Please Use The “F” Word…More
Its unusual for me to blog on a Friday morning but i woke up early with a heavy heart and knew I needed to write.
Please don’t misinterpret this. It’s not a political statement. I don’t make those.
But the reality is many people in our world are hurting. It seems each day we choose to become more divisive and less unified. We diminish the value of a life and boil our like or dislike for someone down to a vote, color of skin, nationality, set of beliefs, income level or sexual preference. People are often no longer people but more of focus groups, demographics or simply just “them.”
I’ve reached my boiling point and the “f” word has been welling up inside me for quite sometime. I feel like screaming it as loud as possible over and over again. Some say the “f” word is inappropriate but I disagree. In our current world there is no word more appropriate.
Oh, I’m sorry, you thought I was talking about the 4-letter version. No, this 6-letter word carries much more power. The word…Friend.
With young kids it’s not unusual to hear a disagreement with the comment “you aren’t my friend anymore” to end the dispute. I’ve often looked forward to the day when they grow out of this stage. Now I’m concerned we may be teaching them not to.
“Unfriend” is an actual word and action that is trending on social media. I get it. These “social” networks allow any of us the ability to vent our feelings, opinions and frustrations from the comfort of our own home without having to look into the eyes of the people we are actually hurting or offending. I guess unfriending may be needed sometimes. Then again maybe the bigger problem is we’ve traded real, in-life relationships for technological dependent platforms but thats a whole other email.
This lack of the “f” word is nothing new. Jesus tells a story in the Bible where a Jewish man was beat up and left by the side of the road to die. As he laid there a priest walked by… and kept on walking. A Levite (in those times a spiritual and political leader) also walked by… and kept on walking. Finally a Samaritan walked by…. and stopped. Then Jesus asks, “Who is the friend?’
Here’s why this is is important. Samaritans and the Jewish people did not get along. In fact, they didn’t intermigle at all. It was common practice for a Jewish man to walk miles out of his way to avoid walking through Samaria and vice versa.
But yet the Samaritan stopped and cared for the injured man, gave his time and his money to make sure the man received the proper help.
Why? Because he didn’t see a skin color, a religious preference, a political party, a sexual orientation or anything we choose to separate us. He saw another human in need, used the “f” word and proceeded to give of his time and abilities for no othet reason than it was needed.
I know life isn’t that simple. I know we will disagree on many things. I know there have been people hurt and wronged for years. I know there will always be conflict.
But what I find interesting about the story in the
Bible is that it seems to compare position to position. What I mean by that is the position (occupation/status) that the Levite and the priest had would seem to be more beneficial to helping someone along the road. But it was the Samaritans position (ability to see a need) that allowed him to
help his fellow man.
I’ll be the first to admit I have been the priest and
the Levite more times than I’d like to imagine. I’ve walked by those who need my help sometimes without even realizing they are there (which is even worse).
But today I pray for the heart of the samaritan and that the “f” word (the 6-letter one) would flow freely from my lips. There are too many people who need help and love to risk walking by anymore.
Your FRIEND,
Kirk
