Peace and Love

The title may appear a bit like a hippy era revolution, but it’s not.  It’s referring to the two words that Martin Luther King Jr. believed and practiced during his leadership in the Civil Rights Movement.  He desired that we would be a country with equal rights for all people no matter their ethnicity, religious beliefs, or gender.  I was not alive during his days as a Civil Rights leader, but I have seen our country through the times we are now.  What happened?  How can we return to those ideals?  Can we have those ideals?

Here’s what happened.  We didn’t change.  We didn’t grow.  We pretended.  It’s not everyone, but for those who didn’t change and grow, they are loud now, and it hurts. 

Many of those people claim to be Christians.  We didn’t take the high road.  We loved those who were easy to love.  We are now learning that we have to love those who are difficult to love.  We have to bridge peace and have conversations with those who think and believe differently than us.  We kept our churches segregated.  Now we must learn from our past and return to those ideals.

The ideals can occur.  Many people who the church has hurt or damaged, love to post how the white evangelical church is dying with old white people.  Maybe it is, but they are not posting what diverse churches that are full of young people.  Churches in the Los Angeles area are opening their doors to diversity and it is beautiful.  One of the best things that all of these churches did was love on the least of these in our community.  We can sit back and judge or get up and do.  Jesus said to love our enemies and to love those who persecute us.  Serving our enemies would be one way to show love.   

We have to stop with the arguing and bickering, especially with politics.  We have to educate ourselves of religious groups, ethnicities, and political parties that are different from us.  I was reminded today that we have to look for the good in others.  Yes, there is good in other religions.  Yes, there is good in other ethnicities (more than just the food), and even in politics.  If a democrat is finding solutions to homelessness and turning to the churches to help, then by all means that is good. 

Like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Anne Frank, I believe that there is good in everyone.  I refuse to become bitter over every little thing that is posted on social media.  If we stand up and get to work, we will not have time to be offended or time to become bitter.  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. didn’t post stuff; he did the work, along with all the people that were with him.  I know.  He didn’t have social media, but he didn’t just write articles or books.  He lived.  He worked.  He spoke. 

We can do better.  We must do better.  “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation Where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream.”  Martin Luther King Jr. August 28, 1963.  Let’s make the dream a reality.  It means we will have to work, but it will be well worth it.