Being the Voice....

When I was young and growing up in the Baptist Church, I remember being taught that we should be nice to all people because you never know when Christ would take physical form. I remember being fascinated with the possibility of Him appearing to test us into doing the right things...or watching us to see if we did them. Of course, the lesson was to impart that we are all brothers and sisters..all a part of God so that by lifting up one another we are touching God. Isn't that what it means?

Then why are we so quick to judge another? Don't we know that we are judging ourselves when we do so? Why are we so against helping another person?....isn't that person us?

I go to Still Waters to find the answers...

We are seated in a darkened movie theatre. It is just the two of us. Still Waters sits to my right and he has a big bucket of buttered popcorn. I look at him questioningly and he says "What?" I laugh. The screen starts to flicker and soon we are seeing a movie with no words or sound. I see a group of what seems to be middle eastern men pushing and shoving one another. You can see their anger...you can feel it escalating. I look to Still Waters....he says "they choose to solve their issues this way".

Then I see a new scene...this one is showing beggars on a street in India. People walk by without noticing them. Totally ignoring their outstretched hands. I look to Still Waters...he says "they choose to ignore and the beggars choose to beg"

Then I see a new scene.....this one shows a seemingly happy American family. They jostle to position themselves for a photo to be taken. I see one child that is solemn while the others are laughing. This child is being abused and the rest are not. I turn to Still Waters...."they choose for this child to carry the shame of the whole family and the child chooses to carry it".

Now this last one bothered me....actually they all do. "Please explain" I say...

"In the first scene you see men who cannot get along. They hate one another. They choose to hate one another. In the second scene you see people not helping other people and you see the people that are not being helped. Both sets of people are showing the other set what they could become or choose not to be. In the last scene you see a family that chooses to continue the cycle of abuse and the child that allows that to be. Yes, the child needs to hold responsibility. It does not deserve the abuse but it needs to speak up to change it. People need to understand that things will not change unless their voice is heard. That is why this movie has no sound. No one is listening...but that is because no one is speaking up and they choose not to. In order for things to change...it has to be given a voice."

He continues...."Every living thing is a part of God. No one is any different than another. Its the choices we make that define us as individuals. But we are not. We are all together...all One. What we do or do not do to each other is a reflection of our faith in ourselves. Our faith in the Maker. What you say to another you say to yourself. What you do to another you do to yourself. And what you don't do for another...you don't do for yourself. Does this make sense?"

I nod..."So the mess we're in is entirely up to us to change and it's entirely our fault".

"Yes" he says. "It's that simple"

"Ok...so now what."

"Give it a voice....speak up....be there for others even when the majority say not to. One person can change the world. You have witnessed that with the Christ. If you believe that you are all connected...there is nothing that you cannot do."

I sigh.....he says "it's not that daunting...another one of your great teachers said "be the change you wish to see in the world"....no truer words were ever spoken. People can be who they choose to be but they need to be prepared to explain themselves when they meet the Maker..He will say "Why did you argue and yell at me and choose violence when I tried to make peace with you? Why did you walk by me when I held my hands out for sustenance? Why did you abuse me and let me carry the shame of the family?" Yes, we are all connected...we are all the Maker's children. We are all the Maker himself."

The lights come up and the screen goes dark. Still Waters hands me the popcorn bucket. It is still full....."Share my words with others...they will find them filling".

"I hope you're right".....