The moment we break faith

I can’t stop thinking about this poem by James Baldwin.

So much of liberal democracy entails trust in each other, in our willingness to contract and covenant with each other, and in our obligations to respect and honor each other for our collective benefit.

To have a democracy, we must have faith.

When we break faith, we turn friends into enemies—and over time ourselves against ourselves.

—JS

FOR NOTHING IS FIXED

For nothing is fixed,
  forever and forever and forever,
it is not fixed;
  the earth is always shifting,
the light is always changing,
  the sea does not cease to grind down rock.
Generations do not cease to be born,
and we are responsible to them because we are the only witnesses they have.
  The sea rises, the light fails,
  lovers cling to each other,
  and children cling to us.
The moment we cease to hold each other,
  the moment we break faith with one another,
the sea engulfs us and the light goes out.