Second Thoughts – Why Don’t We Wave and Say "Hi"?

Greetings Dear Reader,

Sometimes I will end the day with thoughts that are important to get out.  Usually I just write them and put them in my journal folder.  I have chosen that on occasion I will share them with you Dear Reader.

One of the fondest memories of my Grandfather was his relationship to police officers.  No matter where we went if we encountered a police officer he would wave, say hello, or even buy the officer a cup of coffee.  He always thanked them for their hard work.

Since the less thinking members of our society have chosen to treat our guardians with violence and disrespect I am doing the only thing I know to do about it.  I am going to start waving, saying hello and thank you, and being obvious about it.

As I started this a couple of cool moments have occurred.  One was on the way home from work.  A couple of officers were running traffic monitoring on a side street where people often drive to fast.  I happened to be parallel to them as I waited for the cars in front of me at a stop sign. 

I rolled down my window, made sure my hands were visible on the steering wheel, and just called out “thank you”.   The officer in the driver’s seat smiled and said, “That means more to us than you know.”  His partner smiled and waved.

Last night, after a late night out at the baseball game I was again parallel to a police car.  I rolled down my window and said, “Thank you for working at night so I can sleep safely.” 

The officer replied, “Wow, I am really tired tonight.  That makes it worth it.”  As I drove to my place I prayed for his safety and for some energy.  I wish I could have bought him a cup of joe and helped him out.

There is not industry without bad employees.  This includes law enforcement.  We must not judge them on the bad ones any more than you want to be judged on the bad people in your profession Dear Reader.   

If we want to improve the relationship of the police with the community perhaps just simple gratitude is a great place to start.

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.”

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IF – If We Valued All Life

Greetings Dear Reader,

I will ask forgiveness in advance if this post treads on your political or social toes in any way Dear Reader.  Please remember that I consider things in here for my own growth and reasoning.   If you gain anything from my musings then you are welcome to it.

The big IF here is simple.  Do we have a hard line that every human life matters?  I do not think we do.  There are too many issues that involve the sanctity of human life over which we argue.  If any human life matters then all human life matters.  This is where many will delve into situational ethics. 

In light of that proposition I need to think honestly about several issues.

Healthcare:  

IF I believe that all human lives matter then I will not be satisfied with anyone being denied comprehensive healthcare no matter their income or station.  Discussions over pre-existing conditions, level of income, and systems of access are all conversations that lead to saying that some lives matter more than others.  IF I claim to follow Christ then I must want the best possible care for everyone without footnote.

Black Lives Matter:

We still have racial issues in the nation.  To deny this is to be willingly ignorant.   Every side of the discussion had a bias toward a race or races.  Instead of debating the merits or demerits of which race deserves better treatment we should be pondering what we can do from making anyone feel this way.  IF we truly care about all humans then someone of any colour needs to feel that his colour will not impact his treatment.

Abortion:

Understand that I believe that legal safe abortions are a form of genocide.  One can give all the situational arguments one wishes.  IF we are going to say that any life matters then the most defenseless must not be murdered in the name of choice.  I believe there is a price to pay for this genocide.  We have wiped out, conservatively, 3.1 BILLION years of life through “legal” abortion.  If there is even a slight possibility that life begins at conception then we are drowning in the blood of the innocent.    

There are so many others ways in which we treat human life as disposable.  IF we were to truly value all lives then we would love each other and do all that we can to sustain life.  It is my absolute obligation as a Christ follower to value every life in every situation.  In order for this to work we have to let go of so much selfishness and hate.  To do less than value every life is to contradict the basics of my faith and following.

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 ͡°)