I saw a post this morning on Facebook that upset me. I won't share the contents, because it was the sort of post that shouldn't have ever been made. But I will share my thoughts about it.
We all have our own idea of God, or the idea that there is no supreme being. And that is every individual's right. I identify as a Christian, and as a Catholic. The God that I believe in is a God of love. A God of forgiveness. A God of hope. A God of the improbable.
I can go all the way back to the birth of Jesus for improbable, but I can also just say St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. A starving actor, Danny Thomas, made a vow that if he were to be successful as an actor he would open a shrine dedicated to St. Jude Thaddeus. And that man made good on that vow, and millions of children all over the world are the beneficiaries of that vow.
So back to the Facebook post that upset me. It wasn't a meme. It was someone proudly sharing something that is rooted in meanness, hatred and vulgarity. And I honestly believe that person thought it was funny.
I'll tell you what I believe. I don't think God thought it was funny. I don't think God likes hate, or the spreading of hate, or being gleeful in the act of hating.
I pray a lot. I ask God for restoration of health for people I love. I ask God to look over people I love as they walk through life. But at the end of every set of prayers, I ask God to give me the grace and strength to accept His will, and to be a source of strength and comfort to the suffering.
My faith dictates that I believe God hears our prayers. But my faith also tells me that God's plan for each of us doesn't always include that the answer to our prayers is the answer we want.
I also believe that whenever we feel that God is not listening, we should do a thorough examination of conscience. Because I believe that God is always listening, and it is our own hard hearts that prevent us from feeling His presence and His answers.
Hate takes up the place in our hearts where God wants to live. There is no good reason for hate. There is no good reason to celebrate meanness.
The Elf on the Shelf may be gone for another year, and Santa may not know when you are sleeping and when you are awake, but God knows what you do, and what you say and what is in your heart. As a dear friend of mine is fond of saying, "The Good Lord don't sleep".
Every time you choose hatred, or meanness, or vulgarity, you are choosing to turn away from God. He won't stop waiting for you to turn back to Him. But if I can see your hatred on Facebook, your hateful thoughts have already manifested in hateful actions. And actions become habits if repeated. And habits are hard to break.
I'll pray for the person who made that post to find a way to celebrate love instead of hate. But it makes me profoundly sad. Because every time a person chooses hate instead of love, the world becomes a sadder, lonelier place. And just like love and hope can be contagious, so can hate and meanness.
So I challenge myself, and I ask all of you to celebrate love instead of hate. To choose kindness. To choose to offer prayers for those who we disagree with. My faith tradition demands that we stand up for the oppressed, and that we stand strong against injustice, but it also demands I take those stands with kindness, determination and love.
