With fear often comes hatred, and in that is lost our humanity.
Just because some have arrested human development, live out of bitterness, wrath, anger and hatred and hurt others out of it, does not mean that the rest of us should respond by JOINING THEM.
The fear over "not getting mine", "not being loved", "not being recognized", not being "respected", "not being safe", "not being better than someone else", "not having more than others" or "not getting my way/not having control" leads to frustration, bitterness, jealousy, resentment, anger and hatred.
When we start objectifying, vilifying, de-humanizing or judging others out of our reaction to such fears, then we have not only diminished their humanity, but have also lost OUR humanity.
When we become what we do not value, as a reaction to others who do not hold our values, we have lost.
When we victimize others because we have been victimized, we are a part of the problem and not of the solution.
When we begin to assume the worst in others, stereotype, profile or objectify others and then speak, write or act on those inclinations, we have lost our own humanity while addressing the problems around others losing theirs.
Feeling perfectly justified is a dangerous thing. It victimizes people. Those who hurt others out of some kind of insane internal justification are wrong, as are those who pick up their torches and pitch forks and go after ANYONE they think might be about that. Hurt people who become what they do not value hurt people.
We can ALWAYS find other voices of fear, hatred, xenophobia, racism, ethnocentrism, nationalism, classism, religious zealotry, homophobia or other bigotries to lend our voices to, but in doing so we hurt our own souls and diminish our own humanity.
Pastor Jamie
