A letter to all those I offended | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

A letter to all those I offended

There is unity in brokenness.

128
A letter to all those I offended
Flickr

I've been conflicted, much like much of the United States this week. I've been told to keep quite, so I've tried not to say much. But, when I do say something in the political realm I always offend someone. Which is ironic. A college student offending someone older who keeps posting that college students are thinned skinned? Not possible right. I probably just offended someone right there. I apologize if I did. I just am curious as to how we got to this double standard. I think it's funny that we call each other names for each other's political views. When we don't even know what that person is going through currently.

Don't get me wrong I'm just as guilty about this. I'll be the first to admit my brokenness, trust me. If you pushed me down and started kicking me I might just join you. That's just my own insecurities that I deal with every day. I don't think most people know about them, and I'm not telling you this for you to pity me. I'm telling you this to try and open your eyes. That people struggle with personal demons that we have no idea about. When we take up the keyboard warriors sword, and try to change someone's mind. Your inciting violence behind their eyes. Now, that I have said this though. I'm guilty of this as well.

I've been conflicted on to write this or not. I don't want to offend anyone, but I also don't want to be kept quite. I feel sort of like Timothy writing to Paul in the bible. Feels like everyone older wants to keep me from saying anything. But, I also said something offensive on Facebook the other day that I deeply regret. I looped in a lot of people to having the same general idea out of anger. Well I don't really believe that, I just wanted to hurt the person I was writing to. To let them know I had been hurt. This didn't go over well as I tried later to call for peace. When I incited anger in others earlier. I felt deep sorrow and apologized publicly on Facebook to any I offended. If I'm to be honest this hurt though as well. Making me even more conflicted. Doing this as I watched every family member and friend like this to know that I offended them. Everyone who liked it all had the same views: "yea you messed up."

I felt like a scapegoat to everyone's anger. But, something changed in me after I started thinking more about Paul's letter to Timothy. In 1 Timothy Paul is talking to Timothy about how he use to be (In the message) "Public Sinner Number One." People who are on the edge of trusting God, will look to him as someone who went from a terrible person, to someone who can now do enough to change others. I've been on the edge of trusting God as long as I can remember. I'm still public sinner number one. I will tell everyone this as Paul has. This for some reason quelled my anger about having to apologize.

I am a sinner. I mess up a lot. Why should I lie about that? Maybe, if we all were more introspective and realize that we mess up just as much as anyone else. Maybe then there would actually be unity today. In a sort of contradiction, what if we admitted to being fractured beings internally. Maybe we'd be able to find the missing puzzle pieces to our society. What if we all took a second to realize we are as broken as the next guy/girl. Would we be able to hear each other then? Would the voices in our brain quit telling us we're right for two seconds. To hear that the person on the other side of the argument is just as broken as me.

Maybe, there is more unity in brokenness than we think. After all it's kept a church together for thousands of years.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Disney magic for New Year!

The "Happiest Place on Earth" has a lot of characters with some pretty great advice.

3653
Disney magic kingdom castle on new years
StableDiffusion

Disney movies are well known and very popular in today's world. Although many people appreciate the plot and the storyline, not many people appreciate the wisdom these characters possess. Every Disney movie has unique advice that can be applied to everyday life. Here are 11 Disney quotes to help start your New Year off right:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

40 Gift Ideas for the Indecisive

It's a time of love, family, memory-making, and gift-giving. But also a time of stressing over the perfect gift.

118177
Christmas gifts around a tree
StableDiffusion

It's officially December. There is less than a month of 2024, and I still feel like yesterday was summer. Now comes the merriest time of the year, the Christmas season.

Everyone has been waiting for this time of year since mid-October (which is way too early, in my opinion) or before. It's a time of love, family, memory-making, and gift-giving. A lot of times when I ask friends and family what they want, I get a lot of "I don't know" or "I don't care."

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Bucket List To Live In The Now

Find excitement in your life and start exploring wherever you are right here, right now.

441
mu bucket list

I was sitting at my cubicle, now that I am an adult, looking at the rain pouring down on the windowsill, bumming on life, wishing for the rain to just stop for a full day.

There are moments where we count down the hours until work is over and how many more days till the weekend, and this many weeks until something exciting. Or something like that? Well, I was bumming because my next day off from work is not until Memorial Day weekend, which is not until the end of May. And since this is my first year out of college being a “real person,” I am totally missing the winter, spring and summer breaks. I am sure all of us have felt this way even if just for a hot minute…

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

11 Ways To Survive Finals As Told By Leslie Knope

Because you know you're going to be stressed out, and Leslie knows exactly how to survive.

346
Everything hurts and I'm dying

So finals are on their way. That's right everybody, finals are about to start.

But hey, don't panic. Start getting your affairs in order and prepare for a week of hell. Here's a few things Leslie Knope wants you to do to make your finals week just a little bit less stressful:

Keep Reading...Show less
Kent State University
Great Value Colleges

If you go to or went to Kent State, then more than likely you have done or will do some of these things.

1. You’ve slipped and fallen on the ice at least once.

The winters at Kent are brutal, and while the heated sidewalks and some great snow boots are always a help, there’s no chance you won’t bust it on the ice at least once in your four plus years at school.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments