Greetings Dear Reader,
We rally around so many flags, banners, and protest
signs. We wave our flag and disrespect
the flags we oppose. I wonder if we
realize that we betray our anger and hatred towards people through our free
expression of hatred toward flags?
There are flags I see
that trigger that in me. They bring to
mind evil acts done by nations or groups where people were harmed and human
rights violated. The fight is to remain one
who loves my enemies. It is easy to join
in the spewing of hatred and demonizing “the enemy” to justify it.
My obligation is to find a way to voice my concerns about injustice
and wrong without hating the people involved.
Within our own nation we seem to have forgotten how to disagree without
hating each other. We have forgotten
that our freedom to descent is begotten under the same flag.
We can disagree. If I
hate you for disagreeing with me or disrespect your banner I am in the wrong
even if my position is right. If I win
my cause by harming or destroying you, that is also wrong. Further, if I disrespect the flag of the
nation that provides me the freedom to fight for my cause, then I am ungrateful
and hypocritical.
I cannot follow Christ and fail to obey the rules. They are simple to recite and hard to
live. That does not mitigate my
obligation. My heart must be for the
people involved in every issue. I must
love an unpopular president even if his policies are opposite to my views. I must love those who hate my country and
burn my flag. I must also look at my own
values and assure that they do not violate that same obligation to love others.
It does not matter what my cause is, if I go into the fray
with hatred in my heart I lose. Even if
I win I fail. One can throw all of the
situational arguments at it that one wishes.
None of them justifies unkindness and hatred. It is a truth we may not like but it is truth.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer
who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home
owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure
store.”
(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Contacts for Aramis
Thorn:
Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com
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