Today, I want to thank all those who have served in any of our military branches. You have given your time to protect our nation. You have given up time with your spouses and children and extended family members. You have missed family celebrations and funerals. You have given up good jobs or delayed going to college. You have served willingly and sacrificially. And I want to say thank you.
And those two simple words seem inadequate in the face of all you have given up. They seem inadequate knowing that as you have protected our nation, doing your job to help keep all of us safe and out of harm’s way, we have become a nation that has chosen hate. You have loved this nation so much. You have given up so much. So, in addition to saying thank you for all you have done, I want to say I am sorry.
I am sorry that hate has been normalized in our nation. I am sorry that people of this country think it is ok to hate someone because their skin is the wrong color. I am sorry that people of this country think it is ok to hate someone because they are neurodivergent, and their way of thinking is different. I am sorry that the people of this country think it is ok to hate someone because others express their sexuality in ways they don’t understand. I am sorry the people of this country think it is ok to hate someone because they are disabled, and their bodies don’t work the way they were designed to work. I am sorry for all the ways people have been made fun of or marginalized by hate.
We have become a people I don’t recognize anymore. We think because we can hide behind an anonymous tweet or post that we can spew hate and not reap any consequences that makes our hate toward another ok. But we are reaping deadly consequences. Every school shooting, every riot, every war is a consequence of hate. So, to all our veterans, I want to acknowledge this: I know you have seen what hate does. You have seen how it destroys and demoralizes. You fought against hate and now the country you fought for is filled with its venom.
We have forgotten the teachings of scripture that tell us to love our neighbor. Teachings that tell us that all people are made in the image of God. And in case you have forgotten the definition of all, the word is completely inclusive. No one is excluded. No one. We are called to be a people who are kind, compassionate, offer mercy, and above all else, we are called to love. Anytime a Christian spews harmful words, I assure you they are NOT being Christian.
But what does it mean to love? Veterans you know the answer to this. It is someone who is willing to lay down his or her life for another. It is someone who is willing to give up having something in order to meet the needs of someone who has nothing. It is someone who chooses to be kind in the face of anger. The fact that you signed up to serve in our armed forces means you were willing to love deeply. In fact, I am sure you all know someone you loved and cared about who did not come home. So, again, I thank you and I am sorry.
If there was one thing, I would want all Americans to remember it would be this: remember what love means. Because in order to love, it means never calling someone a name just because you don’t agree with them. Love means being kind to people you don’t know. Love means helping someone who is struggling. Love means not being a bully. Love means not making fun of other people. Love means wanting what is best for others. Love means seeing other people no matter who they are or how they live as a child of God, fiercely loved by God. Love also means setting boundaries with people who are trying to take advantage or get you to do what you know is wrong for you.
So, to all the Veteran’s on this Veteran’s Day, thank you for your service. But more importantly, I am sorry. We, who remained home, failed to keep up our end of the bargain. We failed you, who faithfully served our country, because we have turned toward hate.
Peace,
Beth
Beth's Blog 