. If we
cannot love our neighbor as ourself it is because we do not see our neighbor as
ourself, but as a potential threat (or potential aid) to ourself.,,.
Beatrice
Bruteau
__________________________________________
that person over there
yes that one
with the scruffy beard and tattered carhartts
he sits hunched over
not just battered on the outside
but on the inside
where it counts
no job
no family
only alcohol and pot to keep him going
barely
that person over there
well dress
clean
a pillar of the community
but his eyes are empty
and he goes through each day, numb
consumed by anxiety
and voices in his head that will not let him relax
ever
that person over there
the one with the children
she looks
so overwhelmed
and lost
her anger bursts forth
and she slaps a child
then sinks into herself, as if she cannot believe
she just did that
that person over there
jokes about killing the President
and brags about his guns and his ammo
and shares “facts” that are not facts to anyone
who will listen
that person over there
looking down at everyone because they don’t have
the same view of God
that she has
you can see the judgment
perhaps even hate in her eyes
as she talks about her “sinful” neighbor
that person over there is the person Jesus
said I am to love
not just love, but love as much as I love my self
how is that possible?
How can it be as long as I look
at them with eyes that label, and categorize, and
rate?
How can it be as long as I seek to put them
“In their place”?
In reality?
In God’s eyes?
They are exactly the same as me?
I have earned no special favors
That is not the way God works
They are me
I am them
They are not people to fear
Or people to use
They are people to walk with
Side by side
One wounded soul helping another wounded soul
down the path to eternity
down the path
to all
that
is
sacred
No comments:
Post a Comment