I am at work today. I work from home and work at home every day. I am a scientist/consultant and a caregiver. I am tested every day by a new downward development in my mom’s cognition. She is safer with us. She is loved by us. She stays healthy with us. I find joy in knowing she is well but we process changes and alter the environment almost every week.
I enjoy working as a consultant. Guiding a biotech company in procedures that conform to regulatory agency expectations is wonderful. It is a great joy to see those companies succeed.
I am pleased to work as a pastor and for God to stretch me to limits I did not know were possible. There is much to explore spiritually. There is much to acknowledge in the wonders of this magnificent planet.
Despite challenges, days are productive. Days are often too short but they are good. This day I am angry.
We are not big game animals to be hunted in the street. Our deaths are not prizes to display on social media. Life is precious.
What is the foundation for this fear of the other? What is the genesis of this callous disregard for life? What makes ownership of a small patch of land appoint anyone to sheriff/judge/jury/executioner status? How does murder fit as a punishment for the illusion of a crime in the minds of those who feel they have a God-given right to make decisions over someone else’s life? What is the origin of these callous hearts that so easily take another life? How do you block someone’s airway until they go limp and unresponsive and then you do not render any aide? How do you shoot someone in the street and then do not call for life-saving support?
I am tired and angry.
My dad served in WII, Korea, and twice in Vietnam. He served with distinction for over 30 years often passed over for promotion by those less qualified and less experienced. Yet, if my dad had walked or run through that neighborhood he likely would also have been targeted because of his race.
I want better for my son and nephews. I want a better life for all of our young men, young women, girls, and boys. Quit looking at the surface. Quit going for the easy process. Quit feeling that to pump up your personhood you have to call someone names, belittle someone’s heritage, block someone, question a person’s right to be in a space, be verbally abusive, or mutilate someone’s humanity.
I am angry today. Stop. Your fear is killing people. Your fear is not making anything better. Your fear is destructive.
Stop looking at the surface. Think about a broader picture. Dig deep and you will find diamonds.
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