18 Oct In the Name of Love – U2
U2 isn’t one of my all time “favorite” but they are and will always be in my mind a national musical treasure. They are their own and no one is like them. I feel the same about my favorite, Huey Lewis and the News. But for this discussion, why U2? There has been a lot on my mind probably a lot like yours especially if you have Twitter or Facebook and are friends with many people from different belief systems. On the one hand, I can get exhausted of reading all the drama, the negative posts and tweets; and then the barrage of negative posts on the original post. I have friends on both/all sides of most every topic you are imagining and spite what they post, spite my personal thoughts and beliefs, they are still my friend. They don’t inspire hate in me. When the actor, musician or politician speak out and say…”stuff,” I am okay with it. If the person wants to take a knee, raise a fist, salute, stand or wear shorts to church…I say, so be it. Why can’t our humanity be okay, accepted and praised?
I consider one of the main reasons we/they/you/I get so upset or frustrated is that there is no control of how others think, believe or behave. And there are too many people fringed on trying to mitigate control or usurp another’s point of view. These actions are selfish and fall into a basic human structure of survival. I get it and it is ok.
Here is where it matters most to me. I accept and tolerate peoples opinions…whatever. They all are okay to me, especially when they are my friends. Oh yeah, U2. Bono. I was reading about his attitude toward most everything in life. He speaks out but does so not only through his music, lyrics but also through his hands, feet and money. He typically doesn’t spin his wheels on Entertainment Tonight, The View or a major news outlet and while that my happen at random times, he is out doing things that really matter. I didn’t have to research long to find many things he and his wife do to feed the hungry, care for the poor, hopeless. Children in El Salvador, AIDS, Africa, Ireland where a charity helps survivors of sexual abuse. There is much more. During an interview Bono shared, “A wise man told me, ‘stop asking God to bless what you’re doing. Get involved in what God is doing, because it’s already blessed.'”
I would love to sit and ask all those who tweet/post their thoughts and feelings on – whatever – topic, gaining their many negative responses, offensives and backlashes…What in the world are you doing that actually makes a difference? Every day? If all that is being done is the effort to create hostility via social media and not building a better tomorrow with your hands, feet and voice and it isn’t touching other people – regardless of their beliefs, then you are a drain on society and you are pulling others down. And you lose all validity in your arguments, posts or tweets. You can’t post negative 99% of the time and occasionally post a puppy picture and expect that to bring harmony or balance. You must demonstrate your desire to generate love – in the name of love – spite how you feel.
Don’t get me wrong. I have beliefs, ideas about the NFL, politics, TV, media and everything you care about to but I have determined that it doesn’t really matter. Why? “How can you say that?!” Mostly because regardless of how “I” feel, there is the next person that needs me. That child, the adult experiencing grief, loss, trauma and when that happens, who cares what he tweeted, who cares what TV executive decided, who cares about the NFL? Seriously, it doesn’t matter. Who matters? This person trying to survive a divorce. This child dealing with their parent who OD, parent in jail. Need I say more?
Every one of you are responsible to create a better world. Are you contributing to the whole? Are you draining with you negative? There is so much good stuff going on every day around where you live. Make a difference. Treat EVERYONE well spite who they voted for. Lift the broken, feed the hungry, clothe the naked. Be informed. Be involved. Relax. Be Spiritual. Believe. Do. Go. Close your mouth. Listen. Stop posting and tweeting.
What if we suddenly chose to stop posting/tweeting everything negative? What would change? What if we suddenly cared what others thought? felt?
There are many days I spend out front of the school – regardless of how I feel or what I think – and make eye contact with every student and make sure I greet EVERY student (and adult I see). Oh I get the half-asleep-dragging-eyes-barely-open kids who don’t seem to care what I am doing but I do it anyway. I see the person checking me out at the store and I don’t care what they believe but they can sure see me smile at them and greet them openly. The person waiting on my table deserves my best. I don’t care what is going on in my life – theirs might be worse. I choose NOT to put my stuff on others. Others deserve my best. Yeah, I know then there is the interstate. (I’m still workin on that one) AGH! But you get my point? There is (in my belief) much more good in this world.
Be inspired. Encouraged. Be the change, the difference maker. Regardless of what we look like, believe, think…Let’s do all we can – In the Name of Love. What More In the Name of Love. U2
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