So I came across this blog posting (link above) today and was very interested by the literary tattoos people choose to get. Of my tattoos, only one is literary - song lyrics. "We all shine on." Relatively short, relatively small, around my wrist. THESE folks had committed to their literary tattoos. The pictures were great. The blogger, who is absolutely entitled to her own opinion, seems to not like the idea of tattoos in general, and certainly doesn't want to get any. Fair enough.
I read through the comments - many of the "tattoos are trashy and stupid and you'll regret it later" sort. Hey, everyone's allowed to have their own opinion, so whatever. But then I came across two comments that kinda expressed my own feelings about tattoos, so I thought I'd copy them down here so I can they don't get lost. Well, let's be honest; so I can read them again without having to find the post, scroll through the comments, etc etc etc
Here we go:
"tattoos are the only art that no one can ever take from you. they cant be repossessed, they cant be altered by someone elses opinion. they are there for the wearer, the canvass, and nothing more. i dont see how someone can have an opinion on something that couldnt have less to do with them, other than something stereotypical. tattoos are not for the poor. they are not for the wealthy. they are for the people who like to wear their hearts, souls, or beliefs on the outside, to be reminded of them every time they look in the mirror. Tattoos are a statement of self. every tattoo has meaning… even the silly ones, because maybe that is the side of life that person values. tattoos seep into your blood and rarely have i met someone with a tattoo that didn’t love it, even if they didnt originally. they become part of you as much as you are a part of that piece of art." - comment by nell
"The difference between tattooed people and other people is that tattooed people don’t care if you don’t have any." - comment by I. Thomas
I confess, that second one made me giggle.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
What happens when you wake up at 4:30am
So the puppy woke me up at 4:30am. I'm glad - it means she peed outside and not on my bedroom floor. However (comma) today that meant my brain woke up and wouldn't go back to sleep. So I've been awake doing odds and ends - clearing out my Facebook message inbox (I know), writing a couple emails, FINALLY putting those CDs I've been meaning to return to Jay in an envelope AND addressing it (aren't you proud of me?), putzing around with my FB profile, and realizing that I haven't blogged in, oh, about forever. Lots of reasons for that....some very good reasons, some not-so-good reasons, some just pure laziness. So I went back through my Facebook notes from the last year and a half or so, decided since we're about to hit Ash Wednesday that starting at Lent 2010 was as good a starting point as any, and have reprinted(?) a selection of my notes from the last year here on this blog.
Hopefully, this will be the start of regular blogging again. Keep your fingers crossed. We'll see how it goes. Hopefully, when people realize that I'm actually writing again, more people will stumble across this blog and start reading it. Hopefully, it will not just contain the text of my FB notes (which in turn are the text of my weekly-ish meditations to the youth of St. John's).
So we'll see. I've got good intentions, but you know what they say about those! :)
Hopefully, this will be the start of regular blogging again. Keep your fingers crossed. We'll see how it goes. Hopefully, when people realize that I'm actually writing again, more people will stumble across this blog and start reading it. Hopefully, it will not just contain the text of my FB notes (which in turn are the text of my weekly-ish meditations to the youth of St. John's).
So we'll see. I've got good intentions, but you know what they say about those! :)
Doctor Who as faith discussion? Originally posted January 2011
I was watching Doctor Who last night, and it really got me thinking. Now, those of you who have been anywhere near my Facebook page for oh, the last few weeks, are giggling over my obsession right now. Those of you who are not sci-fi fans are groaning. Those of you who are fans of the series are going to want to hit me over the head for the way I’m shamelessly editing the episode. But stay with me…I’m going somewhere with this.
Basically, in this episode, The Doctor has to turn himself into a human to hide from some bad aliens who are trying to find him and kill him so they can live forever and pretty much destroy the universe in the process. He becomes a teacher named John Smith. He doesn’t remember being The Doctor. The idea is that if he can just hide out in this ordinary, boring life long enough, the bad aliens will die, he can change back, and everything will be hunky dory. His companion, Martha, who’s in on the scheme and knows how to get him to change back to The Doctor early if necessary, is there as his servant. Then, he falls in love with the school nurse, and suddenly his life isn’t ordinary and boring (at least not for him), it’s something wonderful. That, of course, is when the bad aliens find them, and Martha realizes he’s got to change back into The Doctor in order to save the universe.
For reasons that will be TMI for most of you, John starts to understand that he was once this person called The Doctor. In a scene that moves me to tears, John Smith, in absolute anguish, says something along the lines of, “But I want to stay! I want THIS life, John Smith’s life, this job, this love…please let me stay…why can’t I stay???” Martha says, “But we NEED The Doctor.” It’s heartbreaking. He doesn’t understand why this is happening to him – he doesn’t quite believe that the fate of the universe is at stake - he has to just trust that Martha knows what she’s talking about, and he’s got an agonizing choice to make.
So, what does Doctor Who have to do with faith? Let me see…there are at least two people I can think of in the Bible…well three…well more than three, really, but three’s enough for an example, don’t you think, and I wonder what happens if I push this button here? (sorry, couldn’t resist)
Point is, the Bible is full of people who have to make just this kind of agonizing choice. Do they continue in their regular life, which may be a perfectly wonderful life, or do they step up to the plate when God calls them? Do they remain the regular guy or gal, or do they become the hero? And if they become the hero, what then? What do they give up? What do they gain?
Think of Noah – he could have kept on just being Noah, without being laughed at by everyone he knew for years and years and years. But he chose to listen to God and to follow what God told him to do, even though it seemed crazy. Worked out for the best, really, but Noah had no way of knowing that beforehand. He just had to trust God.
Or Gideon. There he is, living his regular life, when God tells him he’s been chosen to save Israel from the Midianites. And oh by the way you’re going to be a general and lead a tiny little army against the huge Midianite army but it’ll be OK because I’ll be with you. What a choice: leave his safe life behind for possible death, or keep his head down and hope God would go choose someone else. He eventually chose to do what God told him to do, and again, this worked out well for Gideon and the Israelites, but he had to make the choice without really KNOWING if he would live or die in the battle. He had to trust God.
Even Jesus faced this agonizing choice! Remember the prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane? “Father, if it’s possible, take this cup away from me.” In other words, “God, do I HAVE to die, and die so horribly? Isn’t there another way? Can I keep this life I love?” If you remember that Jesus was completely human, it’s more understandable that he would pray this prayer.
But here’s the point – Jesus, Gideon, and Noah all say, “Not MY will, but YOUR will be done.” “I trust you God, I’m gonna make the hard choice, and I’m gonna just have faith that You know what You’re doing.”
And I’m willing to bet that every one of you, at some point, will be faced with some kind of choice between your comfort zone and the hard thing that God is asking you to do. You may have to give up something you hold dear, or at least something that makes you feel safe. It’s HARD. God knows it’s hard. God doesn’t promise that He’ll make it easy, but He does promise that He will be with you every step of the way. And if you hang on to that promise and make the hard choice to follow what God wants you to do, things will turn out the way they’re supposed to, to the glory of God. It may take awhile, but it’s worth it. God promises that, and you can trust in God’s promises.
PS - What does the Doctor do? Well, I'm not going to spoil the ENTIRE episode for you. It's Season Three, Episodes 8 and 9
Basically, in this episode, The Doctor has to turn himself into a human to hide from some bad aliens who are trying to find him and kill him so they can live forever and pretty much destroy the universe in the process. He becomes a teacher named John Smith. He doesn’t remember being The Doctor. The idea is that if he can just hide out in this ordinary, boring life long enough, the bad aliens will die, he can change back, and everything will be hunky dory. His companion, Martha, who’s in on the scheme and knows how to get him to change back to The Doctor early if necessary, is there as his servant. Then, he falls in love with the school nurse, and suddenly his life isn’t ordinary and boring (at least not for him), it’s something wonderful. That, of course, is when the bad aliens find them, and Martha realizes he’s got to change back into The Doctor in order to save the universe.
For reasons that will be TMI for most of you, John starts to understand that he was once this person called The Doctor. In a scene that moves me to tears, John Smith, in absolute anguish, says something along the lines of, “But I want to stay! I want THIS life, John Smith’s life, this job, this love…please let me stay…why can’t I stay???” Martha says, “But we NEED The Doctor.” It’s heartbreaking. He doesn’t understand why this is happening to him – he doesn’t quite believe that the fate of the universe is at stake - he has to just trust that Martha knows what she’s talking about, and he’s got an agonizing choice to make.
So, what does Doctor Who have to do with faith? Let me see…there are at least two people I can think of in the Bible…well three…well more than three, really, but three’s enough for an example, don’t you think, and I wonder what happens if I push this button here? (sorry, couldn’t resist)
Point is, the Bible is full of people who have to make just this kind of agonizing choice. Do they continue in their regular life, which may be a perfectly wonderful life, or do they step up to the plate when God calls them? Do they remain the regular guy or gal, or do they become the hero? And if they become the hero, what then? What do they give up? What do they gain?
Think of Noah – he could have kept on just being Noah, without being laughed at by everyone he knew for years and years and years. But he chose to listen to God and to follow what God told him to do, even though it seemed crazy. Worked out for the best, really, but Noah had no way of knowing that beforehand. He just had to trust God.
Or Gideon. There he is, living his regular life, when God tells him he’s been chosen to save Israel from the Midianites. And oh by the way you’re going to be a general and lead a tiny little army against the huge Midianite army but it’ll be OK because I’ll be with you. What a choice: leave his safe life behind for possible death, or keep his head down and hope God would go choose someone else. He eventually chose to do what God told him to do, and again, this worked out well for Gideon and the Israelites, but he had to make the choice without really KNOWING if he would live or die in the battle. He had to trust God.
Even Jesus faced this agonizing choice! Remember the prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane? “Father, if it’s possible, take this cup away from me.” In other words, “God, do I HAVE to die, and die so horribly? Isn’t there another way? Can I keep this life I love?” If you remember that Jesus was completely human, it’s more understandable that he would pray this prayer.
But here’s the point – Jesus, Gideon, and Noah all say, “Not MY will, but YOUR will be done.” “I trust you God, I’m gonna make the hard choice, and I’m gonna just have faith that You know what You’re doing.”
And I’m willing to bet that every one of you, at some point, will be faced with some kind of choice between your comfort zone and the hard thing that God is asking you to do. You may have to give up something you hold dear, or at least something that makes you feel safe. It’s HARD. God knows it’s hard. God doesn’t promise that He’ll make it easy, but He does promise that He will be with you every step of the way. And if you hang on to that promise and make the hard choice to follow what God wants you to do, things will turn out the way they’re supposed to, to the glory of God. It may take awhile, but it’s worth it. God promises that, and you can trust in God’s promises.
PS - What does the Doctor do? Well, I'm not going to spoil the ENTIRE episode for you. It's Season Three, Episodes 8 and 9
Advent 2010 - Missing Joseph?
When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him
Matthew 1:24a (New Revised Standard Version)
During Advent and Christmas, we often get fixated on Mary’s role and the birth of Jesus. Which is understandable – and appropriate. But often, someone who is almost as important becomes just another figure in the Nativity Scene when we set it up. Know who I’m talking about?
Joseph, of course! We often get so excited about Mary and Jesus that we “miss” Joseph. Poor guy. Really, he’s just a hair less important to the story than Mary – who of course is only marginally (at this point in the story) less important than Jesus.
I personally think Joseph deserves a lot of credit. Here he is, engaged to a young woman, and she tells him (I assume – Matthew is a little unclear on that point), “I’m having a baby, and it’s God’s child – no really, it is.” I’m guessing Joseph’s first reaction was to think she was nuts, then to think she had cheated on him. Fair enough – it’s a lot to take in, and he *was* human, after all!
The thing is, engagement at that time was practically marriage, legally, from what I understand, and if Joseph and Mary had “jumped the gun” and she had ended up pregnant by Joseph, well, people would have snickered, and gossiped, but it would have been more or less OK. But since the baby wasn’t Joseph’s, he had every right to “dismiss” (read “divorce) her – which would have made her an outcast.
He decided to do this, but being a kind man, he was going to do it quietly so she wouldn’t suffer any more shame than she had to. I imagine he struggled with this – but I guess he was just a man who couldn’t accept that his fiancée cheated and got pregnant by another man. (remember, he didn’t believe the Holy Spirit thing at this point.)
Enter the angel – who was awfully busy in Nazareth those days! “Nope,” he told Joseph, “the baby really *is* God’s child. She didn’t cheat on you. Don’t be afraid to marry her.” The angel said more, but you’ll have to read Matthew 1 (or listen to the reading this Sunday at worship) to hear the rest.
SO – Joseph wakes up, believes the angel and Mary, and marries her. And then – he loves her, and he stands beside her during the inevitable gossip about the haste of the wedding, supports her and comforts her when she tries to tell people what’s happening but they don’t believe her, holds her when she’s scared, and probably has a hand in delivering the baby (I mean, who was gonna help – the sheep in the stable?) And THEN, he takes the role of being “father” to the Son of God. He and Mary are Jesus’ earthly parents, so who does Jesus have as a male role model? Joseph Quite a tall order, but I think he did a fantastic job.
So this Advent, remember Joseph. Remember that sometimes we, too, may be called to love and support someone who is taking a stand, following God’s will, even when it’s hard or we don’t really get it. Support systems are important. Very important.
Have a blessed week, my friends!
PS – there’s a fabulous little novel called Two from Galilee that tells this story. It’s out of print, but you might be able to find it in a library or get a copy off Amazon.com. It’s so good – and brings Mary and Joseph to life in a way that I think all of you would enjoy.
Matthew 1:24a (New Revised Standard Version)
During Advent and Christmas, we often get fixated on Mary’s role and the birth of Jesus. Which is understandable – and appropriate. But often, someone who is almost as important becomes just another figure in the Nativity Scene when we set it up. Know who I’m talking about?
Joseph, of course! We often get so excited about Mary and Jesus that we “miss” Joseph. Poor guy. Really, he’s just a hair less important to the story than Mary – who of course is only marginally (at this point in the story) less important than Jesus.
I personally think Joseph deserves a lot of credit. Here he is, engaged to a young woman, and she tells him (I assume – Matthew is a little unclear on that point), “I’m having a baby, and it’s God’s child – no really, it is.” I’m guessing Joseph’s first reaction was to think she was nuts, then to think she had cheated on him. Fair enough – it’s a lot to take in, and he *was* human, after all!
The thing is, engagement at that time was practically marriage, legally, from what I understand, and if Joseph and Mary had “jumped the gun” and she had ended up pregnant by Joseph, well, people would have snickered, and gossiped, but it would have been more or less OK. But since the baby wasn’t Joseph’s, he had every right to “dismiss” (read “divorce) her – which would have made her an outcast.
He decided to do this, but being a kind man, he was going to do it quietly so she wouldn’t suffer any more shame than she had to. I imagine he struggled with this – but I guess he was just a man who couldn’t accept that his fiancée cheated and got pregnant by another man. (remember, he didn’t believe the Holy Spirit thing at this point.)
Enter the angel – who was awfully busy in Nazareth those days! “Nope,” he told Joseph, “the baby really *is* God’s child. She didn’t cheat on you. Don’t be afraid to marry her.” The angel said more, but you’ll have to read Matthew 1 (or listen to the reading this Sunday at worship) to hear the rest.
SO – Joseph wakes up, believes the angel and Mary, and marries her. And then – he loves her, and he stands beside her during the inevitable gossip about the haste of the wedding, supports her and comforts her when she tries to tell people what’s happening but they don’t believe her, holds her when she’s scared, and probably has a hand in delivering the baby (I mean, who was gonna help – the sheep in the stable?) And THEN, he takes the role of being “father” to the Son of God. He and Mary are Jesus’ earthly parents, so who does Jesus have as a male role model? Joseph Quite a tall order, but I think he did a fantastic job.
So this Advent, remember Joseph. Remember that sometimes we, too, may be called to love and support someone who is taking a stand, following God’s will, even when it’s hard or we don’t really get it. Support systems are important. Very important.
Have a blessed week, my friends!
PS – there’s a fabulous little novel called Two from Galilee that tells this story. It’s out of print, but you might be able to find it in a library or get a copy off Amazon.com. It’s so good – and brings Mary and Joseph to life in a way that I think all of you would enjoy.
December 2010 Rant - my version of "Christmas is getting too commercial"
*clears throat loudly and ascends soapbox*
It's that time of year - the annual "What do we call December 1-24???" kerfuffle. There are so many larger issues that I should be addressing, but as a person in a mixed marriage with friends of many faiths - and friends who associate themselves with no faith group, this yearly squabble bothers me. So here are my two cents. Well, actually rather a lot more.
First of all - define "Christmas." Lots of people of lots of faiths open presents underneath a decorated evergreen tree on December 25th. I think this is great - I would never want to take that away from anyone. However, this is Christmas as a secular holiday. (all you theologians out there, read on before you jump all over that statement). So in that sense, sure, call the days before December 25 the Christmas Season - just don't then say that you're calling it that for religious reasons. Because if you are a Christian, calling November 28-December 25 the Christmas season is technically incorrect - we are currently in Advent. (if you are an Eastern Orthodox Christian who does the calendar differently, don't start with me. I don't know how your calendar works. But I love you as a sister or brother.)
Continuing the "Christmas Season as a faith statement" argument I think, if we're talking about the whole season (not just one day), in our multi-cultural, multi-faith society we DO need to call it the Holiday Season - because not all of us celebrate Christmas. Telling my Jewish husband to have a great Christmas Season, for example, would be, well, wrong! And there are other faiths that don't celebrate Christmas. And that doesn't even start to cover my atheist friends! So personally, I think it's sensitive, NOT just "politically correct", to wish someone a Happy Holiday if you're not sure what they celebrate. Or even if they celebrate anything at all. But Happy Holidays is a pretty safe bet. I mean, heck, everyone celebrates January 1 as New Year's, so you can't go wrong there! (don't get technical on me - I know there are other New Year's Days in other cultures, but they don't happen during the period of time that I'm talking about - and if they do, well then, that supports my argument!.)
So actually, yeah, as a person of faith who wants to show love to others and respect for their faith, calling this the Christmas Season indiscriminately *does* kind of bother me - I won't go so far as to say offend, because people's hearts are generally in the right place - until they start coming to blows over whether to say Christmas or Holiday. Because I think that shows a bit of arrogance - *my* holiday is the only one that counts. And other culture's holidays count just as much, in my book.
For Christians, the "Christmas Season" starts on Christmas Day, the day we celebrate the birth of our Savior, and continues through Epiphany. Oh, and just in case you didn't know - the 12 Days of Christmas are the 12 days *after* Christmas, not the 12 days before. I could tell you some Christian interpretations of that song, but it would bore you silly (if I haven't already done so.) So Google it if you're interested.
*gets down off soapbox*
I apologize to anyone who I have offended with this note. It's just my opinion and thoughts and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of any Christian denomination or any other Christian, for that matter.
Just out of curiosity though - what do YOU celebrate in November (after Thanksgiving), December, and early January? Inquiring minds want to know.....
It's that time of year - the annual "What do we call December 1-24???" kerfuffle. There are so many larger issues that I should be addressing, but as a person in a mixed marriage with friends of many faiths - and friends who associate themselves with no faith group, this yearly squabble bothers me. So here are my two cents. Well, actually rather a lot more.
First of all - define "Christmas." Lots of people of lots of faiths open presents underneath a decorated evergreen tree on December 25th. I think this is great - I would never want to take that away from anyone. However, this is Christmas as a secular holiday. (all you theologians out there, read on before you jump all over that statement). So in that sense, sure, call the days before December 25 the Christmas Season - just don't then say that you're calling it that for religious reasons. Because if you are a Christian, calling November 28-December 25 the Christmas season is technically incorrect - we are currently in Advent. (if you are an Eastern Orthodox Christian who does the calendar differently, don't start with me. I don't know how your calendar works. But I love you as a sister or brother.)
Continuing the "Christmas Season as a faith statement" argument I think, if we're talking about the whole season (not just one day), in our multi-cultural, multi-faith society we DO need to call it the Holiday Season - because not all of us celebrate Christmas. Telling my Jewish husband to have a great Christmas Season, for example, would be, well, wrong! And there are other faiths that don't celebrate Christmas. And that doesn't even start to cover my atheist friends! So personally, I think it's sensitive, NOT just "politically correct", to wish someone a Happy Holiday if you're not sure what they celebrate. Or even if they celebrate anything at all. But Happy Holidays is a pretty safe bet. I mean, heck, everyone celebrates January 1 as New Year's, so you can't go wrong there! (don't get technical on me - I know there are other New Year's Days in other cultures, but they don't happen during the period of time that I'm talking about - and if they do, well then, that supports my argument!.)
So actually, yeah, as a person of faith who wants to show love to others and respect for their faith, calling this the Christmas Season indiscriminately *does* kind of bother me - I won't go so far as to say offend, because people's hearts are generally in the right place - until they start coming to blows over whether to say Christmas or Holiday. Because I think that shows a bit of arrogance - *my* holiday is the only one that counts. And other culture's holidays count just as much, in my book.
For Christians, the "Christmas Season" starts on Christmas Day, the day we celebrate the birth of our Savior, and continues through Epiphany. Oh, and just in case you didn't know - the 12 Days of Christmas are the 12 days *after* Christmas, not the 12 days before. I could tell you some Christian interpretations of that song, but it would bore you silly (if I haven't already done so.) So Google it if you're interested.
*gets down off soapbox*
I apologize to anyone who I have offended with this note. It's just my opinion and thoughts and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of any Christian denomination or any other Christian, for that matter.
Just out of curiosity though - what do YOU celebrate in November (after Thanksgiving), December, and early January? Inquiring minds want to know.....
Veterans' Day 2010 - Thank You, Veterans (simple words that mean so much to so many)
Greater love hath no man, than that he lays down his life for his friends.
John 15:13 (King James Version)
Every Veteran’s Day, I have this Bible verse in my head all day long. In context, it is Jesus speaking about his imminent crucifixion and death at the Last Supper, after he’s washed his disciples’ feet. It’s part of the section of John where Jesus says he is the vine and his disciples are the branches.
So why do I think about this on Veteran’s Day? Because I remember all those Veterans, of many wars, who volunteered (mostly) to go to a distant land where they might have to lay down their lives – for all of us. In my opinion, no matter what your view on wars (past or present), every single Veteran should be honored for this. Now, I’m not comparing Veterans to Jesus – exactly. Obviously, Jesus lay down his life to give us the gift of eternal life.
But Veterans go to war, knowing that they may die or be changed forever, and for so many of them the reason is “to keep America free.” In other words – they fight for us. If you think about it, it’s pretty awe-inspiring.
So this week, I challenge you to find a Veteran, and say thank you for your service. That’s all. It will mean so much to them – especially if you’re a stranger to them, I think! I see so many Veterans proudly wearing caps commemorating their service. If you keep your eyes peeled, you’ll see them, too. A simple “thank you for your service” is a profound way of honoring these men and women.
But you know what? I think there’s an equally important way. And that’s by advocating and working for peace, so that maybe, sometime, all our men and women who are in harm’s way can come home – for good. So there’s my other challenge – find a way to work for peace. Think this is just wishful thinking? Well, “you may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.”
Have a blessed week, my friends!
John 15:13 (King James Version)
Every Veteran’s Day, I have this Bible verse in my head all day long. In context, it is Jesus speaking about his imminent crucifixion and death at the Last Supper, after he’s washed his disciples’ feet. It’s part of the section of John where Jesus says he is the vine and his disciples are the branches.
So why do I think about this on Veteran’s Day? Because I remember all those Veterans, of many wars, who volunteered (mostly) to go to a distant land where they might have to lay down their lives – for all of us. In my opinion, no matter what your view on wars (past or present), every single Veteran should be honored for this. Now, I’m not comparing Veterans to Jesus – exactly. Obviously, Jesus lay down his life to give us the gift of eternal life.
But Veterans go to war, knowing that they may die or be changed forever, and for so many of them the reason is “to keep America free.” In other words – they fight for us. If you think about it, it’s pretty awe-inspiring.
So this week, I challenge you to find a Veteran, and say thank you for your service. That’s all. It will mean so much to them – especially if you’re a stranger to them, I think! I see so many Veterans proudly wearing caps commemorating their service. If you keep your eyes peeled, you’ll see them, too. A simple “thank you for your service” is a profound way of honoring these men and women.
But you know what? I think there’s an equally important way. And that’s by advocating and working for peace, so that maybe, sometime, all our men and women who are in harm’s way can come home – for good. So there’s my other challenge – find a way to work for peace. Think this is just wishful thinking? Well, “you may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.”
Have a blessed week, my friends!
Speak your mind - even if your voice shakes (originally posted October 2010)
This week, as articles and videos and news about deaths by bullying have flooded the internet, I can do no better than to offer you this link. Please click on it and read the blog entry:
http://blogs.elca.org/faithlens/post/october-6-12-2010/
I shared it on my Facebook page, and I know many of you saw it, but I want to share it again – and encourage you to take up (or continue) the challenge. I say continue, because I know you, and I know how compassionate and kind you already are. I’m asking you to be intentionally compassionate and kind to the “outsiders” – and you know as well as I do that every school has them. Show God’s love to those who are being hurt by others. Find a way – large or small, it doesn’t matter. Be a link in the chain of love around these outsiders so that together, we can show them they are not really “outsiders” – they are our brothers and sisters. Demonstrate to bullies by your kind actions that we will not put up with that kind of cruelty.
At this point, you might be thinking, “Well, yeah, but if I get in the middle of something, I could get hurt!” or “If I snitch on the bullies, then they’ll come after me!” And you know what? I get that. I remember middle and high school, I remember retribution, and I remember being the object of teasing at times. So what I’m asking for you to do is what you can do. It may just be a small thing. But please, don’t choose to do NOTHING. That’s all.
Have a blessed week, my friends – I love you!
http://blogs.elca.org/faithlens/post/october-6-12-2010/
I shared it on my Facebook page, and I know many of you saw it, but I want to share it again – and encourage you to take up (or continue) the challenge. I say continue, because I know you, and I know how compassionate and kind you already are. I’m asking you to be intentionally compassionate and kind to the “outsiders” – and you know as well as I do that every school has them. Show God’s love to those who are being hurt by others. Find a way – large or small, it doesn’t matter. Be a link in the chain of love around these outsiders so that together, we can show them they are not really “outsiders” – they are our brothers and sisters. Demonstrate to bullies by your kind actions that we will not put up with that kind of cruelty.
At this point, you might be thinking, “Well, yeah, but if I get in the middle of something, I could get hurt!” or “If I snitch on the bullies, then they’ll come after me!” And you know what? I get that. I remember middle and high school, I remember retribution, and I remember being the object of teasing at times. So what I’m asking for you to do is what you can do. It may just be a small thing. But please, don’t choose to do NOTHING. That’s all.
Have a blessed week, my friends – I love you!
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