Call the Midwife (CTM) has generally been praised for taking on difficult social issues. Just within this season, it has addressed racism, domestic violence, ongoing issues of poverty, reproductive issues and gay rights issues. It is realistic for a midwifery themed show to touch on these issues. Health care providers are confronted with the realities of these injustices as continually in 2023 as they were in 1968.

Some viewers don’t want to see it. I was cruising through Facebook and came across a posting on a page labeled Call the Midwife- official. It appears to be a promotional page run by CTM’s production company focused on the American audience. It was an innocuous post with a photo of the CTM actresses clowning around behind the scenes. Curious, I skimmed the comments. As expected, there were plenty of positive for the beloved British drama. But as is the nature of Facebook, a couple of commenters took exception to CTM’s “politics”.

One commenter wrote, “I’m a politically neutral person and wish the show was more neutral as well. We shouldn’t know the writer’s politics. Yet we do.” Another commenter wrote that the first episode promoted Lesbianism and she would not want children to watch it.

Although I personally don’t agree with the opinions described above, I recognize their positions. Political fatigue is rampant when everything is framed as politics. Politics, strictly defined as activities associated with the governance of a country is quite different than ideology: a set of opinions and beliefs. Weaving the two concepts together is as complicated as a spider’s web and potentially dangerous, if you are not the weaver.

I do agree that CTM is not a program generally intended for children. On the other hand, a parent may see the show as a perfect vehicle to teach their child about values related to social injustice, empathy, and compassion. A parent would need to be prepared to engage in age-appropriate discussion and answer questions about their beliefs regarding social issues and reproduction. Other parents may not be comfortable with such a discussion. I respect both positions. I don’t need to agree with the choice to respect it. Midwifery care taught me that.

Only recently has social justice issues become dramatically more politicized and ideologies seem to have steered politics away from justice with a hard lean toward ideology. Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu, an anti-apartheid and human rights activist had this to say. “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”

Neutrality is a luxury of privilege untainted by power. I understand the lure of neutrality and the fear of social change by those who have little to lose in maintaining the status quo. Perhaps for some, neutrality is an acceptance of powerlessness, and censure an attempt to control change. Life is a tangled web. Scary, confusing, and complicated for all of us.

This episode deals with the complexities of day-to-day life. Wife, mother, Nurse - Shelagh is overwhelmed as she deals with emotions and potential meaning of her physical symptoms while burying a family pet. Mental illness, interracial marriage, feuding families, poverty, unplanned pregnancy are portrayed. Difficult issues. It can be exhausting.

As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, I did not contribute to last season’s Modern Midwife blog. PBS sends us bloggers episodes early so contributions can be posted in a timely manner. Sorting through my handwritten notes, I found one from March 2022. I wrote: “I struggle to find words. I am not sure if this season was darker than previous, or it just seemed that way because of current events. I watched the entire season before the first episode aired on PBS, March 27, 2022, but I cannot find inspiration to write. What is my purpose?” I jotted pages of notes while watching the entire season, but alas, my midwife muse left me with blank darkness.

This season, I am taking just one episode at a time. For me, binge watching and blogging didn’t mix. The key is balance. For those overburdened by the barrage of political rhetoric about social justice, I suggest taking a walk in the spring sunshine or have lunch with an upbeat friend. Take a break from current events and while you are away from your television, look for opportunities to be charitable.

I recently became involved in the local branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). It is a non-partisan group, but our cause may seem, to some, politically motivated in this divisive climate. We advocate for women’s rights. Those rights, in the minds of AAUW members includes LGBTQ+, reproductive rights and racial justice. It is the ideology of democracy as a governmental system which supports equality and justice for all that rises above the web.

By request, I organized a March AAUW membership program which included a screening of the first episode of Call the Midwife, season 12. Following, I led a discussion on Racism and Health Care Disparities. In conjunction with the program, we joined with the National Association of Negro & Professional Women’s Clubs- Detroit, to collect financial donations and baby items for their 32nd annual Community Baby Shower. Contributions are distributed to vulnerable families having babies at Henry Ford Hospital in the heart of Detroit.

In my years as a midwife at the hospital, I remember how appreciated these items were when we were able to offer them to our neediest families. I am bolstered and warmed by the feeling of new purpose. Charity is another word for love, not politics. Clear out the webs and make room in your heart.