The “We Do Care” Club

The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved. Since my people are crushed, I am crushed; I mourn, and horror grips me. Is there no balm in Gilead? – Jeremiah 8:20-22a (NIV) 

That cry from the prophet Jeremiah is an echo of our own distress at the world we are living in. The harvest of summer protests does not seem to have borne fruit in the form of an end to government corruption, weaponization of power, and mass oppression. 

The prophet’s question echoes down through the centuries, a bitter twist on a hymn that promises gentle relief: Is there no balm in Gilead?  

The balm in question was made from the sap of a tree that grew abundantly in Gilead, east of the Jordan River, not far from the Dead Sea. Proof that hugging a tree might provide more than emotional relief but could help with physical symptoms too. 

Why is Jeremiah’s hope of help wavering? Are there no more trees to yield the sap to make the balm? Were they clear cut by rapacious capitalists? Did climate change run them to extinction?  

We have to take our balms where we can find them. Melani Sanders is a viral sensation bringing relief to menopausal people everywhere with her “We Do Not Care” Club videos. She wears 6 pairs of readers, often sports pajamas, and deadpans her way through lists like this:  

“We do not care if we wear yoga pants, but do not do yoga.  

“We do not care about the serving size on the package. If we eat the whole package, that is one serving.  

“We do not care if the person in line ahead of us has moved up. We are not going to move up immediately. Our joints are in power saving mode.” 

Her videos are a gospel, an incitement to stop caring about what doesn’t really matter so we can keep caring about what does. Our willingness to care—to keep caring no matter the horrors—will heal the sin-sick soul of the world. 

Prayer
God, put me in power-saving mode, so I can care consistently. Amen.

About the Author
Rev. Molly Baskette is the lead pastor of First Church Berkeley UCC and the author of books about church renewal, parenting, spiritual growth and more. Sign up for her author newsletter or get information about her newest book at mollybaskette.com.