Injustice Collectors ~ Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

It is easy to find things about which to be offended.  It is common to feel slighted or injured by the actions of others.  We must not allow that to be our banner. Injustice wil exist as long as there are people involved. 

Our response to injustice is to right it.  We can do this through love and kindness if we choose to do so.  If I am to show love to the world then I cannot afford to be easily offended or thinking of myself first.  I cannot be harsh or offensive on behalf of others. 

Following Christ requires humility and patience.  It insists that I consider the needs of others over my own.  It calls for me to be good to others and more so when they are being unkind to me.  I must always work toward real justice and fight the injustice of judging and trying to control others through injustice collection.

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 ͡°)

Injustice Collectors ~ Easily Offended

Greetings Dear Reader,

I grew up in a culture where one did not dare to show when one was offended.  It was not polite.  As a young adult my response to that was to be offended by everything and let everyone know about it.

By grace and discipline, I have learned that being offended is a choice.  I have also learned that most of things that try to offend me are a matter of my own pride or prejudice.  I tell people who worry about my being offended that I am easily embarrassed but difficult to offend.

We are not supposed to be easily offended.  Taking up offenses is just another way of controlling others and collecting injustices.  The power of this control is dangerous and wrong.  I am supposed to respect the sensibilities of the weak but not required to do so for the manipulative.

Being easily offended is also a form of judgment.  It says that I deem your actions unacceptable and choose my standards over your freedom.  It says that you must cater to my feelings even if it tramples on your liberty.  Again, I must respect the needs of the weak but am not required to cater to the control of the whiney. 

I realize that these are strong words.  I understand that I may be trampling on some tender toes.  I choose to speak the truth.  I choose not to be easily offended and to love those who do things that are offensive.  I expect the same of others.  We miss so much good when we wander the world looking for the next thing that will offend us.

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 ͡°)

Injustice Collectors ~ Forbidden Words

Greetings Dear Reader,

There are things we should not say.  There are words that are by their very nature offensive.  It is not those words that concern me.  Those that concern me are the words that are forbidden because of the political or social view of others.  I am not usually a slippery slope person but I see a shift in our culture that is dangerous.

Consider this:  "It was intended that when Newspeak had been adopted once and for all and Oldspeak forgotten, a heretical thought ... should be literally unthinkable, at least so far as thought is dependent on words." - George Orwell, 1984

If those who seek to collect injustices also are allowed to define what words are heretical then what are the standards by which they make those choices?  The very foundation of communication between people who are equal is the free exchange of ideas.  I am not willing to empower anyone to say what words or thoughts are not allowed.  Even when the words offend me I am not permitted to prohibit someone else from free expression.

In a civil society we do not need to limit speech or thought to achieve justice or equality.  Still there is a storm raging in the creation of limitations on speech and the forbidding of ideas.  I think that by now we would have learned that the forbidding of an idea fertilizes its growth in the mind.  It is our nature to feast on things we are told are forbidden as food for thought.  

My communication must be honest, loving, and kind.  That does not mean that I am forbidden to express ideas that might cause discomfort or seem harsh.  I may need to earn the right to be heard through my good actions.  I might have to temper my words to present things gently.  No one, however, gets to tell me what I mean by what I say and then insinuate his or her own agenda into my words.

If one does not like what I write one can simply turn the page or click the next tab.  I will try to be reasonable and just.  I will not temper the truth for someone else’s comfort.  It is very dangerous to us all to forbid words.  Words have meaning.  I use them to assemble thoughts into sentences and paragraphs.  I aim to learn humility and express myself in love.  I cannot, however, with integrity, cater to injustice collectors.

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 ͡°)

Injustice Collectors ~ Twisted Words

Greetings Dear Reader,

To be very clear I am not expressing approval or disapproval of President Trump.  I do take issue with the current fervor of his words being twisted for political ammunition.  It is a symptom of a larger ill in our culture.  If we look honestly at what is being done we have all walked through this brier patch with someone.

The President is in talks with the North Korean leader trying to make us all a little safer.  He said, “I believe he is acting honorably” in context of the talks they are having.  If the man is being open and honest about the needs of his people then that is a good and accurate thing to say. 

The news reports various political figures twisting his words to say that the President is calling Kim Jong Un an honorable man.  This is not what he said or implied.  To infer that is what President Trump is saying is dishonest and foolish.  It weakens one’s position to use lies to defend it or to attack another.

We have all been through this.  We say to someone, “It is selfish to take all the cookies.”  The person accuses us of calling him or her selfish.  A single act does not define a person.  If I act greedy and take all the cookies that does not make me a greedy person but I have acted in a greedy manner.  If it is a pattern then perhaps I am a greedy person.

This type of false communication feeds the offense engine.  If I lie and say something inflammatory about someone else then I am fueling the cause of injustice collectors.  I think we need to take a very hard look at our integrity as a people.  I am not calling anyone dishonest.  I am saying that we do not demand honesty in all things from our leaders. 

In following Christ, I am required to seek the truth always.  I must not feed injustice by being dishonest with my treatment of others.  I can view things and have opinions.  If I speak ill of another then I am crossing the line.  If I twist a person’s words to advance my own cause, I am the one with a problem.

Freedom is found in truth, honesty, and integrity.  That simple thing is what keeps me following Christ.  I will leave you with the words of Larry Norman.

Politicians all makes speeches,

And the newsmen all take notes,

And they exaggerate the issues,

As they shove them down our throats.

Is it really up to them whether this country sinks or floats?

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 ͡°)

Injustice Collectors ~ Hot Coffee Warnings

Greetings Dear Reader,

We have all heard of the coffee law suit.  I have a cup of coffee just to my right as I write.  The mug has no warning label.  In all my years I have never considered pouring the coffee in my “crotch area”.  Still there are coffee cups with this warning.

One of the great collectors of injustice in our society is our litigious nature.  People have been sued over trivial things for the sake of money.  This has led to some very ridiculous warnings on products.

There are baby strollers that instruct us to “remove child before folding.”  It makes me wonder what the number of occurrences was that triggered this warning.  I also picture a couple arguing over it.  The guy thinks it is a good storage idea and the wife is yelling. “But the instructions say ‘DON’T fold the baby.’”

We obviously have not learned how to deal with fire.  We are warned not to check gas levels with a match for light.  Apparently, fireplace logs are combustible, matches are hot when lit, and children should not play in ovens.  Related thoughts are that we should not iron shirts whilst wearing them.  We should remember that food is hot once cooked.  We are supposed to exit burning buildings before tweeting about the fire.

Other areas of concern are holding the wrong end of a chain saw, water will be on the road when it is raining, and we should not put clothes in the washer whilst children are still wearing them.  One must not put topical ointments on one’s skull, use hair dryers whilst sleeping, or use carpentry drills for dentistry. 

Perhaps we should not be so surprised at Tide Pod eaters or condom sniffers.  Yes, we should.  Some things are just ridiculous and should not be done.  It is not reasonable that we should have to warn intelligent people not to do these things.  Those who need such a warning have not been taught common sense.

I need to have compassion for those who have not been taught to think before acting.  We also need to all learn to think before acting. We have gone from teaching people how to be responsible for their own actions to putting inane warnings on things to avoid litigation.  This is just another way of protecting the irresponsible at the expense of the prudent.  I will not ridicule those who lack common sense but neither will I make excuse for them not learning it.  I will hold forth that this type of coddling damages our ability to reason.  It adds to our collection of injustices.

It does provide me with more opportunities for kindness and compassion.  It reminds me to see the blessing that a good education and learning to think are.  I am returned to the idea that being good to others even when they are acting foolishly is a great way to avoid helping them collect injustices.

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 ͡°)

Injustice Collectors ~ Taking up Offenses

Greetings Dear Reader,

All too often the news brings us a story of some key political or social figure who has joined in or weighed in on an event.  He or she expresses outrage at the injustice or insult and steers the discussion toward an agenda.  The needs of the person offended or injured often gets lost in the fervor.

I am not saying that there are not valid issues that deserve national and notable attention.  I am saying that too often we take up offenses on behalf of others instead of working to help the individuals impacted.  We experts at speeches and rallies but seem to be poor are providing for the needs of others. 

Often, I think that the effort and resources used to politicize an event would be better used in helping the people impacted by the event.  If we consider the cost of organizing, travel, and holding a political event, we should also ask if those resources would be better used in helping.  It is in this transition to a cause that we often leave behind the needs of the injured.

I must not take up offenses as a cause.  I must invest my time and effort in caring for the ones in need.  I would love to see injustice cleansed from the world and some day that will happen.  Perhaps though, I better serve by treating everyone in my journey with kindness, justices, love, and compassion. 

It is easy to get offended on behalf of others.  It is difficult to make sure that we use our energy and resources to really help.  It is not what most people do and so we follow the norm and not the need.  I must purpose and live to deal in love and hope, avoid offenses and offending, and serve others.  Less talk and more help will go very far.

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 ͡°)

Injustice Collectors ~ Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

I have been watching a weekly television show from the mid-sixties.  For those pondering it, I am not speaking of Star Trek.  I will reveal what show it is later in this journey.

One of the lead characters observed that someone is offended and harmed by everything yet takes no responsibility for the ways in which they offend and harm others.  She called this person an “Injustice Collector.”  This brought to mind the depth to which our society has become populated with cries of injustice over so many trivial and mundane things.

I am not suggesting that there are not real injustices that need to be addressed.  What concerns me is the way in which some cry injustice over things that need not be elevated to that level.  We seem to have lost the understanding of how to talk to each other and settle our differences.

There is also the larger problem of people who make their lives about collecting injustices for others.  From “ambulance chasing” to politicizing personal tragedy we have people who capitalize on the problems of others for their own purposes.  Worse still are those who spread discord and even hatred in the name of justice, fairness, or equality. 

What I must do is measure where the lines are.  Knowledge of balance in this will allow me to accurately work toward peace and justice without wasting energy and time.  It will give me perspective so that I do not try to climb mountains created from mole hills.  Please keep me company as I try to navigate standards for what is the proper application of justice and what is simple the collecting of injustices.  As is always the case, your thoughts and questions are just and appreciated Dear Reader.

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 ͡°)