(1/9) Thinking about two of my favorite topics – politics and religion. I’ve had interactions with a few people here in recent days that have reminded me of the importance of not getting swallowed up in the negativity that’s eating up our world.
(2/9) My faith reminds me that hate can’t drive out hate. Only love can. And I need to remember that when it’s so tempting to make a cutting comment from the safety and anonymity of my keyboard. Social media makes it so very easy to do that.
(3/9) When I have to be professional and polite all day, some days I just want to get on here and be as sarcastic, opinionated, and foul-mouthed as I want. And for sure, having a release valve is good. But at what point to you start contributing to the coarsening of dialogue?
(4/9) That doesn’t mean you should roll over and be a doormat, either. Jesus forgave his persecutors, but he also drove the moneychangers out of the temple. There’s nothing wrong with righteous anger that does battle against injustice and defends the good.
(5/9) It’s a balancing act. And I think it’s good for all of us to reassess where we are on our journey once in a while. For me, my wife is the one who gives me a nudge. She reminds me of something I often forget: You can’t control what other people do, only your reaction to it.
(6/9) You think I’d have that figured out by this point in my life, especially after the long battle I fought to come to terms with my sexuality. I let the actions and opinions of others consume me for so much of my life. They were controlling me, living in my head rent-free.
(7/9) I don’t want to become like those people. I remember how much they hurt me. And I remember how much the love of others helped me heal when I was at my lowest.
(8/9) So I try hard to put myself in others’ shoes. I often fail. But I’ve taken a lot of lumps for living life outside the box, and not having the comfort of an echo chamber has probably helped sharpen my empathy. Sometimes I just need a reminder of how important empathy is.
(9/9) And I guess if I have any point to any of my rambling thoughts, it’s just that you have to guard against becoming what you’re battling against. It’s OK to be angry in the defense of the good, but it’s also important to let love and empathy be your guides.
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