I am seeing posts about persecution of people based on religious affiliation. What is interesting - and a little troubling - to me is that it appears posters are posting about their own religious group being persecuted. And that always makes me think. I wonder how many peoples have been persecuted for their religious or ethic group. Or race. Every one, I imagine. But Im no historian. Whenever I see some information about persecution of some group, I wonder where MY responsibility lies. What can I do? What DIDNT I do to allow this to happen? How should I move forward here? Whom do I write to? Whom do I call? The person whom I hold responsible is the old lady in my mirror. That person gives me the biggest headaches, after all! She has disappointed me more than anyone else! When these things happen, shouldnt we all look to ourselves? I blame myself for my vote when awful decisions are made by lawmakers. I blame myself for my lack of researching further when I realize my vote may have been wrong. Despite that saying, hindsight is rarely 20/20. But it usually is more accurate than foresight. I do try to have good hindsight and learn from it. But I fail there, as well. The bottom line for me is this: I AM my brothers keeper. I AM responsible to do everything I can to alleviate suffering and help others - outside of being a doctor. In my personal life. In my life outside of work. I am ALWAYS responsible to be kind, to speak from and operate out of love, to do everything I can to be helpful and encouraging. I fail, of course. I am human. But I try. So whose story should I tell? What should I complain about? What is the most loving, the most ethical, the most honorable thing for me to do? Post about my religious group being persecuted? If I only wish to talk about them, what does that say about me? If I truly wish to be a person who adds to the power of love in this world - if I truly wish to do what I can to make the world a better place - shouldnt I LISTEN to the stories of others? Listen in a spirit of open-mindedness and an open HEART? Isnt that my highest calling? The calling to love and assist those OTHERS? Those people whose religion I would never consider being a part of... those people whom many in my religion or in my country see as the enemy - but people who are, as me, simply people? My call to love my brothers and sisters does not stop at the doorway of their religion. I think it should START there. Even in this lovely forum - Christian Muslim Forum - and in another lovely group I belong to - Jewish Muslim Friendship - I see some people arguing, blaming, and saying ugly things. I see some people posting offensive or mean-spirited words declaring some truth about some other religion. Or their own religion. Isnt everyones truth their OWN truth? Arent we called to a higher calling? ...to reach out to each other in the true spirit of friendship and to LISTEN to the other? How can I declare MY truth to be the one unique truth if I do not truly LISTEN to YOU? How can I declare YOUR truth to be false if I do not learn about it with an open-mind? I am always saddened and disappointed when I see arguing, blaming, and people posting about how people in their own religion are being persecuted. I wish we were ALL our brothers keepers. How much better would the world be? So here I am - a Jew - reading about Muslim families putting their children on boats and shoving those boats into the vast ocean in Myanmar. I am heartbroken. No part of me can imagine how terrible things must be for them to compel them to put their children in such peril. Ive seen a LOT of pain and suffering in my professional life. When a child dies of cancer, it is agony for the parents. But having to put your healthy child on a boat like that? I have no ability to imagine the pain of such a thing. My call in life is to love YOU. To welcome your heart, your thoughts, your beliefs and to LISTEN to you. I hope I do it well. And I trust when I fail, you will tell me. That is the best thing you can do for me as my friend.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 19:59:03 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015