Great battles have always been fought over the belief that one group of people is somehow better than another. The Civil War is just one of many, fought over the issue of slavery. Even today, this mistaken belief of superiority and entitlement is the problem. People kill each other in retribution and revenge as well as over differences of opinion and race, somehow thinking that they are justified.
Why do we always think that we are somehow better than another? Or that because of your birth situation you are entitled to some kind of compensation, or else more deserving of your blessings than others. The Declaration of Independence proclaims: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” All lives matter.
The real issue that we are dealing with is not violence or gun laws or paying for the past mistakes of our people. The real problem is that we have forgotten how to respect others and their differences and love them more because of those differences.
Our differences are what make us unique – what make us unitedly a beautiful tapestry of interesting detail and diversity. If everything and everyone and what everyone does were exactly the same, the tapestry would be the most boring thing created – useful only to be cut up into cleaning rags.
Now let me be clear – focusing solely on our differences does not engender beauty either. The more we focus on “us and them” the more divided and weak and ugly we become.
The key is to acknowledge the beauty of our differences and to be proud of each other for them. The key is to focus on others, rather than ourselves. To be happy for the success and happiness of another, instead of jealous and resentful that it wasn’t you. The key is love.
As much as I hate it, a fact of life is that it’s not fair. But if we can remember love, even in the unfairness, we will have succeeded.
Does that mean the world will be perfect? No. But maybe the world will be better.
And if the world isn’t better, at least we will be.
Why do we always think that we are somehow better than another? Or that because of your birth situation you are entitled to some kind of compensation, or else more deserving of your blessings than others. The Declaration of Independence proclaims: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” All lives matter.
The real issue that we are dealing with is not violence or gun laws or paying for the past mistakes of our people. The real problem is that we have forgotten how to respect others and their differences and love them more because of those differences.
Our differences are what make us unique – what make us unitedly a beautiful tapestry of interesting detail and diversity. If everything and everyone and what everyone does were exactly the same, the tapestry would be the most boring thing created – useful only to be cut up into cleaning rags.
Now let me be clear – focusing solely on our differences does not engender beauty either. The more we focus on “us and them” the more divided and weak and ugly we become.
The key is to acknowledge the beauty of our differences and to be proud of each other for them. The key is to focus on others, rather than ourselves. To be happy for the success and happiness of another, instead of jealous and resentful that it wasn’t you. The key is love.
As much as I hate it, a fact of life is that it’s not fair. But if we can remember love, even in the unfairness, we will have succeeded.
Does that mean the world will be perfect? No. But maybe the world will be better.
And if the world isn’t better, at least we will be.