Tuesday, June 5, 2012

I stand with the sisters --buttons

We have a basket full of special campaign buttons that state “I stand with the sisters.” They are on display near our cash register for visitors to take and wear as it suits them. I am in full support of the women religious (nuns) and their plight with the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. In my humble opinion the women have been doing the work of Jesus in their daily lives and work as they see it, for centuries. The bishops are wrong in attempting to curtail their work, for whatever reason.

The buttons express the wearer’s support of women religious. I wore one the first day. I have not worn one in the past few days. Nancy, immediately upon seeing them this morning, pinned one to her blouse.

My reluctance to wear a button has me trying to discern my feelings. Obviously I support the women in the devastating decision by the male leaders of their denomination. I can, and have placed political yard signs in my yard, at times. But I have resisted putting political stickers on my car and have not been known to wear buttons.

As I think about it, I think (but the person any one of us can fool the easiest is ourselves) that my reluctance to wearing a button is that I do not want to draw attention to myself (yet I am writing this message, these thoughts, that can be read by people I may not know).

You go, you women religious. Stand up for your values and your ministries. Speak truth to power. I support you. I just think that I’m going to leave the buttons in the basket on the counter.