my first day at the united nations

overwhelmed does not even begin to cover it.

after getting a temporary UN badge, i turned a corner and was greeted by a chagall stained glass window. took my breath away.

"The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes. "

psalm 19:8

the theme of this commission on the status of women is the equal sharing of care giving between the genders, particularly in the context of HIV/AIDS. we sat in a room among women on the ground in the middle of the pandemic in Africa who were asking women in the north (their label, not mine) in the churches to use the power of their voices to ensure that funding gets to the women doing the grassroots work. i didn't realize my voice had that kind of power.

listening to the delegation appointed by the new presidential administration--who have begun work but still have to be confirmed by the senate--i was deeply aware that our country has already made changes. climate change is being dealt with differently. family planning in global conversations is being dealt with differently. the intersections of the economy, housing, health care, jobs are understood and none of the problem are being dealt with in isolation. the voices of the NGOs in the room were heard and some brilliant women from many sectors are working in the united states on these global issues.

we sat in a conference room, listening to ear pieces, hearing statements from delegates from all over the world--new zealand, burkina faso, cuba, united kingdom, paraguay, the democratic republic of the congo. my first time in a diplomatic space, i had to reorient my thinking about what i was hearing. at first, i felt like i was being sold a used car, being told versions of the truth. then i realized what was at stake, and at least this conversation was being had. there are other places in the UN to hold governments to account for what the say and the promises they make in these hopeful statements.

after all of this, sitting in the UN chamber, where colin powell told the international community that iraq had weapons of mass destruction, where the president of iran criticized the last administration, where the seats rotate so that no countries have priority, i started to think about the way we are challenged to be. gender equality is God's way, it is God's law. the value of each individual's rights, talents and contributions as God made us is God's way, it is God's law. when those laws give birth to the beautiful movements i saw today, all around the globe, my heart is filled with joy and my eyes are enlightened.