In a culture that is torn between Right and Left, Black or White, Conservative or Liberal, Rich or Poor and many other polar opposites I always felt that I had to choose sides on so many issues.
Although, I do have a stance on many things, I've found that often times, choosing sides has not merely made views and counter views but literal enemies of people on both ends of the spectrum. Insults, denigration and at times, violence is the product of theses polarizations. Not that they have to create such results but all too often when we are at odds with each other we can follow those patterns that lead to such tactics. Even in the name of God violence has erupted just because of disagreements or the failure to convert to another point of view. Those types of responses are the antithesis of the love that God requires by His law for us to live by.
Some say that if you can live at peace with another person's stance and accept it then you eventually will be forced to live their stance by means of coagulation. Others believe that you have to assimilate a portion of an opposing view into your own as to make a merger of opposing thoughts into a new "gray" idea. In some cases we may just have to do that but what I propose is that we don't have to give up our ideals but allow others to have their own and coexist peacefully with them. I know I'm not the first to say that but, being the artist that I am, I felt the need to create an image of what that looks like. As black and white tend to pull us to the left or right and make us either stagnant or forced apart from true fellowship with one another why not let us move forward in color. That is, accepting the person with the opposing view as a brother and trying to live life in peace and act in love toward each other. No, I'm not a hippie and I'm not suggesting all roads lead to God but all things need to be done in accordance with love which is revealed in the life of Jesus Christ. Funny, that Jesus claims to be the "Light of the World". When light is dispersed through a glass prism it reveals that it is comprised of all the colors of the rainbow. Light can not be pulled into a different direction but it is always moving straight as a beam(note: light can be redirected by reflection as with a mirror for all you nerds out there).
Life does not have to always be about what team you are on but it can be about finding beauty in differences and choosing to see with eyes wide open. I'd like to remind us all of the passage in 1 Corinthians 13 about love: 4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails.
Let us move forward in love despite our differences.
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