Where is the Love?
"Therefore, as God's chosen people... clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bare with each other... forgive one another... And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Colossians 3:12-14 NIV
My heart has been particularly heavy these last few weeks looking at all that's going on in our world. School shootings, police involved shootings, natural disasters, it just seems like we can't catch a break. Every week it's something else and it's a lot to deal with, a lot to watch, a lot to try and process. I get anxious going into work sometimes, thinking about those school shootings and praying it doesn't happen. I turn on the news and see stories about people being killed by the police and it's all so disheartening.
I'm not making this post to debate "facts" or "opinions" or the like related to these current situations, but I'm making this post to encourage everyone to treat people with kindness and keep love in your heart. I was having a conversation with someone the other day about why all of this seems to be going on. We discussed potential laws and policies that could and should be put in place. We talked about how scary it can be going out to public events or schools because of all the violence and crime. When I really tried to decipher through possible reasons as to why it all happens I realize it comes down to love, kindness, and compassion. We can talk about race and privilege, we can talk about rules and laws, we can talk about news reporting accuracy, we can talk all day. I think it really does come down to who we are at our core. Who we are when no one is watching, how we treat people, how we view others, what kind of things we do for others when no one is there to give us a reward or when we think there won't be a consequence.
I don't know why people are quick to kill and I don't know why we live in a society where murders are being normalized. I don't know... But what I do know is that we need to get back to love. We need to treat everyone with kindness and fairness and we need to be people of integrity and character. No matter the motive, no one deserves to be killed senselessly and children should not have to go through the trauma of a school shooting. How does love relate to this? I think if the people committing these heinous crimes viewed people as humans, as children and adults with a future and a family, if they realized the value and the beauty of life, then maybe we wouldn't have to March for Our Lives or show up at City Hall. Gun control is controversial, I know, and laws won't change over night. But the way we show love to people can change the moment we decide that our life matters and so do the lives of other people.
Be loving, be kind, be a friend to someone. Let the people you love know that you love them and be courteous to everyone you meet. I always go back to this quote, and I'm not sure who wrote it but it's powerful: "people may not remember what you said or what you did, but they'll always remember how you made them feel." The way we treat people and the way we view others has a lasting effect. I hope you are encouraged and inspired to be a light to those around you. If you feel moved to get involved with your community and take action to make change, do so. If you don't, then don't. No matter what you choose, choose love. I am hopeful about the future and I hope you are too. Stay safe, stay positive, and I'll see you in my next post!
All My Love,
Tyler
P.S. - Photo for this post (and many of my recent photos) is courtesy of DVRK CITY VISUALS. Check out the Instagram profile here and tell him I sent you!