When I was in elementary school, I very much wanted to have the approval of, and be seen as special by the adults around me. One path to that end was that on the coloring pages we received, I would trace over the outlines of the picture with thick, heavy lines. It was then easier to color the right way and stay within the lines.

As an ordained Christian minister, I was preparing, for the umpteenth time to preach an Easter sermon when the impact of Jesus’ resurrection finally dawned: God boldly and intentionally colored outside the lines. and made a mess of the world as we see it, by turning it upside down. God did not please or gain the approval of most of humanity. God created a new life without the thick, heavy lines we humans had drawn. Because “What matters is a new creation.” (Galatians 6:15)

With chaos and divisiveness increasingly swirling around our nation, and in the initial devastating sense of powerlessness with the passage of the “Big Beautiful Bill,” I know it is time, again, to color outside the lines.

Yes, I will continue to write letters and postcards to our members of Congress. Yes, I will continue to make phone calls and join in the organized peaceful protests. And I will continue to say no to the artificial yet all too real lines that created hatred, discrimination, racism, violence, hunger, homelessness, and the great divide between rich and poor. I will also dare to color outside these lines.

I will redouble my commitment, not with my words alone but by how I act. I will act: to love my friend and my “enemy;” to open my hands wider to share my wealth and my food with those who struggle to pay bills and feed their families. I will dare to go beyond the safety of the lines I have drawn and risk the messiness, in my own world, in order to be part of a new world of justice and mercy and liberty for all.

“Let’s not get tired of doing good, because in time we’ll have a harvest if we don’t give up. So then, let’s work for the good of all whenever we have the opportunity…” (Galatians 6:9-10)

Patti Welch

Bristol