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Communicating In Crisis: The First 100 Days

How, why, when and in what manner can we best share information and communicate about political realities during this time in the United States? A parish minister of almost thirty years shares some suggestions for friend groups and faith communities.

First and foremost: verify what you are sharing. Is it true? Is it accurate?

Then stop and ask yourself:

Why do I need to share this right now? These are some good reasons…

•Because there is immediate danger to the local community, people we know and care about, or a request for immediate action and physical presence somewhere.

•Because it’s highly likely that the person you are contacting does not know this information and needs to know it. If this is not likely, consider holding off.

•Because you need comfort, prayer, presence. If so, ask!  E.g, “This executive order just came in and I need to breathe with someone for a few minutes.”  Be sensitive to other people’s anxiety and availability: leave room for them to tell you that this is not a good time.

2. How can we share information without increasing stress? A firehose of news is not productive or helpful.

•Strategize with friend groups how to share information so that there is discretion for all participants about what is being shared (eg disturbing images), that the channel is mute-able, that it is on an encrypted platform, that it never contains incriminating content (even jokes), and that everyone considers their responsibility for tone and intention.

•Refrain from screaming (ALL CAPS).

•Use access to leaders and organizers judiciously. If you are a frequent sharer, consider a weekly round-up. Do not expect a response. Please do not contact leaders and ask, “what’s up?” They will not have time to respond. Visit relevant websites, reliable news outlets and local chat groups. Remember that misinformation flourishes in all of these places, and some of that is intentional.

•Take care of your feelings. Just because friends are making different decisions about how to stay informed, not sharing/posting the same content or any content at all does not mean they don’t care. “Lecturing frightened people is bad praxis.” – someone on Bluesky.

4. “The church should do…” The members and friends in the community are the church! If you have a program idea, see if at least three other people are interested and be prepared to lead it or support it. Then ask us how we can support you by reserving space, figuring out how to structure it, and promoting it.

Remember that chaos and cruelty are the point. Get your sleep, eat regular meals, drink water, touch grass.

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What Are We Going to DO? Post-Election 2024

A thing I don’t recommend saying to yourself or to anyone else is: “HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET THROUGH THIS?”Statements like this are too open-ended and signal to your brain and body that you are in distress. They are non-productive. Be aware of how you talk to yourself and others. What we put out and how we focus our minds will either drain or create energy. At the very least, you want to maintain equilibrium.

Pay attention to how certain phrases and mantras activate anxiety and despair in your body. What is the point of that? Is it motivating? Is it helpful? No? Then compassionately consider other ways to direct your thoughts. Instead of cries of dismay or distress, consider the moment. What are you doing? What are you focusing on? Is there a direct threat coming at you? If not, then you are almost certainly able to adjust your focus from “AUGH” to learning and contributing. Set yourself a task. Research an organization, agency, community or individual that is doing the kind of resistance and support work you know is needed. Make yourself a student of their materials and how to get involved. Don’t expect anyone else to do this for you right now. It is your responsibility. If you want to know how we’re going to get through the next four years, ask yourself how YOU are going to get through the next 24 hours or week.

Adjust your oxygen mask. If you have children, they come first. Elders in your care are also a priority. You have to attend to your own mental and physical health, eat, sleep, earn money, keep your home and car functioning. Start looking at what is coming in small doses. You don’t need to follow the news every day. Think strategically without panic. Stay open, curious, and strong. If you have never considered that ours is an essentially violent, aggressive, brutal, sadistic, destructive species that occasionally manages eras of peace and generosity for small populations of people across the globe while others suffer, reflect on it. Adjust to it. It will help immensely. This is nothing new, and until you are facing the firing squad, you should not fall apart. Even when facing the firing squad, remember Fyodr Dostoevsky.

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Pebbling And En-Ragement

Let’s talk a moment about “pebbling,” which is the sharing of memes and little clippings from wherever you see them with individuals or groups. I do this with my siblings as a way to maintain bonds. There are things that I know will make them laugh and even though I know I might be irritating them in the middle of a work day or busy time, I pop something into our sibling text. I think we all know someone who does this perhaps a wee bit excessively, and sometimes we have to turn off notifications. Sometimes, if the person sends negative, nasty stuff, we may choose to block them.

Then there is a phenomenon of rage-bonding, where friends send an article that bears bad news for them and, they assume, for you. You have every right to ignore, delete, or respond as you see fit, according to your willingness and ability to engage at the moment, or ever! No one is entitled to your rage-engagement, or let’s call it “enragement.” And if you respond in a neutral or cursory way to such sharing, you do not need to accept or tolerate accusations that you are apathetic or colluding with evil or anything of the sort. We all have 24-hour access to a barrage of information. We have to choose how we consume this content, and curate our own information flow. I get a lot of interesting and even urgent missives and articles, and sometimes I simply say “thanks for letting me know.” Sometimes I do not respond at all. I try to have some priorities and areas of focus, which means that not everything makes it to my eyes.

I would not maintain a relationship with anyone who blew up at me and chastised me for failing to “engage meaningfully” with content they sent, because that behavior is disrespectful, controlling and emotionally perilous, ie, I do not consent to having anyone else’s distress transferred into my mind or body. Before we share anything, we might ask ourselves, “what is the purpose of this sharing? Do I want someone to be more informed? Am I asking them to take some kind of action?” Or is it more like, “This distressed me and I need companions in distress?” The first two options are fair and considerate. They still don’t entitle anyone to a response, but they’re legitimate. The second reason is non-productive and bears a closer look, by which I mean, knock it off.