This world is a disaster. At every turn, tragedy strikes. People groups are rioting, innocents are being wrongfully targeted and abused, leaders are losing holds on their people. If the phrase "the world is going to pot" has ever been true, it's now. Violence is now the first reaction to injustice. Instead of being rational, people are simply emotional.
I don't think there is anything wrong with emotion, but I do believe that reasoning should always come first when making decisions, especially decisions that have a broad impact. For example, a few days ago Donald Trump was announced as the unexpected president-elect. Subsequently, upset Clinton supporters went to rioting and protesting. Immediately, people young and old made bad decisions. Now, I'm not saying that protesting is a bad decision, as I believe that each American citizen possesses a voice that can and should be heard by the rest of the people, but I don't believe anyone is going about it in the proper way. A new riot featuring a flurry of people vandalizing and setting fire to other people's possessions has been displayed on every news station since the announcement of president-elect. College campuses have cancelled tests and treated grown adults as children. People, intelligent and compassionate people, have spewed hatred from their mouths, and there lies the problem.
The overwhelming hatred that can be seen with a simple click of a button or turning of a channel is the current plague of the United States. It is claiming more individual lives than tuberculosis ever could, and will inevitably have a higher morbidity rate than the bubonic plague itself if it is not brought into check. What we are currently witnessing is an unveiling of the condition of the American population's heart. Through a long-standing progression, it has nearly bled to death. Necrosis is setting in, and large portions of the heart are turning black.
How do we fix this? How could we possible save the compassion of millions when we ourselves are often inherently muddled. We cannot turn back time and erase the injustices of the past, nor can we move forward and pretend none of this has happened.
See, the problem is not Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. The problem is us. Collectively, we have been waiting and stewing for an opportunity to create an uproar because of the conditions of our heart. Progression of society, wonderful as it may be, has forgotten to progress compassion. Entire people groups are 'terrified' for their lives and well-being, and I am not just talking about gays, blacks, or whites. I will not feed into the mainstream ideas of white privilege or black power right now, and I do not want any of you considering that either. I want you to remove all situational context and look at one another, man-to-man.
The sheer fact that people are now scared, actively being persecuted, or preparing for civil war is perhaps the most astonishing indicator of our current disease. Regardless of what you believe in or what god you support, love is an inherent part of whatever we do. Inside of us is a quiet voice, rooting for our fellow man but because of a multitude of factors, we have decided to silence that voice out. We have stripped our own hearts of their ability to speak to us and for us, but that can go on no more.
My rural readers, I know you are inflamed by what is happening in this world right now. I am too. Like I have said, injustices are everywhere we look and that in itself can be overwhelming. I also know that you still believe in your fellow man. You've lost sight of that however, losing touch with you compassion due to the intense presence of things that go against your nature. You've become cold, heartless even. I cannot blame you, it is a simple response to overexposure of evil. Here is the bad news though. Your lack of empathy has caused certain people to hate you. Your inability to regain your compassion has caused others to turn against you, vying for your blood to be spilled. It is sin that has become the winner in this situation, not any of us. It is time to dig deep, and love everyone, regardless of their sexuality, intellect, or skin color.
My Christian readers, you are praying for Jesus to come quickly, me too. I caution you though, because before Jesus comes, there is a lot of heart problems to fix. The fact that gay people are afraid of what strong, staunch conservatives might do to them is not a sign of their ignorance, but a sign of our failing to love them. I do not care what our Bible says about homosexuality, our Bible--our JESUS says:
Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
-Matthew 22: 37-40
Our success or failure to do as He commands us can directly be seen in how others view us. Currently, others are vying for our blood to be spilled. We have failed God by failing to love our fellow man. Before you speak a word in disagreement, think of the last time you looked upon someone different than you and cast a disapproving look. Just because their sin is different than yours does not make you any better than them. To God, all sin is grievous and equal in magnitude. To God, we are all sinners, all blemished equally. It is time to dig deep and love everyone, regardless of their sexuality, intellect, or skin color.
My LGBTQ readers, you are scared and angry. I honestly cannot blame you. I beg of you to reach outside of your usual news outlet and expand your knowledge. Ask a conservative how they feel about you. Ask if we believe in conversion therapies. I would be willing to bet that you would be pleasantly surprised with your answers. I beg of you to endeavor to find the truth rather than settle for someone else's version. I apologize to you for failing to love you enough. Had I and my fellow people done it right, you would never feel this way. I apologize profusely, not for what has been said or done, but for what has not been said or done. We are all lost right now, and I need you to find it within you to seek the truth. It is time to dig deep and love everyone, regardless of their sexuality, intellect, or skin color.
My minority readers, you are a far cry passed scared and angry. You have been the selected target of prejudice, violence, and intimidation. Media has fostered this even deeper, driving a wedge between you and the majorities. We have failed you. We have failed to protect your heart from damage, which has caused hatred to foster on both sides of the coin. I am sorry for that. We have failed to show you equal love for ages, but please do not regress because of our failure. For generations, minorities have worked to gain equality, and although it is there politically, it is not spiritually. That's our fault. During societies surges forward, some people fell back, unable to see through the darkness of their own hearts. These people are still alive and well in our society today, but I promise you they are fewer in number than what everyone projects. I need you to forgive us. I need you to help us. It is time to dig deep and love everyone, regardless of their sexuality, intellect, or skin color.
Regardless of what you believe in, how you identify yourself or what you might be mad about, I need you to stop talking with indignation, and start loving with intensification. Stop giving excuses for your anger, even if it is justified. Stop pointing fingers. Stop patting your own back, or the backs of others for that matter. We need a reduction of hubris, not an increase. I beg of you, forgive, let go and love.
Forgive, let go and love.
