Fight or Flight Response
Who are the rulers of the earth?
Love righteousness, you rulers of the earth, think of the Lord in goodness and seek him with sincerity of heart; because he is found by those who do not put him to the test, and manifests himself to those who do not distrust him. For perverse thoughts separate people from God, and when his power is tested, it exposes the foolish; because wisdom will not enter a deceitful soul, or dwell in a body enslaved to sin. For a holy and disciplined spirit will flee from deceit, and will leave foolish thoughts behind, and will be ashamed at the approach of unrighteousness. For wisdom is a kindly spirit, but will not free blasphemers from the guilt of their words; because God is witness of their inmost feelings, and a true observer of their hearts, and a hearer of their tongues. - Wisdom 1:1-16
The rulers of nations do not speak for all the people over whom they have dominion. This is obvious in our nation where the elected officials in all branches of government struggle to present and defend opposing viewpoints, representing different voices in their districts and states.
But it is also true in totalitarian states, where the one voice dominates the news, but many opposing voices try to be heard through the static and silence.
The fact that so many people across the globe are escaping their homelands is proof that the rulers are not representative of all the people. And that poses a problem for everyone. What do we do about it?
Throughout history we have seen that when rulers become so oppressive toward their people, the people eventually revolt, but in many cases, people are fleeing rather than fighting.
I guess as humans, we don't like living with those who think and believe something different than we do. The more we focus on what divides us, the more division we create, until, eventually, someone is driven out or worse.
If we want to be welcoming to others, we need to start by accepting the differences in ourselves.
God loves everyone, regardless of political or personal beliefs.
If only we could be more like the one who created us. So, on this day, when we remember and revere our mothers, let us try to hold all mothers everywhere in our hearts, for all have children they love, and to them, every spirit is worth saving.
More to come...