Struggling to make sense of everything going on in our world. Today will be a departure from my weekly L.I.F.E. Lessons Video Blog, because simply put – I didn’t have it in me. People are hurting, lives are being lost and taken, and all of our lives are being changed significantly. In lieu of a video, I wanted to take it back a bit and write down some thoughts from my heart.
When you look at the massacre at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., and the police-related shootings and assaults all around our nation, as well as the systematic poverty-driven crimes in our inner city, it is clear that there is a spirit of violence permeating our communities. There are many places we could point as causes for this growing spirit of violence but what has pointing fingers ever solved? And let’s be honest – violence is everywhere! On social media – people are quick to post the “street fight of the week” or “knockout of the day”, and when a fight happens or someone is being assaulted, we take out camera phones to record, rather than step in to assist. On Reality television shows – people lack the ability to resolve conflict so they turn to violence. Even the news inundates us with sensationalized stories of violence and of course in hollywood, it’s glorified. No matter where the origin, no matter what’s causing it to grow and get worse; the bottom line is, we need prayer and peace. Not just peace to cease the violence; inner peace – the peace that surpasses all understanding. Peace that makes you seek understanding of things you can’t comprehend, rather than hate them for their uniqueness.
My prayers are that people start to love each other, be more accepting and tolerant of our differences, and find a way to settle them without violence. Each day, we should ask ourselves, what can I do to make the world better?