Over the past few days, I've found myself online much more in order to find updates on and how local wild fires were affecting my community. The fires were only 4 or so miles away from my home so it was important to stay current. AND, in this process, I've found more posts that are super disappointing to me. I've read posts from people that bring tears to my eyes and break my heart. Political posts. Posts about social rights, human rights, and legal rights. Pro family rights. Anti-law enforcement rights. Religious rights. Protesting rights. Anything that can be divisive can and will be thrown out in this time period. I wish I could say that the quarantine and pandemic, and all that surrounds it is to cause. I'm not that naive.....yet I am that heartbroken.
I am indeed a life-long follower of Jesus Christ (for those of you who don't know).....and am also social worker who has spent her career attempting to model after what Jesus would do in these situations. The Bible says -
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 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 22:36-40
This tells me that, while loving my Heavenly Father with all I am, I am to love others through that lens, as God does. Am I perfect? Absolutely not. Have I screwed up in my life? You betcha. Do I hope and pray that these mistakes aren't held against me in my life? OH YEA.
Do I believe police brutality is acceptable? NO. Do I believe that the majority of police are brutal? NO. Do I believe that race "should" be considered when we evaluate someone's behavior? NO. Do I believe we have the right to protest what we believe to be unfair or not right in situations? YES. Do I believe that these protests are allowed to be destructive, violent, and life threatening? NO. Do I believe change requires violence? NO.
I believe that abortion is absolutely and irrevocably WRONG. I believe that we need to look out for people around us. That we are obliged to protect those who are unable to protect themselves. Abortion is wrong. Period. Killing an unborn child at any stage of development is not our right. Our responsibility is to protect the life of the one who does not have a voice. Period. If the child is born into a bad situation, it is ALSO our job to protect them as well. Since when do we protect one another from a hard life by killing each other?
The argument about police brutality is SO SO off base. Are there bad cops who are absolutely in the wrong field? YES. Are there bad social workers? YES. Are there bad teachers? YES. I sure hope that my work is not judged by others in the field who make horrible decisions! I don't see protests against social workers... or teachers. Are people discriminated against in various situations? YES.
I'm not going to get into a debate here about these things. The point of this rant is how we are all handling these issues. There are a million things right now that are dividing us as a country, as a world, as a society, as families, and so on. While we will NEVER all agree, we CAN be respectful of one another. We CAN communicate and agree to disagree. What I'm seeing and hearing ALL OVER the place is what we will protest against. We will complain. We will fight for "them". We will try to legalize consequences against whatever "it" is. But we refuse to see it in ourselves. BULLYING.
I challenge you. Read through 5-10 posts and comments on your social media timeline. Now take a look at how you feel when you read the post and the comments. Whether you agree with the person or disagree. Does it stir connecting, uplifting feelings or negative and tearing one another down messages? Are we building one another up or tearing one another down? I refuse to get into political conversations anywhere outside of my own home and with some who are close and safe for me. Trump is ________. Biden is _______. Trump has done ______. Biden has done _________. And the list goes on. "If you vote for Trump, unfriend me." "I don't understand how Christians can choose to vote for someone as awful as Trump." "If you vote for Biden, unfriend me." "I don't understand how Christians can vote for him and his socialist friends." Are we encouraging conversations or discouraging them? What message are we sending to people who we may disagree with? If we're tearing them down, WE ARE BULLYING those we say we love.
If you say that you refuse to love someone you disagree with, are you following the greatest commandments? In this part, I'm speaking to people who profess to be believers and Christ followers. I've seen Christians speaking as ugly or uglier than those who don't profess this life. We are called to LOVE. Are we speaking to one another in love? Are we causing division? Unfortunately, what I read is division. And I'm CERTAIN that breaks my Father's heart. Unfortunately I've not even been in communication with many of my brothers and sisters in Christ due to just this. The messages they are sending are NOT messages of unity. And I can't understand that. I just can't. Christian bullies? WOW!! NOT okay!! They will know we are Christians by our love. Where's that love at?
For everyone else.... please ask yourself....am I loving those who disagree with me? Am I building people up or tearing them down? We don't have to agree in order to love. We can disagree and not bully. Honest. How do we teach our kids to not bully? For me, if you vote for Trump, I'll trust that you have evaluated and prayed and have made an educated choice. I'll respect you and love you. If you vote for Biden, I'll trust that you have evaluated and prayed and have made an educated choice. I'll respect you and love you. I will do the same in my election choices. I will not bully you for your decision. I may disagree...and that's okay. Please vote. After evaluating, researching, and praying.
If you are a police officer, I appreciate you and will presume you're doing your job appropriately until you prove otherwise. If you are a person being discriminated against. I'm SO sorry that is happening and/or has happened. You will be loved and respected by me and I will stand up if I believe you are being treated unfairly. I see it as part of my job as a Jesus following social worker. If you are experiencing an unwanted pregnancy, please reach out and I'll walk with you to help find an answer for you and for your unborn child without choosing death. If you feel a need to protest, feel free to do so respectfully so your voice is heard. I have done that in my past and would do it again. If you feel stirring up trouble is the right way, please re-evaluate and let me help you learn how to effectively communicate what you're feeling.
Bottom line? Please learn to communicate to and STOP BULLYING one another. Let's unite again as a country? Please stop being divisive??!! Note to ponder - If this was your final post on social media, is that how you'd like to be remembered? Or if this comment to someone was the last one they'd ever see from you, is that the message you'd want them to leave with? What legacy would you like to have remembered about you? A bully or someone who built people up?
all contents (c)2020 Laura Inglis
