(Published to Substack. Driggs Idaho, 2025)

You know the Hollywood trope. The protagonist stands at a podium with a handful of notecards and a reluctant expression. Sometimes, they even begin to recite the prescribed narrative, but suddenly they crumple the cards and mumble fuck it. What follows is righteous, poetic, a clear proclamation void of umms. In the movies, this plays out one of two ways: the audience is stunned or rejoices. Either way, this heroic delivery was comprehensive and effective.

Reality is not like this. The more passionately you feel about a topic, the harder it can be to articulate, especially for those untrained in oration or writing. Especially when responding to someone who has insulted or threatened you.

For example, maybe you are standing at a podium speaking to the newly elected president who has promised violence and jail time to those who oppose him. You are speaking to the newly elected president, who is a convicted criminal and a rapist. You are speaking to the newly elected president, and it's on you, because no one else has said it. How do you speak truth to power?

On Jan 22, 2025, Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of Washington, crumpled the notecards of conventional platitudes. Instead, she made a measured and articulate request that the lives of marginalized people be considered. She could do so clearly and calmly because she’d rehearsed this mantra countless times: Have mercy. God is good.

I am not suggesting that we all join the clergy. Here is my advice: identify your values, clarify them, develop a stance and write it down. Then, practice saying it. Not because you can change the minds of those who disagree with you, but because your allies will hear you, and be empowered to find their voices. The more clearly you communicate your stance, the more accessible it will be to people who are tired, confused, or overwhelmed. Spend time distilling, editing, and practicing for your fuck-it moment. Righteousness can not be ad-libbed or half-assed. We must rehearse it, and forgive ourselves if our voices shake a little.