Tuesday, February 24, 2009

From the mouths of babes

I enjoy driving. I especially enjoy driving when my children want to talk, ask questions and engage in honest dialogue. Most of the time I am turning up the radio to drown out the fighting, but the other day I turned down the radio so I could listen in - eavesdrop if you will - on the conversation. Ben and Janis were in a hard core conversation about being brother and sister.

Janis mentioned that she is a "sister" to her friend next door and when Ben said she wasn't she about came unglued. Seems Janis and her buddy were discussing the Bible and the notion we are all brothers and sisters. Ben then took the suggestion and indicated there is no way possible we could all be actual brothers and sisters because then no one could get married.

Janis then chimed in she would hate to have another brother because one was simply enough.

The kids could tell I was listening in - as Ben addressed me and asked: "Mom. Why does the Bible say we should treat everyone like brothers and sisters, when all brothers and sisters do is fight?" Good question and the only thing I could think of is "Maybe we do. Maybe that is why we have war."

Ben has a point - he is in a constant struggle with his sister and while they love each other, there is not perfect harmony. He does something to annoy her and she does something back - they love and hate at the same time. Does this exist in war? Can individuals from two different worlds find common ground, yet still have the ability to hate so much? I wrote a while back about the movie "Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?" and the notion we all want the same things in life - a safe place for our children to grow, a good education and a better life for them. We may see things a bit differently and fight, but we all truly share a common bond...humanity.

So. We have this common bond - we want the best in life and seek to be absolutely loved and accepted - it is what we want in life. Why then do we not allow some people to experience acceptance, love and joy? Why then do we have a community that cannot accept people for who they are - faults and all? Why then do we have a community that would rather hide those, than embrace them?

In church a few weeks ago - the topic was about lepers - how they were shunned from communities and forced to annouce they were "unclean" to those that approached. I listen and think "how horrible it must have been" but then I think of how there are those in our community that are labeled and shunned - the homeless, the adicts, sex offenders, those with AIDS and homosexuals. How is it people in our communities can stand in judgement of others? What makes one person "better" than another and why on earth do we allow it to happen?

Maybe we truly are brothers and sisters.

We point out the faults, tattle, pick on and expose the weaknesses of others.

We should be brothers and sisters of a more forgiving nature, a loving nature, one suggesting support and compassion...then again....what fun would that be?