A Voice for the Voiceless
One of the buzz words going around these days is tolerance. So many times, we see folks pointing fingers at each other. You hear things like..."They are not willing to understand my point of view. They are simply intolerant." On the other hand, there are many who claim to be very tolerant of the views of others... so as long as those views go hand in hand with their own. Sadly enough, the thoughts and opinions of so many are kept silent because of the intolerance of "tolerant" people. Do you see where I'm going with this? It's a sad but honest truth. Even in settings which pride themselves on openness and inclusion, so many are still left out because they feel their voices are not welcome. Tonight, I want to help provide a voice to those who are afraid to speak out for fear of retribution or retaliation.
When did we get to be so bitter toward each other? Maybe this has been going on for longer than I can think, but it seems these days that most people are terribly bitter about life. In most cases, our own social media feeds prove our true thoughts and feelings on things. This past week has been no exception, and I want to offer now my honest thoughts on it. Let me preface by saying this. I'm not opening the floor for a gun control debate. That is not the purpose of this blog post. The purpose is to help us take time to look within ourselves and examine what we can do to better our neighbors and communities.
There have been a great number of posts denouncing those who would dare go against the walkouts which occurred this past Wednesday across America. It's funny how people who claim to be so tolerant of many views spew words of hate and disgust toward those who see things differently. I will admit that I have lost a great deal of respect for many folks... not because of their views but because of the vitriol that they expressed to their friends and colleagues.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to tell you that our problems cannot be blamed on inanimate objects. As long as we inhabit the earth, there will always be bad things that happen in life. No matter what we do... no matter what legislation we pass... no matter how hard we try... there will always be those folks filled with evil and contempt in their hearts. You ask... "Is there ANYTHING that we can do about that?" Well, we certainly can't erase the evil in this world, but maybe we can make a dent here and there.
You know, it's amazing. Here we speak of wanting to come together and wanting to love each other. This week, many have spoken about the need for reaching out... to be kind... and to be thoughtful to these troubled souls. They have spoken about the need for letting them know that they are loved and appreciated. Yet, those individuals... who really do have the best of intentions... have been met with fire and fury from those who are supposedly tolerant people. What part of "Love your neighbor" have we missed? My heart is broken after seeing the many arguments and firestorms that have broken out across America. Beloved, we, through these actions, are slowly killing ourselves.
Ladies and gentlemen, we do not have a gun problem. We have a heart problem.
As I've said before, nothing that we can do will totally erase life's problems. We certainly cannot expect to make the world a better place if we continue treating each other as we do. So then, what CAN we do? Here's a start. We must look within ourselves and ask, "How can I be a better member of society? What are those things that I can do, with what I have, that will make someone's life better? How can I make a difference in this world?"
Friends, you never know who you may have the opportunity of speaking with. You never know how those words may impact their life. Someone who is on the verge of committing a terrible act may have their mind changed by your simple conversation. Think about it. How can your words and actions change a life?
I thank you for your attentiveness and understanding on this post. We do not agree on many things, but I hope and pray that each of you will see this as a means to help bring people together on the matter. For some, you will simply get mad and walk away. For others, I hope that you will join me at the table as we continue this discussion. Let us come to the table as we are and get down to business.
May God guide us and direct us in these days ahead.
When did we get to be so bitter toward each other? Maybe this has been going on for longer than I can think, but it seems these days that most people are terribly bitter about life. In most cases, our own social media feeds prove our true thoughts and feelings on things. This past week has been no exception, and I want to offer now my honest thoughts on it. Let me preface by saying this. I'm not opening the floor for a gun control debate. That is not the purpose of this blog post. The purpose is to help us take time to look within ourselves and examine what we can do to better our neighbors and communities.
There have been a great number of posts denouncing those who would dare go against the walkouts which occurred this past Wednesday across America. It's funny how people who claim to be so tolerant of many views spew words of hate and disgust toward those who see things differently. I will admit that I have lost a great deal of respect for many folks... not because of their views but because of the vitriol that they expressed to their friends and colleagues.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to tell you that our problems cannot be blamed on inanimate objects. As long as we inhabit the earth, there will always be bad things that happen in life. No matter what we do... no matter what legislation we pass... no matter how hard we try... there will always be those folks filled with evil and contempt in their hearts. You ask... "Is there ANYTHING that we can do about that?" Well, we certainly can't erase the evil in this world, but maybe we can make a dent here and there.
You know, it's amazing. Here we speak of wanting to come together and wanting to love each other. This week, many have spoken about the need for reaching out... to be kind... and to be thoughtful to these troubled souls. They have spoken about the need for letting them know that they are loved and appreciated. Yet, those individuals... who really do have the best of intentions... have been met with fire and fury from those who are supposedly tolerant people. What part of "Love your neighbor" have we missed? My heart is broken after seeing the many arguments and firestorms that have broken out across America. Beloved, we, through these actions, are slowly killing ourselves.
Ladies and gentlemen, we do not have a gun problem. We have a heart problem.
As I've said before, nothing that we can do will totally erase life's problems. We certainly cannot expect to make the world a better place if we continue treating each other as we do. So then, what CAN we do? Here's a start. We must look within ourselves and ask, "How can I be a better member of society? What are those things that I can do, with what I have, that will make someone's life better? How can I make a difference in this world?"
Friends, you never know who you may have the opportunity of speaking with. You never know how those words may impact their life. Someone who is on the verge of committing a terrible act may have their mind changed by your simple conversation. Think about it. How can your words and actions change a life?
I thank you for your attentiveness and understanding on this post. We do not agree on many things, but I hope and pray that each of you will see this as a means to help bring people together on the matter. For some, you will simply get mad and walk away. For others, I hope that you will join me at the table as we continue this discussion. Let us come to the table as we are and get down to business.
May God guide us and direct us in these days ahead.
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