There is so much hate, so much anger. We point fingers and blame, blame, blame. We call names, we make judgements of others all in the name of self-righteousness and pride. We cry out for justice with the same mouths we use to dehumanize and degrade others; so where is the justice? Because justice comes from a place of love and courage. There is nothing loving or brave about calling people names and making them feel less than because you disagree. In our efforts to make ourselves feel better by name calling and judging, we actually chip away at our own humanity. In that battle, there are no winners, only losers on all sides.

What if instead of pointing fingers at others for the problems in the world, we pointed the finger first at ourselves? If we want to change the world, we have to be willing to change ourselves first. If we think we don’t need to change, then we’re part of the problem. Every one of us has room for improvement. I wonder, what if before we went to social media to vent our anger and hurl insults, we stepped out of our bubble of existence and sat with someone different than us to hear their story? What if, before going to social media to complain about the ills of society, we offered our time to a local food bank, a homeless shelter, or big brother/big sister program, etc?

Anyone can sit at a computer and type out angry thoughts or hit the share button under the inflammatory post of another, but what does it accomplish? We feel better for a few moments but does anything really change? Sometimes, things do change-for the worse. Those angry words, those inflammatory posts stir up more anger and more division. Is that the change we’re looking for? Sure, there may be a small minority that thrives off of division and strife, but for the majority of people, we want the same things. We want others to see their value and their purpose; we want to be unified in seeing one another become the best that they can be; ultimately we want good for others, not harm.

This is the change worth striving for, but that change is hard because it has to start with us first. And let’s be honest, we want others to change for us, not the other way around. Even as I type those words, I hear the pushback, “I don’t need to change for anyone.” What if the anyone you need to change for is yourself. Have we looked inside ourselves to see the depth of the hate and anger that dwells in our hearts and pours out on others? Judging by the state of our society, I would say most likely not. It’s self-sabotage to cry out for justice and love for all while throwing stones of insults and accusations. When did it become acceptable to build ourselves up by tearing others down? Is that who we really want to be? Because with every insult, with every derogatory name thrown out, with every demeaning post that is who we are.

 I remember a Coke ad from the 70s where people of all nationalities, ethnicities, and backgrounds sang together in ‘perfect harmony.’ I remember thinking that this was a world I wanted to live in. Some might call it a pipe-dream. But isn’t the world made for dreamers? Doesn’t the world need people who dream about justice and respect for all? Doesn’t the world need people who dream about all people feeling valued and full of purpose? Doesn’t the world need people who dream of working towards hope, and peace and love for all?

Excuse me, while I go buy a case of Coke and make some friends, whose life experiences may be different than mine, so that I can learn, understand, and change.

-Pastor Kristen