POINTSOFVIEW | AT HOME ON EARTH
By Kyle Kramer
Let’s Go Big
Kyle Kramer
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’ve always been a small-is-beautiful sort of I should be quick to say that my pride isn’t person. I have an aversion to big: big busiblind or naive. I know that with America’s ness, big agriculture, big pharma, big brother, federalist system and deeply divided governbig box stores, and so forth—even as I, like ment, the vaccine rollout hasn’t been nearly everyone else I know, am hopelessly entangled as fast, smooth, or equitable as it could and in big’s grasp. should have been. I know that my good expeSince COVID-19 hit, however, I’ve been rience was most likely a function of where I rethinking some of my ideas live, my skin color, and my about big—especially since socioeconomic status. In a getting my vaccination for heartbreaking way, I know Our Christian COVID-19. In addition to that too many others, in my faith can be an feeling a lot of relief, as I had country and abroad, struggle essential aid for expected, I also felt something to get access to a vaccine— us as we discern, quite powerful that I didn’t certainly a justice issue if ever articulate, and expect: a profound sense of there was one. gratitude, pride, and even awe Even with all these evaluate largeat everything it took to get disclaimers, though, I am scale visions. that shot in my arm. still moved by how so many On the large scale, it took people mobilized and coopercoordinated efforts from ated to accomplish this large pharmaceutical companies to develop, test, goal of fast, broad-scale vaccination. We, who and manufacture vaccines at “warp speed.” have been gridlocked and dithering in the face It also took massive amounts of federal and of so many urgent needs, finally got our act state resources to manage the logistics of together and did something big. distributing those vaccines. On the small scale, I was moved by the SMALL ACTS LEAD TO BIG CHANGES kind, quick, competent people who welcomed Sometimes—actually quite often—you have me to the vaccination site, gave me my shot, to go big, whether it’s defeating the Nazi and braved the rain to come check on me regime, stopping a pandemic, or addressing twice as I waited in my car afterward for any the myriad social and ecological challenges adverse reactions. In all of this, I felt deeply that we currently face. So, if we can’t avoid proud of my country. doing big things, how do we do them in the
16 • June/July 2021 | StAnthonyMessenger.org
ISTOCK IMAGES: TOP: WARCHI; RIGHT: CNYTHZL
EarthandSpiritCenter.org
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TOP LEFT: COURTESY OF KYLE KRAMER; TOP: FERRANTRAITE/ISTOCK
Kyle is the executive director of the Passionist Earth & Spirit Center, which offers interfaith educational programming in meditation, ecology, and social compassion. He serves as a Catholic climate ambassador for the US Conference of Catholic Bishopssponsored Catholic Climate Covenant and is the author of A Time to Plant: Life Lessons in Work, Prayer, and Dirt (Ave Maria Press, 2010). He speaks across the country on issues of ecology and spirituality. He and his family spent 15 years as organic farmers and homesteaders in Spencer County, Indiana.
