Love One Another
There are no words. There is still weariness. There is anger, frustration, fear, sadness, hurt, doubt… Those are my first reactions to the news from Orlando this week. I was quiet. And still. Hoping and listening for a singular voice of reason and encouragement. Waiting for The Answer to The Problem and to hear that “everything is going to be o.k.” Mostly, there’s just noise. It’s normal for me to be quiet when I feel inundated with every other’s emotional expression, too-loud confidence of political position or opinion about what is right, what is wrong and what is justice.
At first, I was quiet because I thought my words couldn’t be good enough. What else would I have to say? What else could I contribute to the “discussion” that could help or change anything? I’d wait. Anything else would add to the noise. I’d wait until there was a perfect thing to say or the right thing to DO ABOUT IT. Then I would live in frustration. Until the next time.
I get so frustrated. I feel so impotent. Sometimes I shake my fists with an ineffectual rage, knowing that I don’t have the power to fix it. I can’t fix it. You can’t fix it. None of us can undo what has been done. Each time this happens, each time the innocent are taken in a misguided mission, that’s someone trying to change a piece of the world. When I realized that, I found something I could do:
How about we don’t let them? What if we changed it instead?
I read Jen Hatmaker’s Facebook Post (among other things). “Don’t Say Nothing.” Her point was to tell people you love them, speak up for the affected. Don’t stay silent. Let them know they’re supported. Yes. Yes. All good things. Do those things. But when I read her graphic – the “Don’t Say Nothing” graphic – I was guilt-ridden. I have this platform and I’m going to be quiet? My words aren’t good enough? NO. NOPE. That’s not an excuse, Kristen. So here’s what I’ve got, here’s what’s weighing on my heart: Love one another. That’s what we can do. That’s what we have to teach our children. THAT’S HOW WE CHANGE THIS sad, sad reality. We help them to be the change. We choose to write it, say it, live it.
Love one another.
We have so much power as parents – to teach our children by example. So, teach them. It’s easy. One person at a time. It sounds like such a helpless action but it is so powerful. Teaching our children to love – without limit or condition, fiercely and with abandonment – that’s power. It’s not a religion with which we can disagree. It’s not a political agenda where we can take sides. Let’s teach our children to love and accept. If you have to learn alongside them, then start there. Choose it every day.
