Be kind.

I don't know if you have noticed,
But the world seems to have gone bat-shit crazy.
Donald Trump is ACTUALLY president of the United States.
What the face?
That happened.

And as expected, it's banana-pants.
Beyond banana-pants.

His behavior is, to put it kindly, outrageous.
His nominees for his inner circle are terrifying.
And the noise.  SO MUCH NOISE.

He said this!  She said that!
This is what it means!  NO- THIS is what it means!
LIES!  LIES! LIES!

Protests! Protests! Protests!
Contact your representatives!

WOW.
Just....wow.

And this morning, I am reminded of what the mother of our godchildren always says to them.
BE KIND.
Is what you are doing kind?
She is constantly calling attention to their motives and their actions.
BE KIND.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

This is not rocket science.

Feel free to rally together.  Feel free to fight oppression and call out lies where you see them.
Take care of one another.  Champion the oppressed.
March!  Protest!

But...
Rise above name calling and dismissive rhetoric.
Do not be hateful to those who disagree with you.
Do not insult someone because they don't think like you.
That just feeds the machine.
It creates division- which is what the so-called "power players" (on both sides) want.
They want to create fear, division and hate in the people of this country.
If they can turn us against one another, it'll be easier to take over- for our own good, of course.
And we are letting them.
DON'T DO IT.  STOP.
Beware of defensiveness and hypocrisy.
Being hateful will never win another to your point of view.  It might feel good in the moment to express your hurt and anger with ugly words and insults- but it does damage in the long run.

Don't assume you know everything about a person's experience or why they think the way they think. You don't.
But in choosing kindness and love...even if it backfires on you...you will guard your soul.
People respond to people who value them, who listen, who try and understand.
I don't care if you are liberal or conservative,
This is a universal truth.
We are all wired to want to be seen, to be heard, to be understood...to be loved.
Each and every one of us has value.
And it is up to each of us to discover what that value is.
Take time, extend a hand, ask questions and listen.
Chances are, we have more in common than we think- but culture, dark forces and media are working extremely hard to divide us.
And right now, they are winning.

I challenge you to rise above it and BE KIND.
Choose love.
THAT is what will break the horrors happening these days and in days to come.

This week, as we remember what happened at Auschwitz, we must remember what we are capable of.
We are capable of division, turning a blind eye, complacency, cowardice, murder and hate.  There is darkness in all of our souls.  I am sure there were many people in Poland and Germany who thought they were "good people" who were frozen by fear and did not act at the time.
But we must also remember the everyday heroes, the ones no one knew about, who made it a priority to rescue and protect people.  People who risked their own lives to protect others not because of what legislation or government was doing in their world at the moment, but because of who they were, and what was the right thing to do.
We must defend and care for each other- all of us.
Frankly, many of the politicians are doing whatever it takes for more power, money- whatever it is that rings their chimes.  And those who aren't acting out of self-centeredness...well, I am sure many of them feel trapped and helpless and are being bombarded with information and fear.

One of the good things that has happened (yes, there ARE good things happening) is that people are being forced out of complacency.
That is not a bad thing.
But I challenge you (and myself) to channel that energy and outrage into justice, love and mercy.
Pray. Care. Act.
And above all love.  Even if you don't feel like it- often, love is an act of will.
CHOOSE LOVE.
BE KIND.