Sorry to break it to you, but we've been played.
Politicians have been played.
The media has been played.
Policemen, college students, celebrities, talk show hosts.
Lawyers, construction workers, soldiers, teachers.
Fathers, mothers, friends, co-workers.
The black-skinned, the fair-skinned, and all shades of brown-skinned.
Those with jobs.
Those who are unemployed.
The old, the young, and all who are in-between.
Every single one of us has been used as arsenal in a mighty war.
We are the pawns in a mighty big chess game where the stakes are high and the winner takes all. We have been programmed to view the opposite side in a political game as the enemy. We have mistaken the agenda of a few elite people as the agenda of all. We are loyal soldiers fighting for a cause that has been layed out for us. Our unquestioning loyalty has given us all the skills necessary to be effective soldiers and obliterate the other side effectively with our words and actions.
The emboldened attacks of a few radicals on the opposing team solidifies what we always thought we new about them all. We are the good guys, wanting ultimate victory for our families, friends, and country. Which makes "them" the bad guys. The enemy.
The huge secret? Both sides feel the same way.
A few powerful elites, who are actually pawns themselves, have used the passion, love of country and family to emblazen our cause and create warriors.
The Bible says that a house divided against itself will fall. And, sorry to say, that is the ultimate agenda of the true enemy of our souls--for our nation and all of mankind to fall.
We have been brainwashed to forget the high price that has been paid by those who have fought and died to preserve the country we now love.
Can't you see it? When we fight and attack each other, loot, destroy, and burn what is most cherished among us, there are no winners. When we mince others with our words for a temporary serotonin rush, what have we gained? We can fist-bump and high-five each other on our team for the temporary thrill of a battle well-fought, not seeing that we are losing the war.
The only path that leads us out of the hate and corruption that we are so entwined in is the path of love and acceptance. Neither side needs to experience ultimate defeat for there to be victory. Both sides must lay down their arms and seek peace for there to be healing.
On this Veterans Day, may we declare that the fighting must end.
How? We can start by focusing on what we have in common.
We all cherish our families.
We are grateful for our friends.
We value people over possessions, light over darkness, faith over fear, beauty over ashes.
We melt at the sound of a baby laughing.
We love the smell of puppies, newly cut grass, freshly ground coffee, rain, and roses.
We desire to make a difference in the lives of those we love most.
We seek for healing over sickness.
We want to be needed.
We strive to be happy.
We long to love and be loved.
When I look at you, may I first see your preciousness, the image of your Creator breathed into you from the very beginning. May I know that inside the rough, bruised, hardened shell that is your defense is a brilliant, miraculous god-man created to bring glory to the Lord of the universe.
You are not my enemy. You are not the bad guy. You are my brother and sister.
May I value your god-given potential more than my being right.
May I cherish your uniqueness and not be intimidated by it.
May I lay down my arms and join arms with you as my friend.
"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."
-- I Peter 4:8 (NIV)
And may this day bring forth the change in me that will quickly spread to you and to others.
Politicians have been played.
The media has been played.
Policemen, college students, celebrities, talk show hosts.
Lawyers, construction workers, soldiers, teachers.
Fathers, mothers, friends, co-workers.
The black-skinned, the fair-skinned, and all shades of brown-skinned.
Those with jobs.
Those who are unemployed.
The old, the young, and all who are in-between.
Every single one of us has been used as arsenal in a mighty war.
We are the pawns in a mighty big chess game where the stakes are high and the winner takes all. We have been programmed to view the opposite side in a political game as the enemy. We have mistaken the agenda of a few elite people as the agenda of all. We are loyal soldiers fighting for a cause that has been layed out for us. Our unquestioning loyalty has given us all the skills necessary to be effective soldiers and obliterate the other side effectively with our words and actions.
The emboldened attacks of a few radicals on the opposing team solidifies what we always thought we new about them all. We are the good guys, wanting ultimate victory for our families, friends, and country. Which makes "them" the bad guys. The enemy.
The huge secret? Both sides feel the same way.
A few powerful elites, who are actually pawns themselves, have used the passion, love of country and family to emblazen our cause and create warriors.
The Bible says that a house divided against itself will fall. And, sorry to say, that is the ultimate agenda of the true enemy of our souls--for our nation and all of mankind to fall.
We have been brainwashed to forget the high price that has been paid by those who have fought and died to preserve the country we now love.
Can't you see it? When we fight and attack each other, loot, destroy, and burn what is most cherished among us, there are no winners. When we mince others with our words for a temporary serotonin rush, what have we gained? We can fist-bump and high-five each other on our team for the temporary thrill of a battle well-fought, not seeing that we are losing the war.
The only path that leads us out of the hate and corruption that we are so entwined in is the path of love and acceptance. Neither side needs to experience ultimate defeat for there to be victory. Both sides must lay down their arms and seek peace for there to be healing.
On this Veterans Day, may we declare that the fighting must end.
How? We can start by focusing on what we have in common.
We all cherish our families.
We are grateful for our friends.
We value people over possessions, light over darkness, faith over fear, beauty over ashes.
We melt at the sound of a baby laughing.
We love the smell of puppies, newly cut grass, freshly ground coffee, rain, and roses.
We desire to make a difference in the lives of those we love most.
We seek for healing over sickness.
We want to be needed.
We strive to be happy.
We long to love and be loved.
When I look at you, may I first see your preciousness, the image of your Creator breathed into you from the very beginning. May I know that inside the rough, bruised, hardened shell that is your defense is a brilliant, miraculous god-man created to bring glory to the Lord of the universe.
You are not my enemy. You are not the bad guy. You are my brother and sister.
May I value your god-given potential more than my being right.
May I cherish your uniqueness and not be intimidated by it.
May I lay down my arms and join arms with you as my friend.
"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."
-- I Peter 4:8 (NIV)
And may this day bring forth the change in me that will quickly spread to you and to others.
