Media Room

It’s Upsetting, But Could More Love Walks Be the Answer

I heard someone say today that what we need is a love march to curb the divide and I couldn’t agree more but then again, we have had so many of these marches that sends the same message that only goes through one ear and comes through the next.

It’s only true that we live in a highly diverse society that strings from not only diverse cultural differences, but deeply rooted political and religious differences and where everyone feels very passionate about their ideologies and beliefs. It’s been an uphill battle to get everyone together with the message that ‘Out of many, we are one people.” I have seen so many love marches – civil rights and pride marches – but everyone has a different perspective of what love is and what can be tolerated.

To you and I, it might only seem reasonable that despite our differences – country of origin, sexuality, religious affiliation – we are one people and we should live and embrace each other but to another set of people it comes down to: who is entitled to legal rights, what is biblically acceptable and who is threatening whose culture and economic well being.

The fight in Charlottesville is sending us so many conflicting messages. But in all honesty it’s just a reminder that our utopian concept of a diverse and peacefully integrated society is still not here. We are still at a crossroad where mere reflection on history is vane but we are individually, presently and continually living that experience of fighting for social progress. In so many ways society is tolerable, but in the same bubble, not very accepting. And this reality comes out boldly and brazenly as we see in Charlottesville.

What we now see is what has been in hiding. Wild political rhetoric and aggression bring to clear daylight what is really happening in our backyards. 2017 shouldn’t be the year when we are making Nazi remarks, marching with torches and Neo nazi symbols. This, we thought, was from a time long gone. Yet We are practically living it.

In a better society we would see more people holding hands and marching for minorities, the oppressed, and those who are marginalized.
Im sure the best of us have been reminded enough about the importance of working together, respecting each other and on a whole new level ‘accepting’ each other. Hate and prejudice is below our humanity. It’s rooted out of ignorance and self-centeredness Characteristics that don’t do much but lead us to our own detriment.

But what if doing more love walks, more selfless walks could actually take us on a path that brings out more love and save us from this madness? …that helps us to love more and know that we are being loved and appreciated?… that makes us more tolerable or better yet, more accepting? What if we could remind ourselves of what it means to be a good neighbor and our brothers keeper, by all means, simply respecting and cherishing the next person besides us because they are humans too?

Because we just can’t afford to keep hating.