"Everyone chooses their level of involvement. We might share the same place BUT that does not mean we share the same space. Not everyone in the congregation is Christian."
Be the Change.
February was quite successful. It wasn’t anything earth-moving or ground-breaking, however, I set out on some goals and achieved most of them in the realm of health. At least thirty push-ups, thirty crunches, and two minutes of planking daily in support of some good causes and in support of upping my game. I’m currently working on some more books after finally finishing Nudge. Making connections with some old friends that are in the similar spaces of thought and bouncing back and forth ideas. I cannot complain about February despite its rocky start. And spring is on the way which only means more positive chances.
I get to start moving into the planting season. That is going to mean a lot more garden pictures this weekend as I get the beds ready for spring and start cleaning out and up. So look forward to massive upload of pictures to the site this week and going forward as I get ready for summer.
So, despite having to keep the heaters running overnight, things are progressing quite well. Freedom is slowly starting to return to America. People are getting to make choices again after fourteen long days of oppressive tactics. Folks are slowly starting to stop worrying about controlling their neighbor as they worry about controlling foreigners. So, America is looking like it is back on its cycle.
It is simply amazing how folks can go from one external crisis to another. I would rather go from one existential crisis to another BUT that’s me. I like to have hope in the spring that things are going to get better. I like to see the Lent season as a chance for everyone, despite religion or belief, to start focusing on being better. Because Lent isn’t about giving up anything. It isn’t about denying yourself something. Lent should be about the promise of change. The belief that despite the struggles, despite the injustice, despite the unfairness, that good ideas, good actions can triumph over evil. I don’t know. That seems like a nice lesson to learn for anyone. It’s a good lesson for life. That even though you can act out violently with all types of destruction, you choose the means of peace. Because, I have been telling, the means are the ends.
God could have sent his Son to mandate you worship Him. God could have sent bombs and laid waste like in the days of old. God could have locked you in your homes. Any of those possibilities of force are open to people and spirits alike. BUT, the choice was a message of love and peace. A message based on love and not violence. A message based on mercy and forgiveness rather than wrath and vengeance. A message based on changing yourself and changing the world.
And I think that’s a message a lot of folks are missing. Folks are walking around with their hammers in hand smashing all the nails they see when they should just put down those hammers and open their arms and their hearts. And it’s difficult to come to the Son with a hammer unless you want to drive in some more nails.
So, even if you’re not a religious person, if you gave up on religion and belief, there is still a greater message that we’re all missing, even those folks in the congregation. Some of those folks are carrying hammers as well. I think it’s time to find some new tools for building and creation rather than beating obedience into others.