In a world of rage, Fes brought the power and politics of Love / A.J Hendry

In a world of rage, Efeso showed us the power of a smile, of a gentle word, of a genuine question, of a listening ear.

Fes gave me courage.

Even before I had the privilege of getting to know him personally, I would hear him on the radio, or on TV, championing our people, fighting for our young people, standing for Justice, refusing to give up on what is right.

Working frontline, seeing first hand the horror that our collective apathy has unleashed upon our communities, the poverty, the houselessness, the suffering, it can at times be draining listening to the news.

Especially when our politcal leaders are just so far removed from the reality our people are struggling through.

And yet Fes wasn't. He was with us. I can't remember how many times I've felt tired, nearly burnt out, ready to burn the system down, and than his voice would come on the radio, saying the words so many of us wanted to say. Speaking truth to power. Reminding us that we aren't fighting alone.

That Fes is there, in the halls of power, fighting the fight, championing our cause, standing with and for us.

In the few times in recent years when we had the opportunity to sit and have coffee, the kōrero was always rich, and inevitably turned to the faith we shared, and the challenges of holding to the way of Love while building bridges across political, theological and ideological divides.

So much has been said about Fes' humility, grace, his ability to take on new information, to be challenged, change his own perspective, and to grow.

For all these reasons and more, he was a different sort of politician. He held staunch to his values, he stood for what he believed was right, and yet he refused to dehumanize those who disagreed with him. He chose Love, extending grace and friendship to both the poor and the powerful.

The diverse array of people who joined together to grieve the lose of Efeso was a testament to this. In death, as in life, Fes was building bridges. Bringing us together. Reminding us all of our shared humanity.

There has been a lot this week.

A lot of lose, a lot of heartache, a lot of believing that maybe the world cannot get any better. That maybe Hope is but a dream, best forgotten. That maybe, this is just the way things are.

If you've paid attention to what is going on in Wellington at the moment, this feeling will no doubt, be even more pronounced. It seems like we are becoming increasingly divided, that our ability to see one another, let alone understand and god forbid care for each other, is becoming near impossible.

And yet, on Thursday, people from all walks of life, rich, poor, politically left, right, religious and very not, came together, to grieve, to mourn, to be human, just for a second. For a moment laying down the politics and the games, for a moment, choosing to lay down what divides, to let the masks slip, to allow ourselves to feel, to grieve, to Love, to Be.

For a moment.

And in that moment we saw a glimpse of what could be.

When we lay down our differences, when we choose to see one another, when we choose to care enough to listen to those we disagree with, when choose Love, instead of outrage, hatred and fear.

In a world of rage, Efeso showed us the power of a smile, of a gentle word, of a genuine question, of a listening ear.

There is Hope, but it is not in the hands of the powerful, it does not reside in the Bee Hive, or in the banks of the overindulged, it sits snug and safe in the hands of the people.

We hold the Hope.

It is here.

In our communities.

In our diversity.

In our choice to Love each other, to construct bridges, to see, to feel, to hear, to refuse to hate, demean, or give ourselves up to rage and despair.

Hope is with us.

Hope is in us.

If Efeso taught us anything, he taught us the power of Love as a political imperative. That Love holds the power to rock the very foundations of power. That Love when embodied and lived, as Efeso did, can build the most impossible bridges over the most uncrossable divides.

Efeso, we will miss you my friend.

But, we will not forget.

#LoveIsTheWay

A.J. Hendry is a Laidlaw College graduate, and a Youth Development Worker and rangatahi advocate, working in the Youth Housing and Homelessness space. He leads Kick Back, a service supporting rangatahi experiencing homelessness and is also an advocate working collectively to end youth homelessness in Aotearoa. He is also the curator and creator of When Lambs Are Silent.