Bountiful
Blessings
September 30th, 2013
Acceptance. Understanding. Compassion. Love. These concepts seem
rather straightforward, don’t they? I have been working on my homework for my
disabilities class and well, history has proven that these are not as
straightforward as our initial thoughts.
History has been wrought with cruelty and discrimination. Wars have
been fought; violence has ensued. Then we have the women’s rights movement. The
civil rights movement. The disabilities rights movement. The gay/lesbian rights
movement. We are in a constant struggle to gain simple freedoms for everyone –
the right to an education, to employment, for accessibility and for equal
treatment. Freedoms that I admit I take for granted.
In my class, we have watched a video of an institution from days
gone by. 2800 children that society hid away. The narrator states that the
children “are protected from society and the granite wall of ignorance, and
social blindness protects society from them.” People did not understand
physical or mental disabilities. Solution – tuck them away. How terribly sad. I
not only feel sad for those in the institutions but for those who lost out on
getting to know them. I have a cousin in her early 30s who is developmentally
challenged. Her mental stage is a preteen and yet, she wants a “regular life”;
a husband, children, her own home. She may never achieve all of these things
but she has managed to acquire a job and make some of her own choices. With
time and further rehabilitation counseling alongside her medication, who knows,
it may be possible for her to live in a center for independent living one day.
Now, consider if she had been born sixty years ago, what would her life have
been like? Would she have spent her life institutionalized and forgotten?
Breaks my heart. She is such a joy. You cannot help but not only love her but
genuinely like her.
And if you have never seen the video from Spike Lee about the four
girls in the Birmingham church bombing… wow… it is a powerful documentary. Four
innocent girls lost due to a group of men’s ignorance and inconceivable hatred.
(But doesn’t hatred continue even today? In some form or fashion? Directed
towards people who are deemed “different”? It just takes different forms but wait, I am
getting off track again). Born in a different time, it is hard for me to
imagine the restrictions that society placed on minorities; the hatred, the
violence. But with time, sweat,
dedication and fervor, changes can be achieved and the world can be a better
place.
God loved everyone. He did not turn away the lepers or the
“cripples”. No, he simply loved them. He embraced their differences. He taught
us to look past the surface to people’s hearts. To treat each other with love
and kindness. Our hatred, our discrimination, our prejudices - our problem.
Today I asked you, no I beg you, to please look into your heart. Do
you see someone through a veil of prejudice? The homeless person with the
mental disability – do you turn up your nose and go out of your way to avoid
him? The Hispanic person – do you question why he is here and why doesn’t he
learn English? The elderly lady slowing down traffic in front of you – do you
get angry, curse her and yell at her to move on? The person with the
uncontrolled child – do you shake your head over why the mother doesn’t simply
discipline him or do you consider that there may be more factors involved? Do you? Any of these? Or do you have your
own?
We may not have hatred.
We may not show violence. We may
consider that we are not that bad. Certainly not as bad as the Klan or
Hitler or any others such as that. Noooo…..But is there really a level of bad
and a level of acceptable? Mmmm, sorry, no.
And please understand, I write this knowing that I am as guilty as the
next person. I am not getting all preachy and not looking in my own backyard. I
know. I admit it. But today, today, I am going to make a conscious effort. I
will try to view others through God’s eyes. With love. With compassion. With
caring.
If I
only make a difference to one person, is that not important?
Bible
verse for the week:
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free,
there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28
Thought
for the week:
“…when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every
village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to
speed up that day when all
of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and
Catholics, will be able to join hands…” Martin
Luther King “I have a dream” speech
Bible
fun for the week:
Twelve Disciples: Peter – John – James – Andrew – Philip –
Bartholomew – Thomas – Matthew – James – Thaddeus –Simon - Judas
1. This gentleman was a tax
collector before he became a disciple of Jesus. __________
2.
This disciple was the half-brother of Jesus and a writer of one of the 66 books
of the bible with the exception of Jude. __________
3.
John was a disciple of Jesus and so was his brother. Who was John’s brother?
__________
4.
Peter was the first disciple that Jesus called. Peter has a brother who was
also a disciple and his name was __________.
5.
Peter, Andrew, James and __________ were fishermen before they became disciples
of Jesus.
6.
The three disciples that wrote books of the bible were: Matthew, John and
__________
7.
This disciple was also known as Nathaniel. __________
8.
Which Disciple hung himself for betraying Jesus? __________
9.
This disciple was a brother of James (younger). _________
10.
Which disciple would not believe Jesus was resurrected until he could see for
himself? __________
11.
Which three disciples witnessed the transfiguration? __________, __________.
& __________
12.
What disciple was beheaded for the gospel sake? __________
13.
What disciple also known as Cephus cut off the right ear of the high priest’s
servant? __________
15. This disciples name means
“rock”. __________
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