I think Americans have lost their ever-loving minds! And I stress the loving part. What is happening in this country? We protest racism but we’re ok with looting and stealing from hardworking business owners. We hate the killing innocent black men, but white cops are ok. We’ve been killing millions of aborted babies from the wombs of women for years. Where’s the outrage?
Do you think taking down a statue of someone from the Civil War will get rid of hatred? Think again. Maybe we should blast the face of Thomas Jefferson off the side of a mountain. He owned slaves back in the day. Let’s don’t stop there, let’s secede from the southern states who participated in the Civil War. Let’s get rid of anyone who lives in the South. Let’s don’t even call it the South anymore. While we’re at it, you know we should probably close down all the museums who have anything to do with Hitler and the Holocaust, because that is just downright offensive.
Enough already! Where does it stop? Taking down Jesus statues? Really? —That is the real problem, isn’t it? Everything comes down to Jesus. Don’t mess with Jesus. —Just sayin’.
We don’t have a race problem. We have a love problem. We’ve lost the willingness to love our brothers and sisters in these crazy hard times. Whatever happened to to being polite and having some decency and manners? We can’t erase hatred, without bringing in love, my friends. Hatred exists and we know that it will exist until Christ returns. Because Satan is leading the charge for hatred.
So until Christ returns, let’s just try to be polite. Let’s practice love. We can care about the feelings of all people. I don’t have to make fun of your opinion. I don’t have to post nasty comments or memes on social media. I can be polite. I can be courteous to you even when I disagree.
You see, it’s all about the love we should have for one another. Not the hate. Let’s focus on love. The Bible tells us what love is in Corinthians.
Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, is not pompous, it is not inflated. It is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Politeness and manners are about showing love. We show others the same kind of love that we want to receive.
This is the greatest country in the world. We have freedom here like no other. We should enjoy our freedom. Be grateful for our freedom. Embrace it and embrace each other. (Well, with COVID, that’s not possible literally, but figuratively.) Let’s reach out to our neighbors and show some love in the form of politeness and manners.
Here’s a few tips to get us started:
1. Let’s greet each other with a smile. Be pleasant to everyone. Your smile might be the only one someone will see today. A “hello” or “good day” will brighten your day as well as theirs.
2. Look people in the eyes. What do you see when you look in someone’s eyes? Kindness? Joy? Pain? Caring? Hope?
3. We can’t shake hands or give hugs right now, so just give a nod of recognition. I see you. I acknowledge you. I value you as a human being.
4. Use a person’s name when having a conversation with them. Most of us think our names are the sweetest sound we’ve ever heard. When we take the time to say their name, they recognize that we are invested in the conversation and care about talking with them.
Try these out the next time you are out and about and see if they don’t work at making others, and you, feel good.
One pebble of politeness dropped in the ocean of life leaves a ripple that reverberates. Imagine the ripples if we all were polite.
God bless.—Barb
