The dew of compassion is a tear... ~Lord Byron
Make NO judgement where you have NO compassion!
No man is a true believer unless he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself. ~Muhammad
Of all religions, the Christian should, of course, inspire the most tolerance, but until now Christians have been the most intolerant of all men. ~Voltaire
Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged, and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you. ~Matthew 7:1-2 KJV
http://youtu.be/0a45z_HG3WU Everything Is Beautiful~Ray Stevens
http://youtu.be/wlR0KElxxVg I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing~The New Seekers
http://youtu.be/M9BNoNFKCBI We Are the World {Issue is different~Message is the same}
http://youtu.be/sSzukDkftL8 Make It Stop~Rise Against
Today is Spirit Day. For those who don’t know what that is, it’s a day of observance that was decreed by a Canadian teenager named Brittany McMillan back in October of 2010, because she was outraged and saddened over bullying that was taking place, and she wanted to do SOMETHING to show her support to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender [LGBT] youth who were suffering as a result of this juvenile yet barbaric act. The concept was simple: wear purple for the day to show your support to those who are victims of bullying simply because of their differences.
The name Spirit Day was derived from the purple strip in the Rainbow Flag which represents “spirit” as defined by its creator, Gilbert Baker.
Back in 2010, there was a rash of widely publicized bullying-related-suicides of gay students. It was brought to the forefront of national attention with the jumping death of 18-year-old, Tyler Clementi. As a result of these tragedies, 1.6 million Facebook users signed up to participate in McMillian’s global event that garnered the attention of GLADD as well as many Hollywood celebrities. Since then, it’s become an annual day of observance in October, when people don purple to show we are united in this effort to stop the bullying and let the LGBT community know that we stand both in support of them and with them.
As a woman, I have felt discrimination before. Sadly, I’ve even felt discrimination in my life because I’ve battled with weight issues on and off for most of my life. One time during my working life, I had the unfortunate dealings with a boss who was for lack of a better word an insensitive jerk about an issue that was none of his business; had nothing to do with the job I was hired to perform; and, was a TRUE pot meet kettle moment, if you know what I mean! I could have sued him and probably should have just to teach him a lesson, but I believe the energy we dispense is what comes back to us, and I really didn’t want all that negativity floating around me. HE wasn’t worth it. That much I knew.
What I cannot fathom is being discriminated against because of who I love. I just can’t imagine that, and I have tried. I also can’t imagine being teased mercilessly over that choice.
I remember 20 years ago when I was working as a Sales Manager in an area hotel, I worked with a man who was a Minister outside of being a Sales Manager in our hotel. He and I had a lot of interesting discussions on religion. He was very open to honest exchange in thoughts and ideas. I remember one particular night on the evening news the reporting of a story that indicated that studies were being done that linked homosexuality to a genetic component. It wasn’t conclusive, but more and more studies were being done to attempt to unlock the key to determine if this trait in homosexual individuals was inherited like height, eye color, hair color, etc. It’s been a debate for a long time.
Naturally, it was the topic of conversation the following morning between Rick and I over coffee. It was obvious that he wasn’t comfortable with the idea of it, because he said that the Bible was very specific on the condemnation of that “type” of behavior.
“What if it’s proven right, Rick?” I asked. “What if it’s a genetic determiner?”
“I don’t want to think about it,” I remember him saying.
“You need to think about it,” I cautioned. Then, I told him why I felt that way.
Basically what I told him was this: if there ever comes a day when science is able to prove that one’s sexuality is as inherent to an individual as their eye color, hair color, height, weight, blood type — all those things that are pre-determined by genetics, then religious institutions have a problem because of what they are espousing. How can one be condemned to hell for how they are made – for a trait that’s as natural to them as the color of their eyes or hair? [And, for the record, let me say that I believe in a loving and forgiving God, not ALL hell-fire and brimstone.]
As argument, Rick reminded me that the Bible was written by divinely inspired men of God.
“Ah, yes!” I replied. “But nowhere has it ever been stated that THEY were exempt from sin!”
He looked at me funny. He knew I was a good debater. He knew I came to the table with thought-provoking arguments.
This is what I brought to the table:
The Bible only mentions one person who has ever walked this earth exempt–free from all sin and that person was Jesus Christ. I was raised with a very strict religious upbringing, and it was taught in my church that where the Bible was silent in scripture, no inferences could be made. None. Had the authors wanted exposition added, they would have done so. The fact that it was not expounded upon by them meant that it was not to be expounded upon by us.
Likewise and yes, I agree, the men who wrote the Bible were divinely inspired by God — so are musicians and painters and poets. The Bible does not say that these men were given an exemption status while they were penning their portions–that they were no longer mortal, flawed men. I’ve never read that anywhere in the good book. If it’s not in there, you cannot tell me that “divinely inspired” means that, otherwise, everyone who was divinely inspired would get to claim that same benefit. You can’t have it both ways! My point is that there are many theologians who argue about the Bible and it’s validity in terms of merit-on-point. It is chock full of contradictions. If you don’t believe me, read it for yourself. I was amazed watching a nun on 60 Minutes one Sunday night pointing them out. Please hear me when I say that this is NOT a slam against the Bible! It’s merely stating a fact. Likewise, the Bible was written in languages, Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, that cannot be accurately translated into English. In other words, there are many meanings given to one word. Which is the accurate meaning? And, where there isn’t a very good language-to-language translation of meaning, and it’s translated as closely as it can be to what it should mean in English, what are we suppose to make of that? I had a friend, Hadas, back in the 80's who was from Israel and spoke Hebrew as her primarily language. She’s the one who told me that there are entire words in the original language of the Bible’s text that cannot be accurately translated into English. It gave me pause. It is but one reason that scholars debate it. If I’ve got six words that represent an interpretation for one word, which one am I suppose to choose as the gospel? It’s problematic.
Don’t get me wrong. I was raised on this book. My foundation is based upon it. I believe in its overall beautiful and inspiring message. I’m just able to see it in proper context: it’s NOT all black and white, and I’m not being blasphemous for recognizing and stating that fact. Case in point: when I was a young girl, one of my best friends at church, I’ll call her, Nancy, for the sake of this entry, was a tomboy. I was a girly girl. We got to be good friends at our church summer camp one year.
It was only when I was in my 20's that my mother told me that my friend, Nancy, had been born a “hermaphrodite”. I believe the politically correct term now for people born with this condition is inter-sexed. A hermaphrodite/inter-sexed person is someone who is born with the reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes. BOTH. Stop and think about that for a minute. If they have both a penis and a vagina, what does that make them when they partner up with another person? Confusing, isn’t it? It’s definitely not black or white, but rather a very complex shade of gray, which is what I tried to tell my friend, Rick, many years ago. Nancy’s parents had chosen to have her live as a girl, but what if they hadn’t? What if they had left both sets of organs in place for her to determine, as she got older, how she wanted to live her life — the direction she wanted to go? How would society classify her based on who she loved? Gay? Straight? Bisexual? Was it even a fair assessment? Or, what if Nancy’s parents had chosen wrong for her, and as she got older and puberty kicked in, she felt more like a boy than a girl? Would it be wrong for her to have “those” feelings since SHE had been born with both male and female genitalia in the first place? Gray matter....that’s what it is. It’s not that cut and dry. It’s not that easy to classify, and one shouldn’t be condemned because of a situation like that, which they had absolutely no control over. I’ve often wondered about Nancy – how she is doing? If she is happy? If her parents made the right decision for her so, so many years ago?
I wonder about those other people who are born with inter-sexed conditions and who choose to live an androgynous life. Are they never suppose to love, if they happen to find love? Is that right or fair?
Compassion. I was raised to have it for my fellow brothers and sisters of the world. Tolerance. I have learned to embrace the differences that separate me from others, not as something bad and evil, unless you are hurting a child, an animal, an elderly person, or someone who is defenseless, but as something that is unique and good. Love is never a bad thing, unless it’s being abused.
There are far too many divides felt in this world today that a little love, compassion, tolerance and understanding wouldn’t go a LONG way to help heal and bridge. Lord, it’s time to build the bridges of love and understanding that divide us! Hate is not something that a child is born with. It is a learned behavior. And, bullying is as much a cry for help to the one who’s doing the picking on as the one being picked upon.
Our world needs a big embrace of love and compassion - the whole world over. Think what a place it would be if collectively we all hugged one another in the spirit of love and only love. I do believe that heaven would drift down to earth and the smile of God would be so large that EVERY person would feel the warmth generating from the happiness being felt from above.
John Lennon once said, “you may say, ‘I’m a dreamer...’ but I’m not the only one...” I don’t believe I am either. Just imagine it for a second... That which we imagine we give power to. That’s the kind of holy roller moment that I’m talking about! Scripture says with God, ALL things are possible! Yes, indeed. Indeed they are. Let’s make some things possible: like no more bullying. How about no more name calling? How about to every young person out there you remember this: God loves you – just the way you are! He made you, and he doesn’t make junk! In your moments of despair, when you feel alone, remember that YOU ARE LOVED! If you need to hear it in whatever moment you are in, go listen to Josh Groban! He’ll tell you so! Don’t give up! Moments in life – especially the bad ones are temporary. Don’t take a permanent action to solve a temporary life-moment. Stop! Take a breath and know that it will pass. It will! There are not many things I know for certain, but that is one thing that I can assure you of with complete certainty!
I wasn’t fortunate enough to have my children live their lives with me here on earth. Had I been blessed to mother them through these difficult years, I would have said to them, “You are a rare blessing! Do not let anyone EVER make you feel less than the unique gift that you are to this world! Whoever you are is okay! Just be the best you that you can be, and that will be good enough for your father and I!” If there is one child out there who isn’t getting that message from home, than you come here and take it from me, because I will gladly offer it to you here, and I will send you a cyberhug to go along with... (((HUG))) You are loved! You are loved! Don’t EVER forget that!!!!
Martin Scorsese once said that as he’s gotten older, he has more of a tendency to look for people who live by kindness, tolerance, compassion, and a gentler way of looking at things. Yes, Martin. That’s right! Those are exactly the glasses we should look through as we get older because everyone is fighting some kind of battle in this life... Everyone. Be kind....it doesn’t cost you anything, but it might mean the world to them....
http://youtu.be/_pqGOf_V2T4 Love Can Build a Bridge~The Judds
http://youtu.be/aEOuWCIikVc You Are Loved~Josh Groban *I posted a different version of this in an entry the other day....it “bears” ;-) repeating...
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