It wasn't until recently that I understood the diversity of our nation and the division of our people. I have come to realize that many people believe differently that I do. On many different issues- religious and political. As much as I like to stay out of politics it has been nearly impossible to do so in the past year. There have been many pressing issues debated and fought over, but the one common trend I see whenever conflict arises is for people to to criticize others, dehumanize them, disrespect them, and in some cases, physically assault another person for having a different opinion than they do. Social media has become a place to say whatever you would like without regard for another persons values, feelings, or faith. A place to point fingers and vent frustrations over the direction of this country or the stance of a political party. The horrible things that are happening in our country right now, the countless senseless acts that take place every day in each of our cities, are not occurring solely because of guns, or God being taken out of our schools, or video games. I feel they happen because we fail to invest in the lives of others.
There are many different meanings to the word invest. Most probably define "investing" as having some financial purpose (We invest so that in the future we may generate income from a particular stock, etc.) But I am referring to an investment that changes lives. A covering of our neighbors with love and respect. An understanding that we are not on this earth solely to live a life that is pleasing to us, but that were given hearts that were made to feel and take part in incredible things. This is an issue with the condition of the human heart. So many people today walk around feeling numb. They feel anger, or resentment, or betrayal. They have no hope, no joy, no love. So many people, young and old alike, have never had someone invest in their lives. I feel as though this lack of support or devotion to others is what has sent our society on the downward spiral we are on.
Not all people will agree with me because I look at all of this from a Christian perspective, but I would assume that the majority of Americans can agree that there is a disconnect among people in this country and that faith and morality are at an all time low. As a Christian I understand what true hope and joy are. And of course I want for everyone to experience that! But the way to share that hope and joy with others is NOT to isolate them. Or point fingers at them. Or degrade them on facebook about gun control or homosexuality or whatever the media decides to present to us that day . We as Christians should be a people of grace, not disgrace. We should encourage others to love, not condemn someone for who they love. We should cover them with respect and invest in who they are. It is one thing to invest in a chicken sandwich but investing in the life of someone else makes a far more powerful statement. I have been so saddened by "Christians " over the last few months. So busy with pointing out the sins of others that they have neglected to evaluate their own hearts and struggles. Not one of us is perfect, and had it not been for God's grace I would not be where I am today. I am not better than anyone else because I am a Christian, I am just forgiven. And I will be the first to admit that I often fail. But grace gives me hope.
Hope, joy, peace, grace, love. These are all things that people receive when we invest in them (to name a few). I just wonder what the outcome may have been if someone had invested in the young man in CT long before his mind and heart were capable of committing such atrocities. Yes, he obviously had some form of mental illness(es). (The media wants to put emphasis on the fact that he had some form of ASD and put yet another stigma on a group of people......that's a whole new blog post!). We know that no sane person could commit these crimes. But what if there was more help available to those who suffer from mental illness? Or more support for parents of children who struggle with psychiatric disorders? Less stigma? More people willing to help and less people casting stones and shunning those who are different? Mental health is another huge concern in this country. People in general are just not happy. Their joy has been stolen, or they have never truly experienced it to begin with. They have no hope and are fearful of the future. The media bombards us constantly with stories which bring about gloom and doubt. Fear drives us to do things we never thought we were capable of doing. Fear tells us to buy more guns, create more powerful bombs. and build bigger armies- none of which are ever going to bring about any good or true peace.
What if we taught our children that it IS ok to be different and that it is NOT ok to infringe on the rights of others? What if we spent more time serving others than ourselves? What if we went out of our way everyday to impact someone's life? Just food for thought :)
