Just Do It!

So this morning on CBC radio I heard a story about the beginning of the "Am I Next?" social media campaign. Holly Jarrett was the first Indigenous woman to take a picture of herself holding a sign reading "Am I Next?" and posting it on her Facebook page. Jarrett is the cousin of Loretta Saunders, another Indigenous woman who was ironically studying the phenomenon of missing and murdered aboriginal women when she herself was murdered. Since then the pictures of Indigenous women holding up the "Am I Next?" sign and calling for an inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women has gone viral.

I am interested in how this movement started. Holly Jarrett was understandably outraged at the death of her cousin and saw a pattern of treatment of all aboriginal women that led to violence. Instead of denying or distracting herself from her feelings she did something about it. I admire that. That action has now become a national phenomenon and regardless of whether or not we get a national inquiry many of us are more educated about the scope of this injustice.

I like to think that Jesus was a person who did not deny or distract himself from his feelings and that he too jumped into action instead. Like Holly Jarrett it was thoughtful action and both Jesus and Jarrett have been criticized by others. Taking the risk however, and stepping into action is admirable. By doing something you could start something that brings life and justice to others. This is the spirit that I try to live up to in my ministry and I hope that people at St. Martin's feel that they can "Just Do It!" and step up to the call of God to bring justice to this world.