Last weekend I was helping lead a spiritual retreat event called The Walk to Emmaus. I was an assistant spiritual director for the men’s weekend and gave the talk “Obstacles to Grace.” It was a powerful experience and many men moved closer to God.
The conference room we met in was adjacent to the church’s preschool. I didn’t think much about that until nature called and I had to find a men’s room. I went inside and quickly discovered that the fixtures were set up for preschool children, not people of my height.
The sink pictured barely came up to my knees and I had to bend way down to wash my hands. Initially I was a little irritated because it was not right for me, but the more I thought about it I realized it was perfect for the children. They would not be comfortable at a sink that would be at my level.
We live in a world today that is not a level playing field. Life is not fair or good for everyone. Color, creed, and culture divide us, and make it safer and better for some and more challenging for others.
We seem to be more inclined to want things right or good for ourselves, often at the expense of others. We struggle to look at things from other people’s perspectives, and make few attempts to really understand those who are different than us. The result of these attitudes are horrific verbal and physical violence that makes our world unsafe for us all.
We have to stop this trend before it destroys us all. It starts with us loving and listening to those around us who are different than we are. God loves and values every human being, and our world will be better when we do too. With God’s help we can level the playing field for all.
I want to live in a world that is safe and good for all. With your help that can happen. I will see you in church, and remember, God loves us more than we can ever imagine, and I love you too.
Tom
Comments