Dear World,
You are hurting.
We are hurting. In the wake of tragic events, there is so much pain. Yet, the
pain was there before all of this happened. Entrenched in our hearts, seeking
for some peace. As I reflect on what is going on in Paris (and in Beirut, and
in Baghdad, and in Japan, and in Mexico, and in Syria, and in Kenya, and in so
many other places), I realize that we might need some “reminders.” I call them
reminders because they are simply that- things that we know and have heard
before, but might need to hear again. I write to you not as someone who has it
all together, but as someone who needs these reminders herself, and as someone
who hopes that maybe these reminders will make even a fraction of a difference
somewhere.
I also want to
say that each of these “reminders” begins with the word, “find,” for a
reason. In a world inundated with
self-help books and reality shows, we are all trying to find something, or
someone, to fix things. This is a part of human nature. Seeking, and in
essence, curiosity, are what lead to the great discoveries that we have. It is
when we step outside of ourselves and seek to “find,” that true change can occur.
So here are my reminders:
1. Find a new place. Travel and explore. By traveling to new
places, we are able to establish a new connection with a location and the
people there. A part of my heart belongs in Cairo, Egypt because I lived there.
When I hear about Cairo on the news, there is a deep connection for me that
would not exist had I not been in that city. The same is true for the state of
Piaui in Brazil or the village of Dame Marie in Haiti. These locations had no
meaning to me before I traveled there, but now they are embedded in my memory
and my emotions. When I see them on the news, I am connected. When I hear a
negative stereotype about people from that area, I can now say (and have a
desire to say) that it is not true. When
I meet someone from that area, I feel a sense as if I already know them, and I
am open to conversation. Traveling breaks down barriers and it opens eyes. But
we cannot all travel to different countries. So travel to another state,
another city. Travel to your local library, your nearest museum, your neighbors
house. When you travel, you are connecting. When you connect, you begin to
care.
2. Find a new Facebook group. Yes, you read that correctly. Our world
is flooded with social media and many of us access it every day. We scroll
through our newsfeed and Instagram pictures subconsciously soaking in the
information we see. Find a Facebook group that is going to educate you. “Like”
CNN, FoxNews, BBC, AlJazeera, your local Patch- your choice, but find
something. My newsfeed could be filled
with the latest updates on what people ate, the newest engaged couple, or a
humorous eCard, but instead it is filled with news sites. This might sound
boring, but don’t most of us scroll social media for one of two reasons? We are
either bored or curious. Could you imagine the enlightening that might occur if
we took that boredom and curiosity and learned a little bit about what is going
on around us? We are going to scroll Facebook anyway, so why not make it
useful?
3. Find a passion. Any passion, but preferably a positive
one. After all, I have learned that passions transcend differences. People who
are passionate about something are more likely to look past the differences in
those who are also passionate about the same thing. Moreover, if we spent more
time on our passions, we would spend less time causing problems. In the
educational world, we often talk about how after school activities reduces the
number of teens getting in trouble outside of school. What if everyone in the
world had an extracurricular activity? Idleness leads to problems. Let’s stop
being idle and start becoming passionate.
4. Find a person. Find a person, or hopefully a group of
people, to love. I truly believe in the saying, “hurt people hurt people.
Healed people heal people.” If we chose to love just those around us, we could
stop a lot of hurting and start a lot of healing. I’m not asking each person to
go out and love the orphans and feed the homeless (those these are great things
to do), I’m just reminding each of us to love those around us. If each person
felt loved by one other person, it could start a chain reaction. Terrorism,
homicide, genocide, hate- each of these is a response to hurting (manifested in
anger, violence, etc). It amazes me how many of my students cannot name someone
who loves them. I believe that just by loving them, I am making a difference. I
wonder how many terrorists or gang members might not have sought acceptance in
these groups if they felt accepted some where. Granted, this is a simplified
view towards complicated sociological issues, but it is a simple reminding that
reaching out and loving someone even in the smallest of ways can make the
biggest difference. So go find someone and love them.
So, World, I am
not so naïve to think that this is the solution to our problems, but I am
optimistic that this is start. And it's ok to start small. Just start somewhere. As we post “Pray for Paris,” may we not forget
to pray for others. As we pray for others, may we not forget the power we have
to make a difference. Find a place. Find a Facebook group. Find a passion. Find
a person.
Love,
A person who
needed these reminders
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