This year has been a tough one. I have felt moved to write multiple times. I don't know why I feel the need to write my thoughts out but I do know that I only write when I feel the Lord compelling my heart to share with the world what I am currently processing. I don't think people care to know what I think but all the same I am writing because the Lord compels me. I think as a whole everyone in our country has at some point or another looked up to the Heavens and wondered why? Looked at each other with deep sorrow and just felt the need to hear "It will get better." But will it? Will it get better? I think this year has shown that it isn't. It's not getting better. And as a society I fear that we are becoming desensitized by all the horror and sadness around us. I often think about this quote
"We live in an time that spills over with contradictions. Extraordinary wealth gushes alongside grinding poverty. Episodes of horrific bloodshed contrast starkly against unprecedented stretches of peace, in which billions of living human beings have never personally experienced war. Within a single lifespan we've seen great burgeonings of freedom -- and the worst tyrannies of all time." Brin
And I'd say that right now that we are living in a episode of horrific bloodshed as well as tear shed. We are living in a time where we are having to explain to our children, my students, what is happening in the world. And that there is unbelievable evils in this world and it hurts my heart. I find myself on the verge of tears everyday and my heart can't take anymore. And anyone that knows me knows that I am not one to wear my emotions on my sleeves and I do not cry. But I can't help but become saddened that as a people we are becoming increasingly divided. That we are defining ourselves with what we believe and we are holding strong to our opinions instead of talking with one another. Not trying to gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of what is happening around us. I think every one of us takes what we see in the world from a different perspective. Thats just how the mind works. We are shaped by our experiences and from that comes our lens of how we see the world. But with each passing day I find the conversations we are having with one another to be either one sided or completely shallow. We no longer want to know what others think and we no longer want to understand. We are living in a time where the freshman at my high school are in desperate need of some kind of connection.
Today I learned the results of a survey that was given to the freshman at my school. The survey asked how can we help you succeed this year in school. a) I need some kind of club to talk to with someone and connect with someone. b) I need a club where I can talk about and deal with my depression and anxiety. c) I need a club that helps me deal with my family life. d) I am fine and I can handle school, I don't need anything. The results were shocking. About half of the students said they need someone to connect with. 1/3 of the results said that they need someone to help them deal with their depression and anxiety. Let me remind you. These are 14 year olds. We are living in a time where if you have an issue, it is either used against you or it should not be talked about. People, teens, don't feel safe or a sense of belonging.
We are relational beings. We long to feel connected to one another. Now I'm not talking about getting a huge group together and hug it out. Lord help the person that decides to hug me. I'm talking about getting to know each other on a deeper level, talk about the hard truths and be open and honest. I find the circle of people that I can be open and honest with is dwindling day to day. I find that as I continue to feel the sorrow in my heart it has become more difficult to connect with anyone. I find that we are filling up our lives with "good news" "brightening our days." Because the truth is just too dark. I think its well and good to look at the bright side but I also find it wrong to try to ignore the darkness and act like it doesn't exist. Because the honest truth is that even if you aren't living it doesn't mean the darkness isn't there for other people. The destruction of our country is still there, people are still recovering losses from the hurricanes. People are still grieving the loss of loved ones, of the heroes who laid down their life. I'm learning that is is super easy to swipe away from the sadness, or to pretend everything is fine. And that scares me. It shouldn't be that easy. We should be hurting with one another. Reaching out to one another. And just being relational with one other. Please don't let the differences we may have with one another divide us.
We are living in a time where the only thing that matters is your opinion and you better hold on to it super tight. Hold on to it super tight and wave it loud and proud. Challenge everyone with it. I think we need to live in a time where we can have our differences but conversations we should be having are what can we change about the here and now. How can we help one another? How can we better serve one another. Loving each other like we aren't scared, give when its not fair and live life for one another. The opinions we have should not be so strong that we can't put them down and help one another.They shouldn't stop us from talking with one another. Make change happen and face that truth of the world we are living in now. Don't hold on to your opinion so strongly that you are desensitizing yourself to the fact that you may have a loved one that is hurting, or might not be feeling safe. Reach out. Talk with someone, listen. Listen to one another and be accepting. Thats how we can move on as a country in a healing manner. Don't let others suffer in silence. Because in the end it really doesn't matter who is right or wrong. It really doesn't. In the grand scheme of things what kind of life are you really living if all you have are your opinions. Don't ram your own beliefs down someones throat because that doesn't change anything You want to make a change, you want to make things different? Do something, start something and start with people in your circle. Start with love.
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