What\u2019s it going to take to get our attention?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have Democrats and Republicans, continually casting the whole other side as evil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have genders and ethnicities and all sorts of demographics who continually boost self and the identity in their politics by means of denigrating and denouncing the different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We loudly declare our wisdom and rightness, acting as if only the other has an area where they need to be humble, kind, and grow up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t tell me only one side, one group, one something is solely guilty of denouncing. The slams\u2026 the vulgarity\u2026 the awful tweets\u2026 the derogatory memes\u2026 from the left\u2026 the right\u2026 you are tearing us apart.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Two days ago I sat by my TV and cried. I watched the Notre Dame cathedral burn. I remember walking those halls years ago and the deep, deep sense of serenity\u2026 I remember the worship\u2026 the wisdom\u2026 the wonder that was so awe-inspiringly displayed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s it going to take?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The cathedral of Notre Dame stands for unparalleled wisdom\u2026 for wise teaching\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Believe in God; he\u2019s the Creator of the universe.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n He created you and me.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Find a way to follow him.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Love him back.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t equate yourself and your finite mind\/heart with him… as if the potter were thought to be like the clay.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Love your fellow man, woman, child, whatever. No matter what. (Did I say \u201cno matter what\u201d? Does that fit with arguing, not listening, unfriending, un-something? Where am I, personally, doing that? Where are each of us doing that?)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Treat others better than yourselves. Agreement is not a prerequisite.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Embrace humility.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Recognize it as good. Always.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t walk away from another.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. (No doubt I can be incredibly selfish sometimes. Each of us can.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Acknowledge God. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Why do we have so many obstacles in acknowledging the great big God of the universe? We don\u2019t have to have life all figured out. We don\u2019t have to be perfect or have everything so together. He only asks us to acknowledge him. Get to know him. Turn in his direction.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s it going to take?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What else needs to burn to the ground before we realize we are pretty messed up as a culture?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t tell me the Democrats have it all figured out. Don\u2019t tell me the Republicans have it all figured out. I see two parties who are too inflated about self. I see a Tea Party-right and an Ocasio-Cortez-left alongside two Trump-loving\/Trump-hating blocs who are often blinded to the wisdom in reasonableness and the virtue in offering abundant compassion to all\u2026 people who are blinded to the wisdom in treating all <\/em>people right. It grieves me. <\/em>You are hurting the rest of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s it going to take?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s it going to take for us to quit adhering to any partisan or other kind of side, realizing we are hurting and disrespecting others in the process? What\u2019s it going to take for us to realize any allowed, intentional disrespect is foolish? What\u2019s it going to take for us to realize we are allowing wise principles and institutions to be burnt to the ground?<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s it going to take?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Respectfully\u2026 always\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n AR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What\u2019s it going to take to get our attention? We have Democrats and Republicans, continually casting the whole other side as evil. We have genders and ethnicities and all sorts of demographics who continually boost self and the identity in their politics by means of denigrating and denouncing the different. We loudly declare our wisdom … <\/p>\n