Start at Home

I’m not big on the news. It’s far away; I can remove myself and allow a little head-in-the-sand time. It’s not that I’m unaware, but I’m ashamedly able to pull myself out of situations and convince myself those problems don’t belong to me and my small town life. While my husband spends his time listening to BBC, NPR, and sermons from various pastors we follow, I spend my time listening to KLOVE or Kidz Bop with the occasional top 40 hit thrown in there for good measure.

This time, it’s different, though. Those could have been my friends or their kids. It might have been children I love and care about as my own. It could have been one of my friends, simply because of the color of their skin. This time, it was far too close to home to turn away. I can’t bury my head in the sand for this one. Because for me, while I might not be about news, I am about love. I’m called to love those around me. I’m called to love my enemies. I’m called to love first. To give the benefit of the doubt first. To teach my son the same. These friends I mentioned, they’re his friends, too. They’re people he loves and cares about. They’re people he would be devastated if something happened to. He doesn’t know or care what color their skin is; he loves them because they’re his friends.

Hays and LBD

This morning, I watched this.

(Go on, I’ll wait. It’s worth it.)

I don’t have a systemic solution. I don’t have a great idea for how to move forward from here. What I do have is a little boy I am called to teach, mold, and shape. I can him teach to treat others–all others–well. I can teach him to love the people around him. I can teach him to serve as Jesus did. I can teach him to pray for his friends and classmates. We can start at home. Undoubtedly, we are called to.

We can start at home. Click To Tweet

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” –Deuteronomy 6:5-9

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