To borrow from Shakespeare, specifically Hamlet’s soliloquy I offer the following musings:
To Agree or Disagree, that is the question – Whether it is nobler to listen to the opinions of others for understanding of their viewpoint or choose to eliminate them from our lives because they disagree with our point of view…then choosing to sling our own poison tipped arrows at who they are because they dare to have a different view than us. Or maybe we should just agree with whomever we are with and not have an opinion of our own so that we don’t have to worry about whether or not we are liked. To choose popularity over substance or even to choose the status quo over fighting the injustices rampant in our world today. Should we choose to just agree…how then are we able to turn a blind eye to the harm that is inflicted on those who live in marginalized populations? Should we continue to party and celebrate the things that give us pleasure? And is our pleasure more important than helping our fellow human beings in whatever plight they battle?
Who is it that should bear the iniquities of our world? Those who can afford to lose a little money or a little sleep and not be the worse for wear? Or do we continue to push the arrogance of poverty onto those who cannot afford the food they eat or have enough to purchase a bed to sleep? Who will we continue to harm by forcing them to bear the brunt of our blindness to the ills of man? How long will we allow injustice to live and grow…even thrive in the world as we know it today?
Will we continue to look back on our past with glasses of nostalgia remembering what never existed in the first place? Will we continue to forget the difficulties of previous eras that are just the same as the difficulties of our own time? Will we continue to allow oppression in all its forms from the powerful and wealthy of our world to be inflicted on the poor among us? And when the poor among us are no more, will they then come for us? Will they turn their greedy eyes on what is left and ravage our world further in the name of the almighty dollar?
Are we cowards who will not speak up against injustice, or will we be brave and say no more? No more will people go hungry when we live in a nation that has the ability to feed us all. No more will people sleep in hard spaces but have beds that are free from vermin and safe from harm so they can sleep in peace and security. No more should babies be born only to be thrown in trash dumpsters or scream in pain from withdrawal of the drugs their mothers were addicted to. No more will bullies tear at our self-esteem. No more…but no more will only happen when brave men and brave women stand up and take off their blinders and see the injustices around us. No more will only happen when we choose to act so justice can be swift as good people choose to no longer be oppressed by bad. Or are we too afraid and have we allowed our fear to make cowards of us all?
Here is the thing: Each one of us has an opportunity each day to make a difference in the life of someone. You never know who that person might be. It could be a family member. It could be a neighbor. It could be someone you don’t know yet. My prayer for you all today is that you do indeed take off your blinders so that when God sends someone onto your path today or on any day, you are able to see them, you are willing to stop your own busyness, and offer to help in the way they need. Which could be doing something that takes you out of your own comfort zone and that is ok. God asks us to be uncomfortable so we can offer comfort to someone else. Because the reality is, our life belongs to God who wants us to work in this world God created to make it better. So the question is: How are you making the world better?
Peace,
Pastor Beth
Beth's Blog 