How do we love the world? Let me ponder the ways.
You don’t have to be Shakespeare to count the ways you love someone, but you have to be a bit of an optimist to count the ways you love the world we live in today.
Think about it.
Have you talked to many optimists lately?
No one I know is singing, ‘This is the Age of Aquarius.’
People say we’re in the Age of the Great Divide, and the rift is getting wider. The rich continue to get richer and the poor poorer; it’s the haves against the have-nots.
One prevaling thought is it’s the signs of the times along with violence, devastations, forest fires, death, and nature going whacko.
One day in December 2021, it reached 67 unheard-of degrees in Kodiak, Alaska! And what about those December tornados in various states that killed more than 80 people.
Yes, for many people, today’s happenings are worse than usual. They are unprecedented. But contrary to the salacious headlines of the bad and ugly, good things are happening in our society.
But let’s continue with the not-so-good.
Without much thought, most people can name travesties other than Covid-19 variants that are killing us and our planet. Air and water pollution, mass public and school shootings, gun proliferation, racism, and much more. We know that handguns and assault rifles in the wrong hands lead to deadly shootings of every kind.
The government can’t even agree on how to solve these ills because of division, alternative facts, Covid-19 conspiracies, and political gridlock. Spiritually or lawfully, we can’t agree upon who or what is right for America. Meeting somewhere in the middle for peace and the good of all is almost impossible.
Some say the world is ‘Going to Hell in a Handbasket.’
Road rage is a stress-release opportunity to threaten, hurt, or kill a poking or overly anxious driver. School children kill their classmates and teachers as if they’re playing a popular video game.
We can agree that our first responders: firefighters, police officers, medical personnel, and other essential workers deserve respect, appreciation, and admiration. But many who say they honor these dedicated workers refuse to get vaccinated and wear masks to safeguard these workers’ mental and physical health. Personal freedom trumps public health.
We can’t dismiss the problems to be solved, and only we can solve them.
Now, a few of the many positive things that are getting better or improving our society.
Of course, not everyone will agree.
- Glass ceilings are easier to break; women are taking their rightful positions in boardrooms and governmental cabinets. Females hold some of America’s most prestigious, influential, and powerful positions.
- Because of Covid-19, we have a deeper appreciation for the simple things in life that we’ve taken for granted.
We were born to hug and to be hugged. A touch and hug mean the world to us and are priceless ways to say we care and love one another.
Many people rediscovered the great outdoors, even their local parks. he forgotten front and back yards are safe havens for respite and family fun.
- Seniors who were computer illiterate are becoming computer savvy.
Using Zoom, Facetime, and other mediums to hold meetings and communicate with family and friends, many seniors alleviate boredom and loneliness.
Grandparents and great-grandparents discovered technology was for them too.
- Some see challenges as roadblocks to make life more difficult. But many see the challenges today as an opportunity to work, grow, and trust God to equip them with the tools to be successful and overcomers.
Enter the Serenity Prayer.
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.
The only way to eliminate the bad and ugly is to increase the good.
Happy New Year!
Be safe.