Friday, 05 October 2007

A day of outrage

Today wasn't terribly bad. Class was okay, voice lesson went fine, Chapel Choir sounded sweet (though Dr. Richmond taking mild swipes at "bright tenor voices" is a little, well, okay maybe I deserve it), MENC meeting was good, and I always like InterVarsity.

But what I read today bothered me. In fact, it did more than just bother me. It made me angry. It made me furious. Zach took a shot at me too, asking me what I do on the computer all the time. I guess I should be a little ashamed, but I do a lot of reading on the computer. Some of it's Facebook (this is the ashamed part), but I like reading weird stuff and I like reading the news. I don't have the money to get a subscription to Newsweek or something like that, but MSNBC.com has a lot of interesting stuff to read. But occasionally, I find something that really gets me angry.

I was outraged. I rarely have the feeling of so badly wanting to throw books out the window, but it happened today. It hadn't happened since probably freshman year and all the humanist rhetoric in Religion & Atrocity.

I recently saw where Wal-Mart already has begun the pricing war for... CHRISTMAS shopping. I am seriously unsure if I even want to buy Christmas gifts this year. It's nothing against my family or friends, whom I love, but against the retailers. The abuse against a sacred holiday season, Christmas and Advent, has gone over the top, and I've just about had it. But there's more...

I read an article about TOLERANCE for Secondary Principles in a set about being a moral educator, but I wanted to burn it instead. I REALLY don't like this concept anymore. I honestly can't stand it and I have serious issues with having the concept stuffed down my throat against my will. I have absolutely had it with people simply "tolerating" others and the author held is as the highest virtue in his article. He had the nerve to say that a Christian who sees Christ in a brother or sister is demonstrating tolerance. I don't believe that the Bible ever said "God is tolerance." As I recall, it says He is Love, right from His Holy Word (I John 4:8). And Jesus said, "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" (Matthew 25:37-40)

Don't even bother tolerating me. Either love me for who I am, with all my beliefs, values, and faults, and become better, or just don't. Tolerating implies to me that you're willing to be around me and maybe deal with me, but not really accept me. That's weak. It isn't Christ-like and I pray that I never do that to my students. I pray that I can accept my students for who they are. Yes, I have a job to help teach students about life, about right from wrong, about how to live in society. They won't have it all right when I meet them. But that's being a person learning how to make it. I pray that I can accept my students as people, with all the baggage they bring, and all the craziness that comes with being a kid, and just... yeah, accept them. I want them to matter to me. I may have to help them change, hopefully for the better, as people. But I don't want to merely tolerate them. That's a disservice. Especially in this confusing world, students don't need to be tolerated. They need to be loved. I can't love them like a parent loves a child because they're not like mine. But I want them to matter to me. That much I can do, and that's my prayer.