I had a very morbid dream the other night. I dreamt of a man who was stranded in the middle of a desert. The wind was gusty and the sky dark. On his knees, the man writhed in pain as his chest suddenly ripped open, exposing his beating heart. Out of nowhere, pin pricks began appearing on his arms and he slowly bled from each new opening. As he cried to God in agony, his face grew desperate and his eyes bloodied with tears.
For some strange reason, as the dreamer, I could feel his pain. It was the pain of this world. The pain of never having been good enough. The pain of always feeling inferior. The pain of longing for approval from the one person from his past who made him feel insignificant and worthless. The pain of being a second-class citizen.
A pain that every one of us has felt at some point on our journey.
It was heartbreaking . . . and familiar.
When I woke, I was greeted by my laptop with a rundown of the weekly news – which included: more victims coming forward in the Penn State scandal, a church banning an interracial couple from its walls and new women surfacing in the Herman Cain scandal. So I clicked over to facebook for a little mindless trolling. . .only to find my childhood church in similar disrepair.
What’s happening to us?
Children are being raped and abused (by priests, coaches, teachers and family members) and no one speaks up to protect them. Children are being bullied so severely that suicide seems like a better option than suffering through even one more day of school. Women are being sexually harassed by lustful politicians, only to have the media take aim at them. Humans are deciding who is and who is not good enough to kneel at the throne of God. Entire groups of people are demanding Christian/Muslim/Jewish monuments be taken down because religious symbols are too offensive to them. Gay folks are being treated like outcasts. Mothers are killing their children. Fathers are killing their pregnant wives. Our government is using faith as a ploy to control our votes.
Millions of people are bleeding in the desert, made to feel like second-class citizens by cowards.
Enough is enough.
When is this mayhem going to stop?
When we accept the fact that we are all precious and valued in the eyes of God; not one of us second-class. When we rise up, open our mouths and quit turning a blind eye to the sorrows of our neighbor.
When we bravely fight for what’s right, hopeful and just – and not just for ourselves, but for one another. When we base our moral compass on love and common decency. When we quit searching for heroes on the TV and realize that our leaders are mere mortals. When we openly question our government, our churches, our rhetoric and our convictions. When we choose to base our politics, our religions and our families on the love and mercy of our Creator, rather than the love of ego, money, party politics and antiquated traditions.
When we look up, rather than down.
Cowards perpetuate hate and fear, heroes open their mouths and bravely stand (often alone) for what’s right.
I only hope to be half the hero that this kid is. . .
CLICK HERE for more information on Shannon Ivey.
Thanks, Anne Rice for the link to Jonah’s video.
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Bless you. “Not to act is to act. Not to speak is to speak.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Now there was a guy we can all relate too! Try!!!!!!
Why does Herman raise more Cain than Penn State? If the children are not as important as JoPa, then the moral populous, of all honorable religions, and atheists, must rise up and get in the “fight”, the Christians (at least????) Will Not Do battle! Convince us!!!!!
The established institutions, College athletics, the Church, the local communities, and the foreign atrocities on women and children of sovereign countries, are a formidable adversary.
It will take more, much much more than beautiful essays like this one, commiserating comments, like those (over one hundred) from “The Rape of the Unnamed Girl” (revisit that one) and beating our righteous breasts. Where did all this emotion evaporate into???? It will take more of us than just “words” to prevail.
http://www.hollywoodrepublican.net/2011/03/the-rape-of-the-unnamed-girl-2/
Let us see this essay overrun with spiritually concerned people of faith, any faith, comments, from champions of the children and warriors for America, all of us getting up off the floor of apathy and getting back in the battle ….or are we truly lost, defeated, cowards standing in line, waiting our turn in the crematoriums (of, in this case a moral Auschwitz et al….our memories are so short)…..thinking how did I get here…..again. Oh, how obtuse!
And we are guaranteed a promotion to Patriot, certainly Warrior, from “Second Class, Citizens”, if we “simply” act! We are waiting.
The lack of rising up in support of pedophilia victims is a sure, an unequivocal sign of a “true” decline of a once great America! There is always time.
To Anonymous above…
The reason is that America and Americans are so desensitized that they don’t know what’s really important any more.
Your post inspires several good questions..
Like how is it that in America that Anna Nicole Smith can dominate the airways no matter what major event is also taking place at that time?
Or like why is it that the front runner can tell a couple of jokes to become the front runner then be accused of stealing a kid’s milk money in the 3rd grade and drop two positions while being ridiculed on every comedy show?
Answer: Because Americans live for the moment…if they had to vote right after a debate they would most likely and by a great margin vote based on how that candidate made them feel that night, not how good of a President he or she would make in the long run.
What is missed is that you are voting for a four year term…not the best standup act of the night.
As for these rape and molestations…one is quickly overshadowed by the next. The most scandalous gets the most press and therefore the most attention. It’s very, very sad that we have become this way as people.
But as long as we are, the media will play us for the fools we are and give us what we think we want.
Thank you for engaging. You add much to the discussion. I got your points and they are fine ones.
We must be careful that we do not “follow” and “justify” bad behavior, nor “excuse” ourselves by “pointing to “other bad” behavior.” And when we error, recognize human fallibility, pivot and reenter the “good” fight.
You supply good answers. Not necessarily “the” answers. Thus the challenge is to grow an ethical moral conscience and “To thy own self be true.”
As to living in or for the” moment, rape and molestation” “Fredrick Douglas ( “…a Republican, a black, dyed in the wool Republican”) said “Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them.”
http://www.hollywoodrepublican.net/2010/09/moral-and-material-by-anonymous/
Do not discount the value of individual (Ayn Rand Individualism) accountability, responsibility; due diligence, “Free Will”, and that we (you and I) can only be “fools” with our permission, conscious or unconscious, the subtle message in “Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”
Liberty, personally, nationally and globally, is not lost….it is surrendered. Embrace what fits and discard the rest.