This is a true story, Eric. One time my dad was driving, my mom was "ridin' shotgun", and my brother and I were in the back. Well, for no reason, my big brother hauled off and hit me (and no, I wasn't covertly doing things against him. He did it because he could get away with it of course I said, "Mo-om. Doug hit me." She turned, reached over the seat, slapped the tar out of me, and said, "Quit whining!" And yes, you pegged it - he smirked at me.
My mother gave me a message that day that I will always treasure. "You weren't born to be a whiny victim. You were born to be a victor"
Years later, I was visiting my brother and his wife, and he was teasing her, and I said, "I am so glad you married Margaret. Now you have someone to pick on besides me "
He said, "Oh, I didn't quit aggravating you because I married Margaret. I quit messing with you because of that time you hit me so hard that I decided I'd better quit while I was ahead."
Eric, I had no recollection of that, when he said it,nor do I now. But apparently I finally took my mother's message to heart. Wah ha ha!
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When I saw your words, Blessed are the peacemakers, I thought of Charlie Kirk, such a great man of honor, and moderation, and courage. I feel like I did when I was in sixth grade and they shot JFK. It seems like something very fundamental has been broken that defies any easy fixing. I have a 12 year old grandson who is heartbroken now because they murdered his hero.
I don't say RIP. I say, May God give him a chariot of fire and a sword of flame to fight for the right in the world of the spirit.
Honestly, Charlie Kirk was rarely ever on my radar, I guess because I wasn't in his target demographic. But the shocking vitriol that I saw online from people I used to think were reasonable people was upsetting. But even more upsetting, which was the initial spark which made me think about other times I had experienced it, were the people I saw who wanted "cooler heads to prevail" but telling the people who felt attacked that they were in the wrong because they were guilty of declaring that something was wrong, and if they just stopped feeling wronged, we could all pretend like everything is still okay. It's cowardly and short-sighted, and an attitude, as I mentioned, that is not limited to only now.
A thought I have concerning Kirk, brought to me by your last comment. In the book of Revelation, the martyrs ask God, "How long?" till they will be avenged. And they are told to wait a little longer. And it is a grace to us still living that God waits to avenge the martyred dead, or we would all be in trouble.
I really appreciate your insights and your between the lines feelings and the scriptural reference. It's heartening. I actually didn't watch Charlie Kirk either. If I've got the time, I tend toward Tucker Carlson - or if I have a LOT of time, lol, Joe Rogan. I only knew who Charlie Kirk was because my son sent me one of his videos once. I thought he was quite on point, but I didn't follow him thereafter or anything.
Well, one thing is for sure. Like you said, people online are eager to show where they stand now. Somehow the reasonableness --on both sides--seems to have died, when the reasonableness of the martyr died.
And I personally don't blame the unreasonableness of those who rage in their mourning. Blessed are those who mourn...
While current events did help inspire this story, the majority of it is derived from an event in my life from about seventeen years ago.
So Frustrating. So sorry.
This is a true story, Eric. One time my dad was driving, my mom was "ridin' shotgun", and my brother and I were in the back. Well, for no reason, my big brother hauled off and hit me (and no, I wasn't covertly doing things against him. He did it because he could get away with it of course I said, "Mo-om. Doug hit me." She turned, reached over the seat, slapped the tar out of me, and said, "Quit whining!" And yes, you pegged it - he smirked at me.
My mother gave me a message that day that I will always treasure. "You weren't born to be a whiny victim. You were born to be a victor"
Years later, I was visiting my brother and his wife, and he was teasing her, and I said, "I am so glad you married Margaret. Now you have someone to pick on besides me "
He said, "Oh, I didn't quit aggravating you because I married Margaret. I quit messing with you because of that time you hit me so hard that I decided I'd better quit while I was ahead."
Eric, I had no recollection of that, when he said it,nor do I now. But apparently I finally took my mother's message to heart. Wah ha ha!
****
When I saw your words, Blessed are the peacemakers, I thought of Charlie Kirk, such a great man of honor, and moderation, and courage. I feel like I did when I was in sixth grade and they shot JFK. It seems like something very fundamental has been broken that defies any easy fixing. I have a 12 year old grandson who is heartbroken now because they murdered his hero.
I don't say RIP. I say, May God give him a chariot of fire and a sword of flame to fight for the right in the world of the spirit.
Honestly, Charlie Kirk was rarely ever on my radar, I guess because I wasn't in his target demographic. But the shocking vitriol that I saw online from people I used to think were reasonable people was upsetting. But even more upsetting, which was the initial spark which made me think about other times I had experienced it, were the people I saw who wanted "cooler heads to prevail" but telling the people who felt attacked that they were in the wrong because they were guilty of declaring that something was wrong, and if they just stopped feeling wronged, we could all pretend like everything is still okay. It's cowardly and short-sighted, and an attitude, as I mentioned, that is not limited to only now.
A thought I have concerning Kirk, brought to me by your last comment. In the book of Revelation, the martyrs ask God, "How long?" till they will be avenged. And they are told to wait a little longer. And it is a grace to us still living that God waits to avenge the martyred dead, or we would all be in trouble.
I really appreciate your insights and your between the lines feelings and the scriptural reference. It's heartening. I actually didn't watch Charlie Kirk either. If I've got the time, I tend toward Tucker Carlson - or if I have a LOT of time, lol, Joe Rogan. I only knew who Charlie Kirk was because my son sent me one of his videos once. I thought he was quite on point, but I didn't follow him thereafter or anything.
Well, one thing is for sure. Like you said, people online are eager to show where they stand now. Somehow the reasonableness --on both sides--seems to have died, when the reasonableness of the martyr died.
And I personally don't blame the unreasonableness of those who rage in their mourning. Blessed are those who mourn...