There is No Them

Have you ever noticed "them"?

You know the ones. The other ones. Those who don't match up with our requirements for inclusion. They don't fit in. Do you know who I am talking about yet?

Them. The others. The ones that look different. They talk funny; remember? They go to the wrong church on top of all that. These are just a sampling of the ways we commonly refer to others of our world as "them."

I don't mean to upset the apple cart, but there is no "them."

I do mean to say that I have been looking out at the world from behind these eyes for over 47 years, and I have come to realize that we are all truly equal. It doesn't matter what our skin color is or where we live. It makes no difference how we vote or whom we worship. We are all included by design. It was never intended to be any other way. Any attempt to exclude any one for any reason by any group, establishment, church, or whatever is unacceptable and is not the way of Christ.

All it really took for me to recognize this eternal truth was to place myself in the other person's shoes and really look at how they might feel under my form of judgement. I didn't have to walk around in the other person's shoes. You certainly don't have to literally be in their shoes -- especially if you have a foot issue. Just forget the shoe thing --

Think. About. It.

Think about how the other person feels about themselves and the world. You may not be able to. That should serve as a reminder that we can't really know how anyone feels. Just imagine how the way you choose to treat them will impact them. If after doing so, you can still argue for the justification for casting judgement on them, then e-mail me and let's debate it. :O

Just think about the fact that the other person has experiences that helped form them into who they are. Do you have fears in some area? I'll bet you the other person does as well. Do you want to be accepted just as you are? I'll bet the other person does too. If we allow all whom we come into contact with to be who they are and pass no judgement on them, aren't we doing unto them as we would want them to do unto us? I don't know about you, but I don't want to be referred to as a "them." I've been there. I probably still am one of them for some... that's too bad. It feels crummy, but it doesn't have to be that way at all.

I want to be accepted and loved right here, right now, without having to change in any way. I'll bet you feel the same. What if we really wanted it so badly that we began to see all creatures as having intrinsic value?

What if we just let go of the need to judge or profile anyone?

Do you think it would make a difference?

Could we change the world in the process?

Are we willing to give it a try?
 
LUVWRX! Believe it.