Again, y’all. Again.

Originally posted September 1, 2019, the day after the shootings in Odessa, Texas.

Again, y’all.  Again.  

And I don’t want to preach  or write or do anything today.  I want to be sad.  And angry.  I want to hug all of you and remind you how infinitely valuable each of us are in God’s eyes.  I want hear your fears  and speak mine and feel the pain together.  I want to remind all of us that we are in this life together, that everything we think, say, and do affects everyone and everything else.  

I want all of the anger and hate to stop.  I want love to be our modus operandi, the love that God has for all people, a love of grace and compassion and forgiveness.

In the darkness forged by anger and hate we all need to shine this divine Love.  Loving each other better today than we did yesterday and even better tomorrow that we do today is the only cure for the evil in this land.  

The world tells us that certain people are more important than others.  

Jesus tells us that all of God’s children are infinitely valuable.

The world tells us that our individual wants and desires are more important than anything else.  

Jesus tells us that our relationships and the way we love is the only truly important thing.

The world tells us that when we are afraid we should pull into ourself and shut out the scary people.

Jesus tells us “do not be afraid, I am with you.  Go and love your neighbor.”  

We cannot pull into ourselves in our fear.  We must throw our doors open wide in love and we must strive to always love better.    

And, so, I invite you to pay attention.  Pay attention to the times you use labels to describe people.  

Pay attention to the times when you get aggravated because you have to wait on someone who is just trying to get through their day as you are.  

Pay attention to the times when you think that you deserve something someone else has.

Pay attention to the times when you think someone else doesn’t deserve what they have.  

Pay attention to the times when you let anger displace love, 

when you let frustration displace compassion, 

when you let hurry or convenience displace grace.  

These are the moments to ask God to help us love better, to love as he loves.  And together with God’s help we will make it on earth as it is in heaven.

Love IS the solution to the anger and hatred of this world.  Together with God’s help we can love enough to change this world from “the nightmare it is to the dream God intends.”