Shouting Defiance and Hope

The seed of the idea was planted in a Facebook conversation.  In response to the link to my latest letter to the editor of the Lancaster newspaper, a friend commented “shouting defiance and hope.”  I recognized the phrase immediately as coming from the song “Compassion Piece” by Carolyn McDade and replied that, in the coming months, that would be my theme song.

A few days later, as I drove into Lancaster to meet another friend for lunch, the final page of the song was humming in my mind.  “I ask you, will compassion walk past shadows deep and many miles long, shouting defiance and hope?”  That evoked anticipation of the thousands of women planning to march in Washington and other cities on the coming Saturday, shouting defiance of the bigotry, hatred, and abuse that marked the actions of the incoming administration, and hope that women and men, children and elders, would rally to build a nation grounded in justice, equality, and embrace of diversity.

And from putting the song with anticipation of the marches sprang the idea of a slideshow, made up of images gathered from friends across the U.S., set to Carolyn’s powerful words and music.  A phone call to Carolyn secured permission for using her song to prepare such a video.  Then I put out a call to friends and acquaintances for images that they would be willing to share in the days after the marches.  I quickly learned that solidarity marches and rallies were planned across Canada as well, with many Canadian friends willing and eager to help with my project.

In the days after the marches photos poured in from across the continent.  From news reports and social media I saw the global extent of the cries for human rights, for protection of sacred land, air, and water, for an end to abuse in all its many forms.  Thus was created the video that you see here.

The photos are from ordinary people who attended the marches.  Most were submitted in response to my requests.  In a few cases I saw an image on a friend’s Facebook timeline and was able to secure permission from the person who had posted it.  I have deliberately not used photos posted by news organizations or professional photographers.  As a consequence, the quality of the images varies considerably, and that’s okay.  They represent the passion and determination of what is now estimated to have been somewhere between 3.5 and 5 million people worldwide who gathered on January 21, 2017, to speak for humanity and for all of creation.

The following cities are represented in this slideshow:

Asheville, North Carolina

Atlanta, Georgia

Austin, Texas

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Boston, Massachusetts

Charlotte, North Carolina

Columbus, Ohio

Denver, Colorado

Edmonton, Alberta

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Hillsborough, North Carolina

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Lansing, Michigan

Nanaimo, British Columbia

Ogden, Utah

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Phoenix, Arizona

Portland, Oregon

Providence, Rhode Island

Raleigh, North Carolina

Sandy Cove, Nova Scotia

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Vancouver, British Columbia

Washington, District of Columbia

Winnipeg, Manitoba

And my deepest thanks go to the following persons who submitted photographs:

Barbara Barnett

Caitlin Colson
Candice Cobb

Carol Dague

Chancy Kapp

Cheryl Desmond

Chris Mann

Dawn Waring

Doug Evans

Elaine Stolp

Ellen Thompson

Gary Wilson (special credit for the Sandy Cove photos)

Grace Adele Spruiell
Gwenna Moss

Heather McLean

Jason Williams

Jean Stokan

Jeanette Stokes

Jen Hargreaves

Karen Birely

Kate Gillis

Kim Boyes

Kim Ronald Smith

Linda Kline Kelly

Mary Casey

Mary Hunt

Mary Lou Jackson

Mary Pendergast

Mary Rich

Mary Helen Sandoval

Myrriah Jane Osborne

Pat Raymond
Patty Critchlow

Peggy Case

Priscilla Snyder

Sally Bullas

Susanne Litke

Tammie Rinker

If I missed anyone, my apologies.  Please let me know so that I can add your name.

For anyone who can't access the video here, you can find it on YouTube.

Compassion Piece

Words and Music by Carolyn McDade

©1990 Carolyn McDade

Used by permission; All Rights Reserved

Love's firmest ground lies beneath the fragile

Within the vuln'rable

She shouts her deepest prayer

Love's firmest ground lies beneath the fragile

Within the vuln'rable

God shouts Her deepest prayer

that we walk naked

naked with open arms

among the people who leave the master's house

Our love to grow strong clearing away the stones

for a harvest sown in justice

fresh with wonder

The powerful shall bend to the furrows

The humble shall lift their own grain

and we, earth's people, embrace without shame

desiring the golden field

for all earth's people

You ask me of compassion, ask me tomorrow

Did we rise up unready and leave the master's house

with people robbed of the fields?

You ask me of compassion, ask me tomorrow

Did we take but one loaf among us

and seeds for planting more,

wrapped so loosely in coats of equal thread?

You ask me of compassion, ask me tomorrow

Did we clear away stones when to clear away stones was

an act of subversion,

when to refuse not to love was to break some law?

You ask me of compassion, ask me tomorrow

Did we answer God's prayer for rain,

passing buckets from the river

hand to hand to hand to hand?

Did we answer Her prayer for rain,

passing buckets from the river

hand to hand to hand to hand?

I ask you ~ will compassion

walk past shadows, deep and many miles long

shouting defiance and hope?

walk past shadows, deep and many miles long

shouting defiance and hope?

Oh walk past shadows, deep and many miles long

shouting defiance and hope,

defiance and hope,

defiance and hope.

Oh, will you come and let me go with you?