Who Are You Pointing AT?

Excuse me? Are you pointing at me? Have you taken a look in the mirror lately? If not, maybe you need to step off your pedestal and take a long hard look.

I think about the last sentence all the time. I will admit that sometimes I climb back on to the pedestal and look out over the tops of everyone else. That is a flaw in my character, I suppose, and maybe not just mine. I actively have to knock myself off of it, because I am the everyone else, I look over the tops of. I find it the very ugliest part of me and humanity.

I have lived in many places in my fifty eight years. I have lived all over the United States, South America, and have traveled all over my country and others in the world. With travel and living in other places, I have met many, people. I will say it now. Everyone is the same, not that individuals are the same. No, each person is unique. But people in general are all the same. Humanity is all the same ball of wax.

An American is not different from an Australian. A Nigerian is no different than a Spaniard. You get the point. The thing is, humans in general all want the same things.

We all desire to be happy and content, though the human condition defaults to discontented, because we always want more and need more. We all want to live comfortably in our finances, our homes, our lives. Some do, some don’t. Also a normal part of humanity. We want love and to be loved, deeply, fiercely. We want our children to be healthy and secure. We all have beliefs, in one thing or another. We all want to live our lives in peace.

But here is the thing. We don’t live in peace. We always have a gripe about something or someone. It can be about politics, nationalities, dogma, ideals, philosophy, religion, sex or sexuality, and so on. There is not one thing on this earth that does not have a like or don’t like button attached to it, for any of us. We are all the same in this regard.

We don’t have contentment because we always want and need more, no matter how much money you have. Desire, aspirations. goals, and wants and needs don’t ever go away. Well not never. When you’re dead, I am fairly certain you won’t need or want anything then. I may be wrong. I’ll write about it when I find out.

So, if we are all the same in this, and we are all humans wanting the same things in life, then why do we always have to have a feeling of superiority over others? Why do we judge anyone else’s choices. How on earth is your living going to change or be changed if your neighbor decides to change a political party, get religion, color his hair aqua and call himself a unicorn. I am sure, you will still wake up every morning and do your thing. Maybe you get up and make coffee, or make breakfast. Maybe you don’t eat, but you turn on the news. Maybe you always wake up late and run with your tail on fire to get to wherever you go each day. Maybe you get up, get your coffee, and head upstairs to your office and write.

I can tell you right here and now, that if my neighbor or neighbors, all decided to be unicorn, it would not change my life or how and what I do in mine. What they do does not change my life, my objective, my goals or lack thereof. It certainly, will not change my past, and that is probably what I would want to have change. It won’t change my future either, in most scenarios. (There is always the possibility of marrying into a unicorn family, that might do it.)

I would not want what anyone else does to change my life either. I want and need sovereignty over my decisions and way of life. I know and understand that everyone on the planet wants the same.

For many years, I have thought about this very topic. It comes up almost daily in life, in my life. You see, I am a Christian. Don’t judge me, that’s what I am writing about here. Judgement. I became a Christian of my own free will. Something every one of us has. I love God and I don’t see a problem with loving God. It is because of God that I believe what I do, that being that I have no right to judge another human being. It’s is plainly written in the bible. Even if it wasn’t, I would not have that right. Even if I didn’t believe in God, I would not have that right.

What I believe is that if I judge another person by my standards or ideals, then I will be judged by those same lens. I believe that sin is sin. A white lie, is the same as theft, infidelity, murder, and so on. Again, that is in my faith’s manual. Judge not lest you be judged. I take that to heart. No interpretation needed. It is in black and white, simply stated.

If I believe in God like I say I do, then why would I take up his mantle. I am not anyone’s judge. He is. (again, with my faith) Another important aspect of what I believe is that we all are in the same boat. Sinners. Not one better than another. And yet I see religions and others entities, constantly, pointing fingers at others, for what that person believes is wrong with their life, decisions, choices, beliefs, etc. That, right there is my problem. Nothing gives us that right.

No religion states we have the right or obligation to govern another’s will, and yet religion keeps at it. History is riddled with one religion after another forcing others to comply with their beliefs, with horrific details and outcomes. That is not our job or duty.

I have read the bible every year in its entirety, for years. I understand context. So, much of the things we do are done out of context.

Faith is active, organic. Religion is a man made construct, and unfortunately so many times an adulteration, of the principles we are supposed to live by. Judging others is a no, no. Plainly it says, if you go to judge someone else, you better look at yourself and your failures first. It says that because we all have issues. We have all done, or said something wrong. Your wrongs are no worse or better than mine (remember the sin is sin thing). So who, do I point or am I pointing a finger at, then, but myself.

I have a problem with people judging others, no matter what you believe in. If I believe what I believe, and that God will judge me and everyone else, and I believe that God is omnipotent and omniscient, then I have to believe he is more than capable of changing any given thing, act or thought in an instant. And I do believe that. I also believe he gives everyone free choice. I had and have mine, and I fully remember before coming to faith, that I was turned off every time someone Jesus talked me, with their holier than thou energy, pointing to my sin, when they were just like me. That’s why I don’t do that to people. I remember what it’s like to be on the end of that pointer.

I don’t care what anyone thinks. I have reached that point in my life. I know what I know.

I know, that if we should love one another, then we should love one another. Love has absolutely no judgement. It does not differentiate between race, color, faith, religion, sex or sexuality. If you have lived your life, having done something you think or know for certain was wrong or shameful, welcome to the club. Me too. I have done a lot of things that were something to be ashamed of. I am you and you are me. The details are your own personal intimacies. Not mine to know or judge and vice versa.

See, in my faith, my God says to love. He does not say love “if”. He does not say love after. He does not say love only when. He says love. Period. I try to live that.

I look in the mirror each day and see every flaw. Every single flaw. Not just outwardly, but internally, I see those flaws, along with every mistake, sin, act, insecurity, pain, shame and reason why I don’t have an up on anyone else. I am willing to bet the farm, that many of mine are worse than some of yours, Maybe some of your mistakes are worse than mine. Who cares.

I am sure my lifestyle, over my life, would have made many of you cringe, and vice versa. Maybe who I am now makes you cringe. Non of that matters to me.

I dislike that in all the centuries we have all inhabited this planet, we are still not free of judging others and pointing fingers. We still think we have a say in anyone else’s life or decisions, but our own. We don’t. Would it be so painful and difficult to just love a person for being a fellow human? I can say with almost one hundred percent certainty that someone who is gay doesn’t care if I am not. I don’t think a Russian cares if I am not. I don’t think a smoker does not care if I am not. Their lives go on, day by day, day to day, unaffected by that I do, who I am, or what I believe. Guess what? Mine does too. If you are happy, I am happy for you. Period.

I will not nor do I want to change you. If you want to change, then that is your prerogative to do so, without my input or prodding. I didn’t change because someone told me I had to, I changed because I came to a place in my life, where what I was doing was not working. It was not making me better, but worse. I wanted better for myself, wanted to be better. Key word, “I”. No one else made me do anything or change my choices. I did that.

You do you. I won’t judge you or ask you to change. Not for me. I accept you as you are and where you are in life. I just wish everyone else did that too.

Peace, love and acceptance to you all.

#writing #stories #life