The sun is shining. The sky is nearly cloudless. The birds are singing. And the coffee is good.
My little corner of the world is peaceful.
I know it's not like that everywhere.
June 1, 2020, dawns on smoldering ruins in cities across the country.
Social media and news outlets are full of people that are angry -- angry at cops, angry at protesters, angry at the system that oppresses people of color, and angry with anyone that disagrees with them.
"If you think _____ is okay, unfriend me now!" is a statement I've seen a number of times on Facebook this past week.
Yeah, I have to admit that I've dropped friends over negative comments and disagreements in the past, but those have mostly been from poor behavior on my pages rather than just disagreements over politics, religion, or personal philosophies.
Sure, most of my social media friends have similar beliefs to mine, but there are a few that hold very different -- even opposing -- views to my own beliefs. We acknowledge our differences and love each other anyway. That seems to be a much healthier relationship than "unfriend me," or "you're dead to me" (a regrettable comment from my own past).
My encouragement for today is for us to listen so that we can understand.
Don't listen to reply.
Don't try to share our own thoughts.
Don't try to be understood.
Just listen to understand the life of someone other than yourself.
Think about things through the eyes and heart of someone else.
John
No comments:
Post a Comment