In 2013, Chris Rosati who had ALS, hatched a scheme to steal a Krispy Kreme donut truck. The plan was to “go around and give away the donuts,” Rosati said. “I was going to go to the nearest school … One of the blessings of ALS is, what are they going to do?” As the CBS News reported “Fortunately, it never came to that. Krispy Kreme gave Chris and his wife, Anna, a busload of donuts, which they joyfully delivered to city parks, cancer wards and children’s hospitals.” Sadly Chris died last week from this horrible disease at the young age of 46 leaving behind a wife and two young children.
One of his daughters, Logan, said of her Dad; “He tried to make friends with the world. I think it’s hard to do that. So, I’m proud of him.”
I have thought about what this little girl said about her father all weekend. I thought about it as I attended a memorial service for my friend’s wife Saturday. I thought about it at the worship service Sunday at the mission church my wife and I have been attending. “He tried to make friends with the world. I think it’s hard to do that.”
Making friends with the world must begin with respect, respect for our differences, respect for our individual beliefs, simply respect for each other. I don’t get a sense that respect is a key ingredient in our current political cycle today. This country is fractured and the divide between us grows wider and deeper everyday. Sadly our leadership, on both sides, have encouraged this growing schism. It is a turf war reminiscent of the one President Abraham Lincoln faced in the late 1800’s, accept this time the issues reach beyond just racism and include religion, nationalism, sexism and a host of other “isms” as well.
A kid I work with went to a county fair in a small rural community about an hours drive from our city this weekend. He talked about all the fried food they were serving at this fair and the people, all shapes and sizes. I asked him what he had learned from this experience and his observation was very simple; “Man we are all different”.
Too many of us live in our own little bubble, a bubble filled with people who look like, think like, believe like, hell even smell like we do. Over time we begin to believe that our bubble is the only true world that should exist. It becomes the representation of what we think the rest of world should look like. There is no room in our bubbles for diversity or change because that would be uncomfortable. We thrive on comfort, keeping things the same whether it is a realistic view or not.
Chris Rosati tried to “make friends with the world”. I wonder what the world would be like if each of us moved outside of our little bubbles and made friends with someone in the bubble next to us? Making this leap has to start with respect rather than hate or discontent for ideals that are different from ours. We all must accept the fact that this country was built on diversity. There wasn’t suppose to be one ruling race or one state sponsored religion despite what a segment of the population would have us believe. We are different. Even the people within our own bubbles are different though the differences may seem subtle at best.
Take the time to find some common ground with the people living outside of your bubble. Will it be easy? Oh hell no but we have to start somewhere and it might as well start with you and I.
“Parents and schools should place great emphasis on the idea that it is all right to be different. Racism and all the other ‘isms’ grow from primitive tribalism, the instinctive hostility against those of another tribe, race, religion, nationality, class or whatever. You are a lucky child if your parents taught you to accept diversity.” – Roger Ebert
Ends and Beginnings 
I find that while I agree with most of your post, I disagree with the above statement. I do agree that respect for persons is not only required it should be something we strive forcefully for, however ideas should earn our respect. IF an idea or belief is absurd it should be treated that way. If the subject comes up the reason it is absurd should be given and shown in a that respects the person but not the idea. I learn nothing if a person agrees with a silly notion I have if they have better evidence I am wrong, but don’t tell me. I could list many different conspiracy theories and fantastic notions held with no evidence. I find in the area I live in the most pushed ideas of the people are the ones that have the least evidence for them. Every December the signs go up on yards and homes to “put Christ back in Christmas”. While I do not go out of my way to correct that I will when in a group point out the history of the celebrations and the pagan roots to it. I have seen less of those signs in my area over the years. Hugs
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Such an uplifting post! Yet also sad. 😦
As you so eloquently pointed out, too many (most?) of us tend to believe our little bubble is the only bubble that should exist … and we will “fight to the end” to make sure no one else’s bubble takes precedence. We will wrap our arms around ourselves and our personal beliefs and dare others to prove us wrong.
We are such stubborn creatures …
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Mr. Rosati got it. All the rest of us need to. Good story.
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Before I read this post I read your about page.
As soon as I read: A Christian with questions but I don’t want to hear your answers.
I realized that the post, irrespective of its content, was already going to be defined by your religious outlook.
So I take your bubble remarks with a pinch of salt as your ”Christianity” ultimately keeps you in a bubble of your own making.
You need to remember that,as a Christian you worship a blood-sacrifice which is barbaric and completely unacceptable, and eventually, everyone who is not a Christian will be (according to your Christian doctrine) going to hell, in whichever ”format” you believe in.
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Arkenaten, first and foremost, thank you for reading and for taking the time to share your thoughts. I am always honored that people would take the time to read the simple words that I write.
Secondly, if you have read any of my other post you would quickly realize that my “religious outlook” is fluid and certainly not as well defined as you assume or give me undue credit for.
I do not subscribe to a particular, as you phrased it, “Christian doctrine”. Honestly, given my views and perspectives, I would have been burned at the stake during the Salem witch trails.
Be careful how you judge people based on simple words, concepts and ideas. See and hear the whole story before you make a determination otherwise you fall into the same “format” that I find most abhorrent about today’s “Christians”, quick to judge, slow to love.
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But your primary belief is that a crucified man died for your sins to redress the imbalance with your god, and was brought back to life, yes?
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No. I am not able to wrap my beliefs (see plural) in a neat little box with a pretty bow on top to appease any and everyone that ask me to give them the Cliff Notes version of where I am in my faith journey. I have written EXTENSIVELY on this blog about my ups and downs with Christianity. I have written EXTENSIVELY about the Buddhist hues that color my faith. I have written EXTENSIVELY about my love of this universe, and the people I share this space with and how it and they have shaped my faith and beliefs.
So, no I do not subscribe to your use of the word “primary” to describe my path. Pigeon hole someone else with your perceived judgment. I am a “Christian with questions but I don’t want to hear your answers” because, like me, you don’t have any answers. You may think you do, the Evangelicals certainly think they do but none of us do. Each journey is personal and maybe it will be answered in the end, then again maybe it won’t.
Offer grace, love and compassion to all of creation. The rest should take care of itself.
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I am quite au fait with many aspects of your religion. So I am asking, irrespective of other considerations, do you believe that the biblical character Jesus the Nazarene needed to die (for the sake of humanity) was crucified and raised from the dead ?
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I am sorry you could not possibly be “au fait with many aspects of” my religion. You couldn’t be that smart or worldly about all things “me”. What you are fishing for is an opinion, my opinion of a fact, or a myth or a legend. What I believe is bigger than what you describe as the death of a “biblical character” of which I may agree or disagree with your characterization of. I may or may not also believe in Santa Claus, or the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy as well. How would that position me in your opinion in the realm of religious thought?
My journey is my journey, as yours is yours and if it is filled with grace, compassion and love for all of creation and the souls in it then, for me, go in peace. And if it isn’t, good luck, have a safe trip.
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Yes, I am quite au fait with an awful lot of the Christian religion. Why would I write this if it were not true?
I do not consider myself an expert by any means but I am reasonably well versed.
I have no doubt that your journey is your journey and this is a theme repeated often by those who are inclined to a faith-based life.
Ultimately, if you are a Christian, as you have stated, your faith ( no matter how it manifests) will turn on the Resurrection of the character Jesus the Nazarene.
If you do not beleive in the Resurrection then by all standards I am aware of you are not a Christian.
So, do you believe in the (bodily) Resurrection of the biblical character Jesus of Nazareth?
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“If you do not believe in the Resurrection then by all standards I am aware of you are not a Christian.”
Thank you but I am not obliged to live within your “standards”. Peace.
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They are not my standards for goodness’ sake!
This is the primary belief that defines all Christians.
I am baffled as to why you seem so hostile and evasive over this?
Are you seriously suggesting that you do not believe in the Resurrection?
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Take care
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And the typical brush off.
Why is it that so many of those who claim they wish to be ”Christ like” are so incredibly defensive, coy and evasive in such discussions and from the tone of their replies become the antithesis of the qualities they claim they aspire to: compassion and grace etc etc.
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I would rather not deal with a bully so again take care.
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You consider me a bully? On what grounds?
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I wrote what I hoped would be a very introspective and uplifting view of how I saw America under the current political reign with the request that we all make an effort to move outside of our bubbles and try to do a better job of understanding each other. You made the determination that anything I wrote was somehow clouded by my Christian precepts of which you know NOTHING about. You began with: “I realized that the post, irrespective of its content, was already going to be defined by your religious outlook.”
“So I take your bubble remarks with a pinch of salt as your ”Christianity” ultimately keeps you in a bubble of your own making.”
“as a Christian you worship a blood-sacrifice which is barbaric and completely unacceptable, and eventually, everyone who is not a Christian will be (according to your Christian doctrine) going to hell, in whichever ”format” you believe in.”
“I am quite au fait with many aspects of your religion.”
“I have no doubt that your journey is your journey and this is a theme repeated often by those who are inclined to a faith-based life.”
“If you do not beleive in the Resurrection then by all standards I am aware of you are not a Christian.”
“I am baffled as to why you seem so hostile and evasive over this?
Are you seriously suggesting that you do not believe in the Resurrection?”
And ended with: “Why is it that so many of those who claim they wish to be ”Christ like” are so incredibly defensive, coy and evasive in such discussions and from the tone of their replies become the antithesis of the qualities they claim they aspire to: compassion and grace etc etc.”
Your passion seems to have over ridden your capacity for civility. That’s fine, I simply choose not to participate. You can call me “incredibly defensive, coy and evasive” all you want I simply will not be drawn into whatever war you are waging with yourself or the world as a whole.
I also stated on my Who I Am page that “I like hearing what you have to say, agree or disagree (if you are civil not righteous), but please keep it simple. If you want to discuss the Pāli Canon or why the Trinity is still monotheistic, I am not your guy, show-off on someone else’s blog.”
I hope you find what you are looking for.
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As so much of USA culture seems steeped in religious culture, and most notably so-called ”Christian values(sic)” to try to divorce yourself from this very pertinent reality and still maintain this Christ-like goal is as laughable as saying:
”I am going to be a vegetarian but I’ll still eat steak on Monday and the occasional chicken … oh, and fish isn’t really meat is it?”
It is because of the fact that your, and so many others religion/s/faith/etc underpin your worldview that you feel compelled to actually write posts such as this.
Consider for a few moments if you ( and the rest of humanity) had no religious convictions whatsoever.
Once you have pondered on this why not try to rewrite the post and note the difference?
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I will stick to my original observation, I would rather not deal with another bully. Having one, the President, is enough for me.
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Well, let’s be honest here shall we? You and your Christian beliefs, no matter how ”watered down”, are simply the by product of 2000 years of lies, corruption, internecine war, barbarism, genocide, misogyny, slavery, institutionalized racism etc all in the name of your god, and includes such wonderful personalities as Torquemada.
Compared to how much of a ”bully” your religion still is , my blog-banter is merely a conscious-pricker.
In light of this, do you fancy having a go at rewriting your post without the religious leaning now?
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Every day I delete 5 to 10 comments from people who take exception to my views on Christianity, Race, Donald Trump, Homosexuals, etc. A number of them are very hateful and use words and terms that would make their mothers blush unless of course they learned those ideas and words from their mother.
I occasionally let some slip in and respond to see where the journey goes. Sometimes the conversation is enlightening other times simply arrogant. You sadly are the latter. You have a bone to pick, which is fine. 90% of what I write is venting about something or someone but unfortunately I don’t find your method of persuasion very appealing. Honestly it is rude, hence my referring to you as a bully.
I can’t make your world a better place, only you can. I hope you will because it is a space we have to share.
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