Sometimes I think we get so caught up in details that we forget about reality. Or we get so caught up in our reality that we forget about other people.
I've been really caught up lately with my own reality of moving, getting a bunny, buying a scooter, and recovering from the school year. It's all reality, but it's very minor details of reality.
How do I forget about friends who have been raped or those who have eating disorders? Their life is no more or less real than mine, but it isn't my place to get so caught up in my life that I forget about others'.
I came across some things today that reminded me that reality is even more than these things and my friends.
I checked the news in Uganda. The main opposition leader was arrested and held at a prison a mile from my old home on charges of preparing for protests that would involve burning vehicles. This is the kind of thing that could easily turn into deadly riots and tumult in a country. Especially in Uganda.
The Ugandan government is working with the World Food Program to help north-eastern Uganda, a drought riddled area where children die daily from malnutrition. There's an abrupt reality check.
Another headline was about a house boy defiling and strangling a 5th grade girl.
Finally, here's the kicker, in Darfur the government is continuing their mass murder, burning of villages, and extensive rape of all women who are Salamat, or of a different race than the government. This horrific aspect gets blown over in the news. Read more about it here: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/25/opinion/kristof-a-policy-of-rape-continues.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&smid=pl-share&adxnnlx=1374789708-+8CHN3VgxciDFPHeZSGeyA
So what makes things reality? The joy and the pain, the suffering and the forgiveness, and the stories that move us to tears. This is what makes us human and aware of reality.
Reality is not focusing constantly on negatives. It is not trying to sort out detail. It is compassion that involves interdependence among us all. It is the true parts of being human, the true things that let us know we're alive.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Thursday, July 4, 2013
What is this thing... patriotism?
So everyone knows that today is the 4th of July. Apparently a long time ago we sent a Declaration of Independence to a tyrant in England.
But I wonder what the real deal is with the 4th. It seems to be a commercial celebration in some parts of the country, particularly in Virginia. Whether you need a red, white, and blue place setting or a quilt to use for one day of the year; maybe you need a 4th of July teddy bear in order to be truly American.
We celebrate the fact that we are now free from a tyrant. So we spend money on fire works and use it as an excuse to eat too much potato salad (guilty here!) but I wonder what the true value is.
Everyone today is posting on facebook about how good it is to be in America. We are the "land of the free". But I don't really think we're celebrating our freedom. We are celebrating our nationality. If we were really focusing on freedom I have a feeling it would look more like this:
A national new citizenship day for new members.
A home being built for an illegal immigrant.
An opening of the border between the US and Mexico.
Or what about this? What if we celebrated our freedom by inviting together people of ever race, nationality, gender, and religion?
Maybe absolving more people from death row?
Freeing people from jail for minor crimes?
But that's not American. Being American is a sense of pride on this day in order to say we're free and spend money.
Alright, I'm not the most patriotic; but after seeing what life looks like under a dictator, I like what I see in the US a lot better. I'm so grateful for the freedom we have, for the fact that in this country we will not get shot for carrying a bible, or, as in the case of Uganda, our newspapers won't be shut down because we had incriminating evidence against the government .
I think about what's happening in Egypt today. The army over throwing a government because the people weren't satisfied. To them, that is patriotism.
In Uganda, Independence Day is a show of arms by the government. That's patriotism.
But people today are complaining that we are not free because of the NSA scandal. But if we were actually patriotic like the rest of the world, would we be angry that we have a government that monitors us to keep us from getting blown up by terrorists? In many countries, the dedication of the government to our protection would be such a blessing.
Hmm... doesn't a very authoritative book say something like "in His service is perfect freedom"? So then maybe we should spend our day today loving and serving. Love those around you. Love the government for taking care of you. And let's love the One above us, because there we really find freedom. I'm personally patriotic to that Home.
But I wonder what the real deal is with the 4th. It seems to be a commercial celebration in some parts of the country, particularly in Virginia. Whether you need a red, white, and blue place setting or a quilt to use for one day of the year; maybe you need a 4th of July teddy bear in order to be truly American.
We celebrate the fact that we are now free from a tyrant. So we spend money on fire works and use it as an excuse to eat too much potato salad (guilty here!) but I wonder what the true value is.
Everyone today is posting on facebook about how good it is to be in America. We are the "land of the free". But I don't really think we're celebrating our freedom. We are celebrating our nationality. If we were really focusing on freedom I have a feeling it would look more like this:
A national new citizenship day for new members.
A home being built for an illegal immigrant.
An opening of the border between the US and Mexico.
Or what about this? What if we celebrated our freedom by inviting together people of ever race, nationality, gender, and religion?
Maybe absolving more people from death row?
Freeing people from jail for minor crimes?
But that's not American. Being American is a sense of pride on this day in order to say we're free and spend money.
Alright, I'm not the most patriotic; but after seeing what life looks like under a dictator, I like what I see in the US a lot better. I'm so grateful for the freedom we have, for the fact that in this country we will not get shot for carrying a bible, or, as in the case of Uganda, our newspapers won't be shut down because we had incriminating evidence against the government .
I think about what's happening in Egypt today. The army over throwing a government because the people weren't satisfied. To them, that is patriotism.
In Uganda, Independence Day is a show of arms by the government. That's patriotism.
But people today are complaining that we are not free because of the NSA scandal. But if we were actually patriotic like the rest of the world, would we be angry that we have a government that monitors us to keep us from getting blown up by terrorists? In many countries, the dedication of the government to our protection would be such a blessing.
Hmm... doesn't a very authoritative book say something like "in His service is perfect freedom"? So then maybe we should spend our day today loving and serving. Love those around you. Love the government for taking care of you. And let's love the One above us, because there we really find freedom. I'm personally patriotic to that Home.
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