"The World Turned Upside Down"
A reflection on light, faith, and hope
We might be a little late to the game, but we are definitely in our Hamilton-era. Maybe it was the trip to Washington, DC this summer or the Revolutionary War studies last year, but once we found the Hamilton soundtrack it is the only thing that can play in the car (besides the occasional Wheels on the Bus).
I have listened to the soundtrack often over the last decade, but something seemed to ring differently hearing my nine-year-old’s and six-year-old’s voices sing the story of the founding of our country, especially through an immigrant’s story.
After the battle of Yorktown, there is a repeating chorus that says: “The world turned upside down. The world turned upside down,” and every time we get to that song on the soundtrack, I have to try to pull myself together.
Because to be certain, the world is turned upside down.
We are detaining and disappearing the outsider. Children are starving because food is spoiling or is being destroyed before it can get to them.
We have lost track of what is really important in life: loving our neighbor, feeding the hungry, and clothing those in need.
As we watched the barricades go up and the monuments close so that a parade route could be established, I wondered what our kids would remember about our trip to Washington, DC. I hope they will remember the stories of those who fought for the silenced and the oppressed. I hope they will remember the leaders who rose up and spoke against injustice and capitalizing on the labor of others. I hope they will remember the beauty of the art and the curiosity that led to innovation.
I don’t know what the world will look like for them, but I know in this upside-down world, we will continue to tell the stories of those who rose up and fought for liberty and justice for all.
