Miniature God

I've heard it often said that, "God has been taken out of (insert place here)."  That if we would just put God back that all our problems would begin to fade away.  And when I hear things like this, I think... when did God become so small?

When did God become so small that s/he could be moved or placed?  When did s/he become this "thing" that we push around as we please?

It used to make me mad.  Now I just wonder.

I wonder what it would mean if their tiny God grew to be the amazing solace that I know.  The joy dwelling in my child as she enters school.  The peace I feel in that chaotic moment at work.  I wonder how they can't see God there.

We haven't taken God out of anything, we've just stopped looking.

Bullets and Books

Yesterday was the 3rd anniversary of Sandy Hook.  Yesterday was a stark reminder that our children are not safe anywhere.  I thought about that as my happy go lucky child got out and walked into school.  I thought about how terrified she would be.  I thought about her not having me there.  I thought that I wish I could keep her safe.  I thought about what I would feel.  I couldn't. It makes me tear up just thinking about her being scared.  So as I often do I pulled up some info regarding statistics of school shootings here.  Here is a link to what I found, http://www.k12academics.com/school-shootings/history-school-shootings-united-states#.VnAdCstMFnE

I don't know what to do, but this isn't a new thing.  There are documented shootings in schools from over 100 years ago.  The idea that are children were ever safe in school seems strange after reading this. 

The fear factor

I've seen a post being shared lately... here is a copy Here is what I have to say in response...

Defining Who I Am

Yesterday I read that Donald Trump has called for the US to stop allowing Muslim people to enter our country.  It really can’t be surprising since many of the state governors have already made it known that they will not be accepting refugees into their states.  Even though I’m pretty sure that they can’t actually legally do that.  I’ve struggled with the concept of denying refuge to those in need.  I’ve wondered how a people who have read history can look at the flood of refugees running for their lives and not see the similarities of the Jewish people during the Holocaust.  How do we look at a human being who has left all that they have and say they can’t come here?  How do we tell a parent who’s child did not survive the journey that they have journeyed in vain?  But we are.

How did it come to this?  I’ve heard the arguments, that we need to protect our own, that we don’t know who these people are, that there are terrorists among them.  You know… there are terrorists here now.  You cannot tell who they are by looking at them.  You cannot tell who they are by being members of their family.  You cannot tell who they are… period.  We’ve done far more damage to our own, that has been done to us by the hands of international terrorists.  I’m over those arguments.  I recognize that there is a possible danger.  I recognize there is a danger to me driving a car too.  That doesn’t mean I don’t do it.  That doesn’t mean that I don’t open my arms and say welcome, be at peace here.  If anything it means that I do it more.  I am not one that wishes ill to you and your family.  I am not one who believes that you are a terrible person. I just want you to be safe.  I want to give you the best chance you can have.  I want to give you what I would desperately be searching for if our roles were reversed.  I want to give you a place to lay your head and weep.  I want to give you the time to rest.  I want to give you love.  I understand that it’s hard to hear me.  That the voices of bitter hatred are loud and seemingly many, but they don’t speak for everyone. 

I’ve heard that I’m a bleeding heart, that I haven’t seen what they’ve seen.  I’ve heard I’m too young to understand.  I’m tired of hearing that.  If your heart doesn’t break for families that are torn apart, my heart breaks for you.  I may not have seen what they have seen, but I have witnessed terrible acts.  I’ve watched buildings be destroyed by those who live here and those who don’t.  I’ve watched loved ones come to terms with the death of their family members at the hands of terrorists, those who live here and those who don't.  I’ve felt the fear of letting my child go to school without me to protect her, because elementary school isn't safe anymore.  And regardless of my age, I am old enough to read, to take in history, to look at both sides and make a decision of my own.  I am young but I am not stupid, and their assumption that I am is ridiculous.  I am fully aware of the decision I am making, of the possible consequences.  Who am I to tell those looking for refuge to look elsewhere?  Who am I to turn my backs on the hopeless?  Who am I?

Unheard

I don't think riots are going to solve anything. 

I want that to be clear.  I have tried engaging in conversations with people who don't understand why people are rioting. 

I hear their points on why they are against it.

I want them to hear that I'm against it to.

I desperately want it to end.

I also desperately want them to hear that, while the riots need to stop, there is a reason that they started.  And it is that reason that needs to be discussed and kept at the forefront of our thoughts. If we forget the reason that people have taken to violence, then we are doomed to repeat it over and over and over.

Not so long ago, when the civil rights movement started, the same thing happened.  There were riots in the streets and cities burned.  A subjugated people sat in restaurants and refused to sit in the back of busses. Changes were made and, on paper, things were made equal. There was much more involved, but I'm condensing. 

A long time ago, a nation was split.  Brothers fought against each other.   Over a million people died in those fights. An enslaved population was given freedom.  Changes were made and, on paper, things got better.  There was much more involved, but I'm condensing.

No, the people of today didn't experience the horrors of the civil rights movement. The people of the civil rights movement weren't slaves. It doesn't make the injustices of today any better. It doesn't mean that their fears are invalid. It doesn't mean that they need to be quiet.

As much as I want the violence to stop. It has done as it was intended. We didn't hear them speaking to their city officials, we didn't hear the letters written, we didn't hear their peace.  The nation hears now.  But we heard before as well.  We heard in Florida, Missouri, New York.... But it hasn't changed... And so, we hear in Baltimore. 

We hear you.  We hear that it isn't okay that a populous lives in fear of those who should protect.  We hear that you're tired of living that way.  We hear that there needs to be change.  We hear that you don't know what else to do.

We hear you.

We also hear those of you who stand up defending the police, and who march singing hymns. We hear the rival gangs that have united to try to restore peace and show that not everyone is violent in their efforts to change the world. 

We hear you.

This hits me. I want desperately to ignite change. I don't know how.

Martin Luther King Jr said it beautifully, 
"It is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard."

We hear you...

Beauty is only...

Skin deep....? 

I think everyone has heard that.  I sorta hate it these days.

There is this struggle in society right now regarding bullying and body shaming.  It's sad.  I understand not being satisfied with your body to some degree.  I have always been overweight, and I've been working for the past two years to seriously change that. I don't want or care about six pack abs, I just want to be healthy.  I don't care how fast I run, I just like running. I don't cut out certain types of food, I just choose to eat smaller portions. 

All those things are great and I'm glad that I'm choosing to be healthier, however the physical changes don't make me feel beautiful. My husband doesn't find me more attractive because my waist is smaller.  

I'm beautiful because I'm compassionate, intelligent, a liberal, a feminist, diligent, outspoken... Because I'm me.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't be healthy. You should. Because people love you and want you to stick around.

I am saying that changing your body doesn't make you beautiful. You already have that, you just have to learn to recognize it. 

For those who think it's okay to body shame. You suck at bring a person. Period. It's not your body, shut up. I don't care if you hate tattoos, piercings, short hair, beards, bald heads, fat people, skinny people, tall people or short people... I didn't ask you to do anything to your body, and unless I engage you in conversation on a regular basis, your opinion isn't wanted. You don't get to ruin my day because you feel it is necessary to be hateful.

Men don't have to look a certain way, women don't have to look a certain way. That would be incredibly boring. My thighs may always have dimples and my eyebrows thick. But I'm me and you are you and each of us is beautiful.

Seg·re·ga·tion

-the action or state of setting someone or something apart from other people or things or being set apart.-

Senate Bill 101 is not the first of it's kind... Sadly, it won't be the last, most likely. I don't know of all the others, I recognize that I probably should. I have heard that some of the states that do, also have laws protecting the civil rights of the LGBTQ community. So here's the thing, I do not understand how people are backing the law.  I do not understand, how, as a Christian, a person can stand up and say that a group of people offends me to the point I am not going to serve them. I don't understand how people can't see that this is terrible.

I've read the bill, if I'm correct in deciphering the legalese of it, it states that the government cannot "substantially burden" (interfere) with an "entity" (individual, business, organization) for acting on their religious beliefs.  If the government does interfere it has to do so in the least oppressive way.  So that's what I got out of it. I could be wrong, but for the purposes of this blog that's the understanding I have.

So if my "religious beliefs" were that black people shouldn't marry white people... I am free to deny them my services?

We aren't talking about not baking a penis cake in a wedding cake shop. If your business doesn't bake penis cakes, well then you don't bake penis cakes. But if you make wedding cakes... Well that's what you do. You do that for customers.  If I sent my wedding planner in to you and s/he did not inform you that the cake was for a gay couple, how would you know? Does that prospect offend you? Will you have a contract that everyone initials stating that they are not gay?

The general response that I keep seeing on social media is, "they can go to the cake shop down the street.". Do people hear themselves when they say that...? You sound someone from before the civil rights movement!  Or like a present day bigot. The blacks, oh I mean gays, can go to the coffee shop down the street.  They have the same coffee there, what's the problem?

I've been told that segregation doesn't exist.  It does, we are overly familiar with it in reference to race, but the word in itself is not specific to race. It makes us sound bigoted when we say we are okay with separating the LGBTQ community, or any community really.  And let's, be fair, we are not okay with being bigots in public.

I recognize that I'm aware of this problem because of the recent media buzz, I'm not proud that I wasn't involved before that. I am not, I'm not going to be quiet about it. I'm not going to pretend it will go away. If we continue to use religion to put a barrier between those who believe what we believe and those who don't, we have missed the boat.

I don't have an intimate knowledge of other religions. But I know that Christ regularly broke bread with prostitutes and thieves. I know that He said to love your neighbor as yourself. This doesn't seem very loving...