Here’s a new game for gamers and the rest of us. It’s a game designed to put more than our console-fingers to work. The idea is “to make our communities safer, kinder, more just, and better places to live.” I’m talking about the Compassion Games. Anyone can participate from anywhere.
For details, including how to join a team and play, go to http://compassiongames.org.
May you encounter this person today and often. They DO exist outside of today’s Thursday Thought quote, and I’m grateful for them.
I thought we could all use a bit of levity today. Here’s a cartoon to let us laugh at ourselves a bit.
I feel like I’m in Nero’s Rome. Come on, people. We’re better than that. We can band together and practice peace and justice!
I haven’t been this upset about a rumor in a long time. As a survivor of pedophilia (from two men), I have an idea of what it looks and feels like. (I’ll explain later.) When a person close to me said that Biden is a pedophile, I was shocked and, like most rumors going around, I researched it. It started when Don Trump Jr. did an Instagram meme in answer to Biden’s “See you later, alligator.” Trump’s response, was “In a while, pedophile.” When called on it, Trump Tweeted that he was just “joking around” and included a laughing face.
Yes, I saw the so-called damning photos from swearing-in ceremonies, with Biden greeting families and giving extra attention to children. Inappropriate? Possibly. But in front of parents and on camera? Pedophiles enjoy what they’re doing and want to continue, meaning they don’t usually do it in public or on the public record. Instead, they groom the kids, get them ready to accept the sexual actions, carry them out in private, and secure their position by telling the child that it’s their little special secret because Grandma/Auntie/Whoever would be mad and both he and the child would get in trouble.
Now, why does this upset me so? Because pedophilia is serious and life-changing to a child. It’s with the child throughout their life. We “get over it” so we can have a life. But when it’s used as a joke or political ploy, it leads us back to our childhood, and the trivializing or advantage-taking of it hurts…hurts badly.
We can all use a bit of serenity about now. I’ve heard it said that the basis of all true religion is believing that “There is a God and I’m not him.” That’s the spirit of this updating of the well known Serenity Prayer.
A New Serenity Prayer
by Jim Manney
God, grant me the serenity
to accept the people I cannot change,
which is pretty much everyone,
since I’m clearly not you, God.
At least not the last time I checked
And while you’re at it, God,
please give me the courage
to change what I need to change about myself,
which is frankly a lot, since, once again,
I’m not you, which means I’m not perfect.
It’s better for me to focus on changing myself
than to worry about changing other people,
who, as you’ll no doubt remember me saying,
I can’t change anyway.
Finally, give me the wisdom to just shut up
whenever I think that I’m clearly smarter
than everyone else in the room,
that no one knows what they’re talking about except me,
or that I alone have all the answers.
Basically, God,
grant me the wisdom
to remember that I’m
not you.
Amen
We’re all feeling a bit frazzled. The isolation and uncertainty is getting to us. So are all the negativity and back-biting. Today’s Thursday Thought (source unknown) gives us good, relaxing pause.
Today, pause to remember the men and women who died fighting America’s battles. Their goal was to stop tyrants and regimes that treat people like insignificant, disposable, unworthy non-humans. This was their contribution to upholding the dignity of man and working toward peace. A fitting memorial to them is to carry on their mission. Not fighting in a far-away land but living our daily lives as though those around us, those of different skin colors, religions, socio-economic status–everyone–were human beings. Such a peaceful, tolerant attitude must start with us individually, in our homes, schools, and workplaces and spread to our cities, states, nation, and, ultimately, the world. Maybe such a global attitude will prevent tyrants and hate-groups from getting a foothold. Yes, this is idealistic, but so were all those who died in uniform. Carrying on their idealism is an appropriate way to honor them. Even if we succeed in making a more peaceful, tolerant world just in our own lives, that is a tribute to the principle they fought for.
Some religions want to destroy us, because we’re so different from them. Thank God Christians have the Golden Rule. Then, again, it appears in the sacred writings of most religions, commanding followers to show compassion and mercy. But we have the 10 Commandments. Which came from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) and are spread throughout the Qur’an. Jesus emphasized caring for the poor and vulnerable. Mmmm…there are those other statements: “the key of Paradise is love for the poor” (Islam); “rescue the weak and needy” (Judaism); “give, even though it be little” (Buddhism); give “to the homeless, distressed man” (Hinduism). And all major religions either support organ donation or declare it a personal decision. Could it be that the violence in our world is caused by misguided individuals, not by people trying to live out the positive beliefs of their faith? And by people who fear religions because they don’t understand them? We should celebrate our sameness allow our diverse family to come together. That should defeat the misguided few and those who perpetuate violence against people of other faiths.