Startling News

I have followed the work of the Southern Poverty Law Center for years, and get mailings as well as emails from them. Today there was a daunting bit of news - in the last 7 years the number of hate groups operating within the United States of America has nearly doubled!! A 48% increase during a time when there is so much hate and violence abroad! Well, like events of the past decade have taught us, we are now officially part and parcel to the world scene!

Welcome to the new age! Unless, of course, you would rather your children and grandchildren didn't grow to know that type of world! In which case, it is time to start working as the Southern Poverty Law Center does - for tolerance and the recognition that we will not survive unless we conquer hate!

I am reminded that Jesus was willing to come and experience the results of hate, but refused to live out hate. Even when he was executed as a ciminal, he asked forgiveness for those who did it. Even when others slammed him for his outreach to those in need, he quietly went about doing more good. Even when his trusted companions and disciples abandoned him, denied him, he took special pains to bring them back into relationship. Even when those same friends simply couldn't fathom what he taught, what he wanted, what he said would happen, he worked to prepare them and kept them close so they could learn a better way to live.

Today we face off against each other with a rancor that is awful and terrifying - conservative against liberal, worker against management, debtors agaisnt creditors, Republicans against Democrats, you name it and you can find an "enemy" to hate, to villify, to attack and destroy. But is that the kind of world we truly want to live in?

Wouldn't a world of peace, tolerance and mutual benefit be better? Wouldn't it be nice that when someone needed help, we offered without having to be forced into it? Wouldn't it be better to live in a world where integrity wasn't simply a personal trait, but also common to government and corporate life as well? Wouldn't love be better than hate, living in harmony better than constantly looking over our collective shoulder for the next enemy seeking to do us in?

Think about it! What can we each personally do to dismantle hate groups, to build a more positive world for our descendants? Let's go, folks! It's time to take back our proud history of being a country big enough for all who would seek the bounty of this gracious land. If we do, we might find other countries following suit. If we honor our Islamic, Jewish, Hindi, Buddhist, Aboriginal, and other neighbors, we might find a better understand of our role as stewards of this earth and life.

Peace!