what will it take...to see what is right in front of us?

 

 Mother Teresa didn't see "black" or "white." She regarded everyone as children of God....

 

"I don’t like to be political; I think both wings are needed to allow the eagle to fly. I don’t like to be religious because I don’t think God has a religion. What I do think, is, that we are all here for a reason and we all need to make that reason count. We are born as a single human; we die as a single human. It’s within that ‘tweener part’ that we truly need to have compassion, and love and grace for our fellow person. Makes it more fun!"

Wow! that was posted by a friend and as I read it, I realized that I couldn't agree more! I had been sipping coffee on my porch this morning, watching a squirrel as it ate the peanuts that I tossed out and I had been thinking the same thing. I had just thanked God for this day and for the many opportunities I would have to see Him through all I would meet. I then became pensive as I once more thought of how religion is so "compartmentalized." Think about it...there are so many faiths and beliefs because someone didn't like this or that and founded their own religion. Jesus came to show us God's love for each other. During his time, there were scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, Samaritans...and they all hated the other. He told us He was there to teach us that God is love, that we are all one in God's eyes. Thus his parables of the good Samaritan. Yet what  have we done, so many years later? We are once again showing who is "better." There are wars being fought in "God's name," (and I use that term so loosely, yet sadly enough, that is exactly what has happened.) And I cry. God did NOT say, "if you love me, kill everyone you meet. Take away their food, their housing, their way of life!" NO! Instead he tried to show by example: if you have two coats, give to someone who has nothing, if you have food, give some away. He instructed us about what happens when we desire more and more of everything and how it will eventually lead to our downfall.

So...what happened?? Why do we feel a need to "one up" someone else? Football players are making MILLIONS of dollars, yet it isn't enough. Members of Congress are complaining that 174 thousand dollars per year is not enough for them to live on, yet the constituents they are "serving" are living on so much less. And we are told by our government that we must all pull together in these times of need, yet I see so many disparities...and how fair is that?

Oh my...instead of fighting over which religion is better, like magpies fighting over a seed, take what you have and give some away. Be that good neighbor that Jesus talked about. YOU ARE NO BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE! I don't care what car you drive, your income or your house, we all bleed red! 

There are people who are yearning...begging... for human companionship, recognition and love as well as acceptance. Are you gay? GOOD! Are you a native American? Good! Are you from a country that isn't ours? Good! Then you are accepted! 

Just think, no more bullying, or taking from the weak to make you strong...we ALL are weak...and it will take all of us to become strong. I am Catholic...that doesn't mean I agree with everything the pope says, because I don't. But I won't start a new church because of that either. Instead, I go way back to what Jesus taught us, to "love ourselves, love God and love our neighbors more than we love ourselves."

I can do no less.

Please join me as we make this sorry world just a bit better than it was when we first arrived...

peace be with you all!!