared advice that inspired me: “Be a lighthouse, not a fire alarm.”
We are called to help people manage the heaviness of the times, speaking to the real dangers before us while still guiding people to a hopeful way forward. It can be easy for me to become a fire alarm in the midst of everything unjust and immoral going on right now, from the illegal wars and incessant attacks on our communities by the Trump administration, to the escalating danger of a changing climate. I often want to yell and scream, or just cry and run away.
Sometimes, we do need to raise the alarm, loudly and clearly. Part of our role at FCNL is to sound the warning over the policies and actions the White House and Congress may be taking that will cause harm. But, as Dan pointed out to me, a fire alarm can also create more fear. Fire alarms are only effective when people already know what to do when they hear it, and who will answer the call.
A lighthouse, on the other hand, may warn of danger ahead, but it also shows the way toward safety. It clearly states that danger is here, but it also offers hope.
Lighthouses also have personal importance in my life. My mother loves lighthouses. She has posters and puzzles of them, and we used to visit lighthouses along the North Carolina coast. Quakers use the idea of Light Within a lot, as do some other faiths. For all these reasons, I like the challenge of trying to be a lighthouse rather than a fire alarm.
It isn’t easy – in truth, it’s a tough job. Lighthouses get battered by wind and waves a lot. They witness storms that thrash and boats that crash. Their lights can waver or even go out for periods. Maybe they feel lonely at times. Yet, with the help of lighthouse keepers, they remain steady and keep showing the way. They are an image of strength and calm and promise of a more peaceful place amid the storm.
That is the kind of presence I hope FCNL can be on Capitol Hill and around the country right now. A calm beacon toward a better future in the stormy seas we are all sailing. Because there are plenty of fire alarms going off these days, but we could all use more lighthouses. We will need to keep nurturing one another like the lighthouse keepers, but together we can shine clearly and brilliantly toward the world we seek.
Thank you for being part of the FCNL Lighthouse!
