Americans are strange birds – we may as well own up to it. Americans donate to charities and causes in massive amounts. The weird part is that a sizable amount of that is ordinary people who will not even keep the receipt, let alone claim the deduction on their taxes. Most Americans support at least some foreign aid and virtually everyone supports humanitarian aid – and we pay for it with our tax dollars, with or without deductions.

Many of us have at least one hobby that will involve some level of ‘pitching in’ – like the neighborhood ball team that helps set up before a game. Our Christian culture can be represented with a casserole dish – because we haul them full of food to picnics and church functions – even ball games – at least quarterly if not more.

So it’s strange how few of us become politically involved. We read and watch the news in some form – but seldom write or contact our representatives. We’ll trudge to the polls in respectable numbers – although rarely in the full numbers of registered voters – but most of us have never listened to an entire State of the Union address. We’ll complain to those we trust – but we don’t even answer the phone to a pollster. We’ll even voice our opinions in social media occasionally – but the vast majority of us have never attended a political rally, let alone a political protest.

We clearly understand the value of getting involved – even in small ways like donations. Heck, we’re so willing to donate that we can actually create surpluses, even abroad, just on the stuff we give. But somehow, over the last few decades we’ve become more and more convinced that political action is hopelessly ineffective – despite the abundant evidence that political action is extremely effective, especially over time.

There are several forces at play: Hollywood and the media reinforcing the nonsensical notion that merely talking about politics or religion is somehow too contentious. Seriously? Didn’t anyone notice just how virulent the arguments over “The Rise of Skywalker” were? Darn good thing most of that happened online – those people would have been jumping up and down screaming in person. Maybe we just need to learn how to talk civilly rather than making people afraid to discuss certain topics or express their true opinions.

The Republican abdication – increasingly this is looking deliberate – where Republicans would gain office and utterly fail to pursue the platform they were elected upon. And we conservatives are partially to blame for not making better choices in who we elected – something we are definitely improving now. But the point is that over time, it makes even winning the election look useless since those we elect don’t follow through on their promises.

For black people as a group, there’s a similar problem. Forty years of voting straight Democrat hasn’t resulted in the economic improvements and the cultural gains that they expected. It’s difficult to break from the party you grew up supporting or strongly identify with – just ask conservatives – even when nothing promised truly materializes. Who wants to read boring stuff about bills and ordinances when nothing ever changes? That hopelessness is probably not an unintentional consequence. And it’s not unique to the black community.

The middle class has watched its values and even its fortunes be undermined. Illegal immigrants hear promises of the American Dream but get exploitation instead. White people are told their are racist merely because they are white. Asians are told they are white because they work hard for their accomplishments. Colleges promise bright futures but harness their students to mountains of debt.

So, why do we put up with this?

We’re incessantly told that we can’t make a difference. Baloney – we make differences every day. The kid at the home center who goes the extra mile to help a lady get a lawn mower she can both afford and actually use. The insurance salesman who spend the time finding the right policy for some guy who is unable to figure out the differences. The receptionist who guides the lost applicant to the right office.

Sure they are little things if you compare them to the Grand Scheme of Things – but they are BIG things to the people who are helped. Little differences MATTER. A little drip can make the difference between a good night’s sleep or hours of bleary eyed distraction. A little drip can also erode a very big rock if it has enough time.

Jesus told the story of a man who needed some bread for an unexpected guest. He went to his neighbor and knocked but the neighbor hollered that he was already in bed and made excuses for why he couldn’t come to the door. The man kept knocking. Eventually, the neighbor got out of bed and gave the man the bread – anything to make him go away!

Just some persistence knocking on a door got the man a loaf of bread. Similarly, Jesus tells us of a persistent widow who got justice from a corrupt judge – because she would not give up. Neither the man nor the widow started riots or started campaigns to raise awareness – or even threw a punch. They just didn’t quit.

You already make a difference – never believe you don’t. It doesn’t take big efforts to change things – just little consistent ones. Just take little actions.

Drip, drip, drip…