Do You Ever Really Know People?

As I have read through the past couple days of Facebook posts a couple of things have become extremely alarming to me. First, I found myself asking several times, "Is the person posting this really the person I thought they were?" Second, it has become very apparent to me that my present self has become quite distant from my past self.

As I look through the interactions I have with people I can easily see the difference between the people I call my friends and some of the "friends" I have on Facebook. It appears there are some people I agree with very little. That is kind of concerning! When I reflect on how I came to know that person, or in what capacity I truly "know" them, it becomes a lot more clear. There are several people I know through various past employments, former students, people I met in college, family, and some I have known since I first stepped into Eisenhower Elementary school for my first day of kindergarten. Just as I know that I have changed over the years, it is sometimes shocking how much others have changed as well. Sometimes even my own extended family I have a hard time relating to. I don't know that this is a bad thing, but just something I have become hyper aware of recently.

Even just a few short years ago, I would have been quick to give you my opinion whether you wanted it or not. For that matter, I probably wouldn't have cared if you liked it or not either. Nowadays, not so much. I still fight the urge and sometimes the urge still wins out, but generally I put a lot more thought into what I say before it actually comes out. That has served me pretty well in the past few years. As I was reading through a thread that one of my friends posted on, I was truly amazed by the things that people say to each other. I guess there is "safety" in the computer and a person can say what they want and never have to face the person they disagree with. One could always say that people are entitled to their "wrong opinion", but does that have to be so hate filled?

There is no doubt that I am a Christian and my beliefs align to what the Bible says. That does not mean that my actions don't stray from my beliefs. Sometimes I say and do things that, when given more thought, don't always align with what I believe. I am human. I was amazed when reading that thread today that frequently there was no difference in the words being used by believers and non-believers. They were so busy hating each other that neither could see they had strayed from the point completely.

Being respectful to other people shouldn't matter if you believe in God or not should it? Often times folks are so concerned about their freedom of speech and religion that they forget that everyone has those same freedoms. With that freedom comes disagreement. That is a "joy" of our society isn't it? Several of my friends posted a quote by Rick Warren that I think sums it up pretty well. It reads, "Our culture has accepted two huge lies. The first is that if you disagree with someones lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don't have to compromise convictions to be compassionate."

Whether you are are discussing same sex marriage in your home, your work place, or Facebook shouldn't affect your need to be compassionate towards others. I would challenge, while this quote has been used heavily the past couple days in the marriage equality discussion, it pertains to many other areas of life as well. You may not see eye to eye with others politically, professionally, or personally, you may not agree with their lifestyle, the way they raise their kids, or the way they talk to their spouse. In the end, spewing hate toward someone else isn't going to miraculously change their view. It has taken me many years to put thinking before speaking and trying to ensure that what I say is truly what I mean. If most people would even make the effort to do just that, the world would be a much better place.