Tolerance

Just turn on the news and you’ll be inundated with crime, murder, robbery, hatred, disrespect, unkindness, lack and scarcity rhetoric. We have become addicted to perpetuating fears and accentuating differences in ways that incite violence, hatred, and rage in order for one person or group to feel validated, entitled, better than, justified, worthy, and right. Thus, another is invalidated, unworthy, less than, and wrong.

We fill our hearts and minds with information that perpetuates the viewpoint that we tend to favor. We do this in news, entertainment, religion, and all aspects of life. We belittle what we consider and judge as opposite or our opponent. Why?

Well, to feel safe, loved, protected. We give our responsibilities over to a person, establishment or government to fulfill the aforementioned needs and desires. Then, we shut out, deny, withdraw and become further and further intolerant of anything or anyone that we perceive as a threat against our so-called safety.

We go about gathering more and more evidence to support our “correct” position. We create dualistic sides – right and wrong, good and bad, blessed and evil. Whichever side you are on, you can find evidence that further separates and increases the divide.

Then, armed with venom and fueled with the fire of fear, we set out to squelch the others, who are also fueled with the fire of fear.

Then we wonder why things are so bad. Why can’t “they” see the truth? Who is to blame? And who is going to stop them and protect us?

Please pardon the analogies and cliches, but I feel they are a powerful way to demonstrate the absurdity of this tit-for-tat, spit-n-spat, I’m right, you’re wrong, name-calling, mud-slinging, hatred that fills the airways and social media….if you choose to tune in.

I have chosen not to tune in – or not very often – for many months, but have watch the news the past few evenings. I cannot keep silent.

Oneness – WE ARE ONE. One body with many members.

We are spiritual. Everything is love. Life is love. Love is life expressed in me/in you, as me/as you, through me/through you.

WAKE UP!

NOW is the time for us to AWAKEN to see that hurting and killing “the other” is hurting and killing ourself. Shall we learn, observe, and see from history? Please! 

Nations and peoples come and go are wiped out by another – no nation has ever “won” and kept their power over others.

What if we practiced Tolerance?

What is Tolerance?

Here’s the definition from Miriam-Webster.com that best applies for the purpose of this writing:

a :  sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one’s own

b :  the act of allowing something

With deep and sincere humility and compassion for all my brothers and sisters, I invite each of us to imagine our world where we accentuate our differences to celebrate God/Love/Life/Source’s beautiful and unique and vastly varied expressions.

What if we approached differences from a perspective of curious learning?

What if tolerance meant that we love more?

What if we adopted a belief of abundance? And put our resources, our minds, our ingenuity, our passions and desires to work for the good of all?

What could be possible? 

• Clean water for everyone on the planet.
• Use of renewable resources in healthy ways.
• Exploration and respect for all life.

Each and every person happy to discover, express, and share their unique gifts.

Won’t you join me in recognizing differences as God’s beautiful expression of love?

There is no greater love than this…and I am grateful.

Abound in grace,

Karen