Better Angels **

“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” ~ Evelyn Beatrice Hall (writing as S.G. Tallentyre)

(accessed 1-31-2020 via Wikipedia and Hathi Trust)

This past year was often a struggle for me because I kept fighting what seemed so prevalent. I kept fighting to be open to everyone around me no matter how different they were from me. I feared becoming mired in my own little subculture – becoming stagnant instead of growing as I met new people and learned about them. I don’t have to agree with someone to love them. I wouldn’t want everyone to agree on everything all the time. That makes us easily led, and what if someone took advantage of that to harm other people?

No, I rather like all the opinions, all the differences, all the thousand little rebellions going on inside people. Without those opinions, differences, and rebellions, I don’t re-examine, reconsider, and grow. I don’t have to agree with or even like what other people think, feel, or express, but I do believe in every individual’s right to have their views. Doing that meant I made a wonderful friend who welcomed me into her home to meet her first baby. Holding him helped me see that differences of opinion are just that – differences, but I won’t let those differences stop me from loving the wonderfully diverse people I meet.

I thought about these things before, during, and after reading The Soul of America : The Battle for Our Better Angels by Jon Meacham, and it gives me hope. I don’t want to cut someone off because they are so vastly different from me that we feel like we are from different planets. Rather, I want to know them better. I want to know why we see differently. I want our “better angels” to come to the forefront so I challenge others to draw someone in that is different. Don’t do it to change someone because that’s not your job. Do it to understand why there are so many varieties of people, and do it to learn how to accept differences that you can’t change. It’s okay if there are people walking around thinking differently from ourselves. I’d rather be the one who enjoys the variety of people than the one who moves around in a herd with only people who think like me.

Romans 12:18 (HCSB)

If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone.

Random Reads to Give You Hope in the Midst of Division:

The Soul of America : The Battle for Our Better Angels by Jon Meacham – An examination of the presidency during times of conflict and how our “better angels” can prevail. The conclusion is not only hopeful, but it gives you info for your brain to chew on.

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly – This account of the role of African-American women in the age of the space race made me feel frustration with racism and sexism, but it gave me hope and encouragement that we as a people – a nation – can grow and change for the better.

Praying for Strangers by River Jordan – What a unique book! River spends a year praying for different strangers that she meets. Rarely does she know how things turns out, but imagine the spiritual bond you create with people when you pray for them.

Smile at Strangers and Other Lessons in the Art of Living Fearlessly by Susan Schom – I remember reading this book and finding myself looking up more. I’ve always believed in acknowledging people with a smile, but this book taught me to look up more instead of down at the ground. So obvious, so simple, yet so easily forgotten.

Help-Thanks-Wow : The Three Essential Prayers by Anne Lamott – When you can’t find the words, these three basic prayers express exactly what you mean.

Holy Bible – I can never fully explain what it means to me, but it’s where I turn when all goes right AND all else fails.

NOTE: I’m not certain why I didn’t publish this when I wrote it, but it has been sitting in my account for over two years so I’m sending it out into the void in the hopes that it will mean something to someone when they read it.