I am an idealist who sees the world sometimes in black and white. My vision of reality is based upon what would be the best situation. Yeah there is a part of me that is an optimist who is very positive. Sometimes I speak in absolutes. There is a part of me that is very justice driven and that gets in the way of how I see people and situations. This is something I fear leads me to being somewhat judgmental and yes narrow minded. We live in a shades of gray world and I need to work harder to be more shades of gray and that not everything is built on absolutes or hard and fast rules. The world is changing and I love that, I need to be ready to change with it.
We all have ideas on how things should be, but we have to live in the reality that they aren’t and that is the place we have to be in with others who think and see things their own way. This is a way to live peacefully in community and to be more like the Creator who made us all unique and special. I don’t run the world but I can manage my little part of it.
I believe in the creator of the heavens and our Earth. I believe in utopia. I believe in peace and tranquility. I believe in those who march to the beat of their own drummer. I believe in the Eucharist. I believe in the person who chooses to love who they choose to love bravely. I believe in the black sheep. I believe in the Trinity. I believe in my wife, my family, my comrades. I believe in the heroic and sometimes the heretic. I believe in my home and native city. I choose to believe in many things and to have faith in the things seen and unseen. Namaste, Shalom, Salam, Amen.
In most countries the right to protest is a part of the rights of being a citizen. Some places deny their citizens that ability. Without protests we wouldn’t have civil rights for everyone. When there is a problem that impacts a segment of the population a message must be sent to make things right for the oppressed and the outcast. Some people don’t get why one group is protesting because they aren’t impacted by the thing or they might be the cause of the problem.
Standing up for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is a universal thing that everyone wants. When there is violence it must be protested. When there is injustice it must be protested. When there is hatred there must be a protested. When there is homophobia, racism, intolerance there must be a protest. To enjoy freedom for yourself you must seek freedom for others by non-violent protests that get your message across without harming others or destruction of property. Dr. Martin Luther King and Ghandi were masters at it. They created change without one single bullet.
Protest to create opportunity and change but never to deny anyone their rights to love and life. Stand up! Rise up! Show up!
I am introducing a new category to my blog, Something About | The Tony Burgess Blog … This category is another way for me to post about random things that pop in my head. We need to share Something About the things in our lives that matter too. It’s important to do Something About situations that arise in our journey. I hope you will enjoy this collection of posts. You can find the link also in my menu bar under “Special Features”.
In life sometimes the only thing that truly matters is the people you love. Your family by birth or by choice are there to help give you identity and to sustain you and to give you belonging. It’s those people that help you make lasting memories both good and bad. No matter what be sure that you love those people and live together in a peace that knows no bounds. God, the universe, circumstances gave you those connections and community to enhance your life. Treasure the time you have together. Lord have mercy and thank you for giving me such people.
Leaving for work this morning I looked up and saw the Moon. You know its always there and for some reason it caught my eye and made me gaze upon it for a moment. The awesome thing about creation is all the cool things like the Moon that hangs in the blue sky of day and the dark sky of the night. At its fullest it can shine and light up our world in its own way. Perhaps the Moon is something we should think of as a constant. We just might need it to give us some much needed balance and perspective in the busy world we live in. The moon has its purpose and so do we.
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