Christian Cooper: Displaying True Compassion & Forgiveness

I often glorify the act of compassion and forgiveness & I genuinely try to live it out too despite finding it very difficult with certain challenging individuals.  But I've often also said that stumbling is okay too.  Continuing to move forward & authentically trying to be a better person (despite sometimes & often failing) is all part of the life journey. I thought I knew what compassion & forgiveness were. But then comes Christian Cooper & now I feel like I really do know what they are.  He's the now famous "bird watcher" who dared to tell a lady to put her dog on a leash in a public place while she feigns danger from "an African American man".  Luckily, he taped it all & well....let's just say, she is now infamously renamed "Karen". (Welcome to 2020) Christian has every right to be angry. And I don't think any reasonable person would blame him if he was bitter towards her & refused to offer any forgiveness.  Instead, he remains gracious & gives her a wide birth to better herself as a human being.  It doesn't matter if she's genuine.  I don't even really care about her response.  My feelings for her are much less gracious than Christian's & hopefully karma & the Universe will deal with her.  But I admire this man so much. There will always be "Karens" in the world. But very few Christians.  So I want to celebrate true compassion. True kindness.  True Forgiveness.  Thank you Christian Cooper for being that man.

Hoping for true change in this world--an end to systemic racism. 

Be the Church

I could never have grasped the concept of my Church closing down for services for any reason I could fathom. Within the past few months of the Covid-19 life, that has become the reality. Fortunately for me, my particular Parish Church has continued to offer Sunday services, as well as daily prayer services. Ironically, I feel like I'm more in tune with my spiritual life these days than I was Pre-Covid.  I hope that I can somehow sustain that indefinitely.

Most recently, a movement has grown to start opening churches because they are "essential" & people "need" them. I recently saw a rather rude argument online for and against opening from two "church-goers" who were not behaving with kindness toward each other.  I can only imagine what a non-believer would think upon witnessing their exchange.  Is this what they stand for?  Attacking one another & working towards invalidating their feelings?   I'm the first person to say, I don't really know what the right thing to do is ALL the time. I may weigh the pros & cons & can completely understand why someone would want to let life go on as normal & open everything up.  But I also understand that people are afraid for their lives and they fear catching the virus or passing it to loved ones who may be unable to recover. I empathize with both perspectives. And I've heard the tragic stories of people who've lost their lives.  And I've also heard of people suffering because their livelihoods have been taken away.  It's sad & awful all around.

But fighting about whether or not Church should open? I would hope we wouldn't do that. Like I said previously, I sometimes struggle with what the right thing to do is.  But one thing I'm fairly confident about is, is that Church WILL open again.  It will.  But in the meantime, being kind to each other is the true manifestation of the Church--service to one another & supporting each other, giving when in the position to do so--that is the Church. Here is something wonderful an online friend of mine posted:

Practical ways to be the church in the world when you can’t physically attend church.

1. Join or start a pay it forward group. These community groups connect those in your area with too much to those in need!
2. Start a “text support” or “mentor” group. This will connect those who need to talk and need support via text or email to those who have the energy and mental resources to offer support and connection.
3. Help the youth leaders start a teen ministry discord group for teens to connect, chat, watch movies, and play games in real in and in a secure environment.
4. Start a food redistribution center. These work by people bringing in their extras, including fresh garden harvests, and exchanging them for goods they need.

I love that idea:  Be the Church.     

 

We Are Not in the Same Boat

Raising two boys that I hope have healthy emotional states & striving to have a healthy communication-filled marriage, I've always tried to validate any & all feelings. So bearing that in mind, I really appreciate this piece I found on the internet about quarantine emotions. I'm not about being condescending to others & invalidating how others choose to live their lives. This is about empathy & compassion.

WE ARE NOT IN THE SAME BOAT ...
I heard that we are all in the same boat, but it's not like that. We are in the same storm, but not in the same boat. Your ship could be shipwrecked and mine might not be. Or vice versa.

For some, quarantine is optimal. A moment of reflection, of re-connection, easy in flip flops, with a cocktail or coffee. For others, this is a desperate financial & family crisis.

For some that live alone they're facing endless loneliness. While for others it is peace, rest & time with their mother, father, sons & daughters.

With the $600 weekly increase in unemployment some are bringing in more money to their households than they were working. Others are working more hours for less money due to pay cuts or loss in sales.

Some families of 4 just received $3400 from the stimulus while other families of 4 saw $0.

Some were concerned about getting a certain candy for Easter while others were concerned if there would be enough bread, milk and eggs for the weekend.

Some want to go back to work because they don't qualify for unemployment and are running out of money. Others want to kill those who break the quarantine.

Some are home spending 2-3 hours/day helping their child with online schooling while others are spending 2-3 hours/day to educate their children on top of a 10-12 hour workday.

Some have experienced the near death of the virus, some have already lost someone from it and some are not sure if their loved ones are going to make it. Others don't believe this is a big deal.

Some have faith in God and expect miracles during this 2020. Others say the worst is yet to come.

So, friends, we are not in the same boat. We are going through a time when our perceptions and needs are completely different.

Each of us will emerge, in our own way, from this storm. It is very important to see beyond what is seen at first glance. Not just looking, actually seeing.

We are all on different ships during this storm experiencing a very different journey.

Realize that and be kind.

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Please stay safe out there--making thoughtful & kind choices not just for yourselves but for others. Stay home if you can & be healthy. Sending my sincerest sympathies to those hurting about sick or lost loved ones & for those just not feeling their best--physically or emotionally.  Life is a journey. XOXO 😘