We are not them. They are not us. I am not you. We are all created different, and that is good.
You will never be me. You will never experience the world as I see it because you do not share my past. Every moment that I have lived shaped me into the person I am at this very hour. Who I will be tomorrow will not be who I am now because I will continue to grow moment by moment.
Stagnation is a horrid little disease that leads to the acceptability of mediocrity. We robe ourselves in monotony and forget that life is meant to be lived, experiences are meant to be shared. A beautiful part of that sharing is learning from each other. If we avail ourselves of those who merely mirror our social status or echo our political ideologies, what do we learn? If we surround ourselves with those who parrot our beliefs and fail to challenge our intellect, our minds grow weak and our souls suffer.
I want to taste the diverse culinary cuisine of intellectual flavors. I want to know why you do not see things as I do and I want to share with you what I see. I want to call you my brothers and sisters in humanity though we share nothing but oxygen and the desire to live fully the life we have been blessed with.
No, I will never truly understand you because your past does not belong to me. I will never fully appreciate your views or your logic, but I would like to learn from you. I would like for you to learn from me as well. Your beliefs will not change mine, nor will my thoughts influence you...and that is fine, but together we can expand our thoughts outside of ourselves and see our truths from a fresh perspective.
I wish only to celebrate your uniqueness and catch a glimpse of your brilliance. I want to share with you this moment so that when tomorrow comes, I will be a better me for having known you...and have grown from my time with you. I want to remind myself that our differences are not what define us, but they can be what bind us.
Mother Teresa said, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” We are all on the same journey in life, and there is no reason why we cannot keep each other company along the way.
You will never be me and I will never be you. But we can learn to appreciate one another, learn to value each other, and learn to be us instead of them.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Love and Goats
I have always had a disdain for the materialistic nature of our society. What you own seems to be more important that who you are, and I find that mentality nauseating. Give me the creative soul with the quick wit and an affinity for English literature, or the well-read, grease-covered mechanic who finds beauty in old Detroit steel and I will delight in their conversation. The size of a person’s bank account does not impress me.
Spare me the musings of the trust-fund elitists or the pseudo-intellectuals who crave the sound of their own voice, convinced that their costly education makes them better than every one else. Save me from Prada-wearing religious adherents who threaten with words of hate and damnation while spending their time judging those who fail to live up to their twisted idea of God.
There is a pity that creeps into my heart for those who are trapped within the prison of mindless consumerism. I am sad for them, for their wasted attempts to fill the void in their lives by obtaining more stuff rather than seeking solace in the one thing that truly fulfills: Love.
One of the ways I rebel against this culture of consumer is by fighting against the compulsory gifts. Many years ago I decided to fight against the guilt of obligatory presents. Somehow the giving of unneeded items became the universal sign of caring for another person, and that goes against everything that I believe. I refused to purchase the odd kitchen gadget or crystal bowl in order to fulfill some antiquated rule of etiquette.
I do not have to buy you an electric spatula to show you that I care. My love for you is not quantifiable, nor does my affection carry a price tag.
Instead of giving things, I found a way to make a difference in the world by giving hope. When a special occasion called for a present, I would donate the cost of a gift to charity. Some times I would buy teddy bears for children with cancer, or purchase a goat for a poor family in Ghana. A few dollars might buy a pretty paper weight in Michigan, or it can help a single mom in Belize buy a cow and help feed her family. You’d be amazed what a single chicken can do for a starving orphan in Haiti.
No, I am not campaigning for sainthood, I am simply taking a stand for what I believe. To do otherwise makes me feel like a giant hypocrite..and hypocrisy makes me very, very sad.
I am dedicated to the idea of equality of all people and to social justice, not because I’m an exceptionally nice person, but because that’s what my faith has influenced me to do. Because I believe it is the right thing to do. Having seen how dehumanizing poverty is, it is impossible to do nothing as I’m surrounded by the comforts of my middle-American life.
How can I believe in the universal worth of human life and write about the need for love, yet do nothing to help feed a child? How can I claim to be a follower of Christ and not use my financial blessings to show the less fortunate that they matter...even if they will never know who I am?
Mohandas Ghandi once stated that, “There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.” It seems like such a simple thing to feed another person, but this simple act sings out in an anthem of a powerful love, and it is a song that brings contentment to my heart. A contentment that I wish everyone could experience for themselves.
Am I writing this to guilt you into donating to a charity? Not at all. I am writing this to explain why someone is getting a farm animal on your birthday. I am writing to let you know why I cringe when asked what I want for Christmas. I am writing this with the hope that if you, like me, are tired of the endless holidays dedicated to the pursuit of stuff, you will consider becoming a rebel for the good of someone you may never meet.
Spare me the musings of the trust-fund elitists or the pseudo-intellectuals who crave the sound of their own voice, convinced that their costly education makes them better than every one else. Save me from Prada-wearing religious adherents who threaten with words of hate and damnation while spending their time judging those who fail to live up to their twisted idea of God.
There is a pity that creeps into my heart for those who are trapped within the prison of mindless consumerism. I am sad for them, for their wasted attempts to fill the void in their lives by obtaining more stuff rather than seeking solace in the one thing that truly fulfills: Love.
One of the ways I rebel against this culture of consumer is by fighting against the compulsory gifts. Many years ago I decided to fight against the guilt of obligatory presents. Somehow the giving of unneeded items became the universal sign of caring for another person, and that goes against everything that I believe. I refused to purchase the odd kitchen gadget or crystal bowl in order to fulfill some antiquated rule of etiquette.
I do not have to buy you an electric spatula to show you that I care. My love for you is not quantifiable, nor does my affection carry a price tag.
Instead of giving things, I found a way to make a difference in the world by giving hope. When a special occasion called for a present, I would donate the cost of a gift to charity. Some times I would buy teddy bears for children with cancer, or purchase a goat for a poor family in Ghana. A few dollars might buy a pretty paper weight in Michigan, or it can help a single mom in Belize buy a cow and help feed her family. You’d be amazed what a single chicken can do for a starving orphan in Haiti.
No, I am not campaigning for sainthood, I am simply taking a stand for what I believe. To do otherwise makes me feel like a giant hypocrite..and hypocrisy makes me very, very sad.
I am dedicated to the idea of equality of all people and to social justice, not because I’m an exceptionally nice person, but because that’s what my faith has influenced me to do. Because I believe it is the right thing to do. Having seen how dehumanizing poverty is, it is impossible to do nothing as I’m surrounded by the comforts of my middle-American life.
How can I believe in the universal worth of human life and write about the need for love, yet do nothing to help feed a child? How can I claim to be a follower of Christ and not use my financial blessings to show the less fortunate that they matter...even if they will never know who I am?
Mohandas Ghandi once stated that, “There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.” It seems like such a simple thing to feed another person, but this simple act sings out in an anthem of a powerful love, and it is a song that brings contentment to my heart. A contentment that I wish everyone could experience for themselves.
Am I writing this to guilt you into donating to a charity? Not at all. I am writing this to explain why someone is getting a farm animal on your birthday. I am writing to let you know why I cringe when asked what I want for Christmas. I am writing this with the hope that if you, like me, are tired of the endless holidays dedicated to the pursuit of stuff, you will consider becoming a rebel for the good of someone you may never meet.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
The Challenge of Change
Change is often an unwelcome visitor. It invades our lives and steals hope. It takes our plans and decimates them. It pulls the road out from under our feet and causes us to stumble. Change is a constant; an accepted part of our existence that tests our strength and toys with our joy.
As I toured the gulf coast of Mississippi I came face-to-face with the skeletal remains of unrealized dreams. In 2005 Change was a destructive force that devoured lives as the violence of Hurricane Katrina ripped the roofs from buildings and forever transformed the way thousands of people thought about life.
While in Biloxi I reconnected with a friend from high school. As her family shared their hospitality, she invited me into her world where an angry hurricane had roared through the family's home and forever altered the direction of their lives. It was not a story of loss, nor was it a journey into self-pity. It was an enlightening introduction to the inner strength of humanity.
My friend spoke about the power of choice. The decision to fight for their future rather than crying over the past. They chose to wade through the muck and mess rather than wading through the sorrow over what was lost. They chose to dig deep into their hearts and find the strength necessary to move forward. They chose to learn, to grow, and to face the pain so that they could face tomorrow once again on dry ground.
I learned so much that day. Not just about my friend and her amazing strength, but about the ability of humanity to overcome the disastrous force of Change. I learned how the right perspective can motivate even the most broken spirit to move forward.
Helen Keller once said that the world is full of suffering, but it is also full of overcoming. Those that survive difficult times are proof of Helen's assertion. We all face Change...some of it good, some of it painful. We all have to decide how we are going to deal with Change, how we are going to move forward and move on. We have to decide if we are going to fight for tomorrow, or spend our time mourning yesterday.
We are all different and view the world differently. Every experience in our past impacted us, changed us and morphed us into the person we are today. Every time suffering enters into our life we have a choice in how how are going to face it. We can choose to learn from it and grow from it; allow it to form us into a better version of ourselves.
I know that it isn't always an easy choice to move forward. I know that pain can hit so hard that our will to live wavers and we long to give into the ache. The next time that Change threatens your dreams, I pray that you can find the strength within yourself to move towards tomorrow and rebuild your world.
If you need a helping hand or a shoulder to lean on...give me a call. I can't promise that things will work out as you want them, but I can promise that things will work out because we are created by and watched over by a loving God who will never let us go. I know that it's hard to imagine that there is a caring God when we face difficult times, but He is there and He wants the best for you. He gave you friends to lean on and people who believe in you. Just give me a call and I will remind you just how strong how you can be and how much He loves you.
(Special thanks to Bianca for sharing her inspiring spirit with me)
As I toured the gulf coast of Mississippi I came face-to-face with the skeletal remains of unrealized dreams. In 2005 Change was a destructive force that devoured lives as the violence of Hurricane Katrina ripped the roofs from buildings and forever transformed the way thousands of people thought about life.
While in Biloxi I reconnected with a friend from high school. As her family shared their hospitality, she invited me into her world where an angry hurricane had roared through the family's home and forever altered the direction of their lives. It was not a story of loss, nor was it a journey into self-pity. It was an enlightening introduction to the inner strength of humanity.
My friend spoke about the power of choice. The decision to fight for their future rather than crying over the past. They chose to wade through the muck and mess rather than wading through the sorrow over what was lost. They chose to dig deep into their hearts and find the strength necessary to move forward. They chose to learn, to grow, and to face the pain so that they could face tomorrow once again on dry ground.
I learned so much that day. Not just about my friend and her amazing strength, but about the ability of humanity to overcome the disastrous force of Change. I learned how the right perspective can motivate even the most broken spirit to move forward.
Helen Keller once said that the world is full of suffering, but it is also full of overcoming. Those that survive difficult times are proof of Helen's assertion. We all face Change...some of it good, some of it painful. We all have to decide how we are going to deal with Change, how we are going to move forward and move on. We have to decide if we are going to fight for tomorrow, or spend our time mourning yesterday.
We are all different and view the world differently. Every experience in our past impacted us, changed us and morphed us into the person we are today. Every time suffering enters into our life we have a choice in how how are going to face it. We can choose to learn from it and grow from it; allow it to form us into a better version of ourselves.
I know that it isn't always an easy choice to move forward. I know that pain can hit so hard that our will to live wavers and we long to give into the ache. The next time that Change threatens your dreams, I pray that you can find the strength within yourself to move towards tomorrow and rebuild your world.
If you need a helping hand or a shoulder to lean on...give me a call. I can't promise that things will work out as you want them, but I can promise that things will work out because we are created by and watched over by a loving God who will never let us go. I know that it's hard to imagine that there is a caring God when we face difficult times, but He is there and He wants the best for you. He gave you friends to lean on and people who believe in you. Just give me a call and I will remind you just how strong how you can be and how much He loves you.
(Special thanks to Bianca for sharing her inspiring spirit with me)
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