While we were driving to Chick-fil-A (the second happiest place on Earth for our family), I noticed there was a young guy riding our bumper pretty hard. I might have tapped my brakes a few times as a warning. I prefer to label it a Mother Hen moment, but I might have also just been instigating because I dislike invasions of personal space of ANY kind. So, the kid just shoves his middle finger up in such a way that I can definitely see it in my rear-view mirror. At first, I laughed it off and thought, "Yeah, you're way cool that you can do that with your finger, moron."
However, as I analyzed it later, it made me very sad about the state of humanity today. I mean, I sound like the Black Eyed Peas here, but where is the love? Seriously, it blows my mind how mean we are to one another in society these days. My heart is troubled by how quickly we access our anger and project it on other people. I get so very sick of seeing cars with Hostility, brass knuckles, F*Word, and other types of stickers on them (which is a whole different post, so don't get all wild on me about free speech).
We glorify anger in our society. We make it cool to be mad. I just don't get it. I know from personal experience of having a very bad temper (especially for a woman) that I feel horrible when I am irate at someone. It doesn't make me feel justified or even better. I feel downright miserable.
So, it got me thinking that whenever I start to get irked with someone (either someone I know or don't know), I should access the feelings I felt as the recipient of someone else's anger on this particular day and realize how sad it made me feel. I really wanted to follow the kid and get out and give him a hug because it seems like he needs more love in his life.
After all, we are all of one type, and that is human. We are fallible, imperfect, flawed, whatever adjective you want to call us, but there is not ONE exception to that rule. No one is perfect. Therefore, shouldn't we be more inclined to give grace and mercy to others where we have received or would like to receive it?
I personally am taking this as a teaching moment to learn how to be kinder to others. I want to be the light that people don't expect in this dark and dreary world. I want to make someone do a double take when I respond in love and grace rather than in hurt and anger. This is particularly challenging for me because I take things very personally, but I agree to rise to this challenge.
If we all expelled more love from our souls than anger, imagine what a beautiful world we would live in.
I'll leave it with the words of Jesus, my ultimate mentor. This parable is beautiful, and completely illustrates what I'm talking about. Spread some love today.
Luke 10:25-42
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[a]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[b]"
28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[a]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[b]"
28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
Good for you girl. Using something like that as a lesson to learn from.
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