Sharing Common Ground Amongst Division | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

Sharing Common Ground Amongst Division

How do we replace conflict with empathy?

17
Sharing Common Ground Amongst Division
Keelie Smith

The sting of rejection follows us everywhere we go. It may die down after a month or two, it may feel more like a memory in a year, but nonetheless it remains somewhere inside. It is something we all experience and something that most of us wouldn’t wish on anyone else.

Think of your hurt, where it resides in you. Boyfriends and girlfriends who decided there was someone better suited for them than you. Husbands and Wives who loved you better without the commitment. Friends who determined your distance was too inconvenient to keep in touch. Mothers and Fathers who left because having a family was just too much.

Every one of us have our own separate hurts and pains. Struggle and failure. We’re human. We mess up, make bad choices, impulsive decisions that we grow to regret. Many of us live our lives working out a series of mistakes, just figuring it all out as we go. We’ve all got this common ground, yet we remain so divided. Over differing opinions, politics, the need to be right and prove our innocence.

Why, when we’ve got this common ground, do we fuss and fight so often? Where an emptiness could be filled with compassion, we just rip at it more and more. Where our hurt could be combatted with grace and love, it is pushed down and swallowed, until it spills out in angry words and actions.

I imagine that in the midst of our arguments, hateful disagreements, bans and walls, that Jesus weeps. For wasted potential, for his people who he has declared deserve so much. He must weep because all that he suffered for is constantly being disregarded and misinterpreted.

When Lazarus died, although Jesus knew he would rise again, He wept. (John 11:35) The sister of Lazarus met Jesus and fell at his feet in sorrow. (John 11:32) “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and greatly troubled.” (John 11:33) And when Jesus wept, the Jews shouted “see how He loved him!” (John 11:36) Jesus cried because He embodies love. Flesh and blood, a human man who walked amongst His people, feels what we feel. He weeps with those who weep.

In this, we see what the grace of God looks like. Jesus did not leave us to weep on our own, instead he wipes our tears, which he has also cried. We have no suffering that he has not already borne. He did not leave us to face our troubles alone with unwillingness to walk before us. If we want to be an extent of His grace, we must learn how to weep again.

How then, could we reject brothers and sisters, yet claim Christ? I am no Bible expert, but I know who Jesus says He is. Giver of life. A lover of all people. Father to all people. Hope for all people.

All people.

Every. Single. One.

That stands for you. For me. For refugees. For every race. Culture. Age. Background.

It doesn’t matter that we may disagree with someone’s choices or lifestyle, because we are not the savior. Jesus’ promise translates into his love for every human being on this Earth. Doesn’t that mean something?

This truth has found its way into my sheltered heart and made itself a home. It has invaded my being and it fuels my mind and body in everything I do and believe. I grew up hearing many different opinions, generalizations, assumptions and lies. I thought that all I needed to know could be found in the ideas of the people I knew, until I met Jesus and understood what his sacrifice meant. And He reminds me over and over again just how much He loves us. In the birth of our children, reconciliation within families, healing of the sick, redemption for the lost. He is leading us to be people of faith and love.

So when you are feeling the weight of defeat, when you are hurting for others, I encourage you, be not afraid to weep. For it is in this, that we grow more like the Father. It does not signify weakness or disbelief, as much as it shows strength and faith to take on another’s hurt as if it were our own. When we weep, we learn to love like Jesus and fall deeper into the purpose He has intended for us.

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

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

2478
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

448993
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

21375
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Moana's Top 10 Life Tips

"Moana" is filled with life lessons that involve far more than finding true love as many other Disney movies do.

44416
Animated image of a woman with long dark hair and tattoos
StableDiffusion

1. It's easy to be fooled by shiny things.

Digital image of shiny gemstones in cased in gold. shiny things StableDiffusion

Tamatoa created a liar filled with shiny things simply for the purpose of tricking fish to enter and become his food. He too experiences a lesson in how easy it is to be tricked by shiny things when Moana distracts him by covering herself in glowing algae so Maui can grab his hook.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments