Stand a Little Rain

Yesterday, I learned the status of the DOMA bill.  I immediately logged off of Facebook and Twitter, and I turned off the TV.  I knew what was coming next because I know enough about our society.  I made the grave mistake of participating in such heated trolling after this past Presidential Election.  So this time, I just avoided it all together.

Where I stand on the issue of same sex marriage is probably the most insignificant thing in the world.  But where I stand on how I look at my fellow human being is very relevant and of the utmost importance.  I used to see things as black and white only.  You were either just like me, or you weren’t.  Boy, was I narrow minded…

Today I look at people through a different lens.  I try to look at people the way Jesus Christ looks at people.  And let me go ahead and break the hearts of some of you people who could probably qualify for immediate membership at Westboro Baptist Church…  My Savior does not hate homosexuals.  If you call Him your Savior, but tell others that He hates the ones He suffered and died for… you should probably be shaking in your boots.

But, when it comes to love, we like to pick and choose.  We like to try and dictate who we (and everyone else) should and shouldn’t be around.  We created the term “homophobia” (which is incorrectly used more often than not.  A phobia is a fear, hate is totally different.)  But this morning, I heard the term heterophobia for the first time.  Good grief…

But, as a Christian I am often told that I am not allowed to associate with a gay person.  Some of these same people tell me that as a white man, I am not to support my President.  People… please!

One of my favorite song lyrics ever says “If we’re ever gonna see a rainbow, we have to stand a little rain.”  That statement holds so much truth.  Nothing we have ever accomplished in life that was worth anything at all ever came easy.

The storm will rock you hard if you let it.  Whether you are for or against what the Supreme Court feels is the best for our Nation, the fact is that you’ll enjoy the storm so much more if you will just realize that you’ll most likely be alright when the clouds turn from dark to white.

Yesterday’s decision by the Supreme Court… I look at it as an opportunity to practice civility.  To learn to love.  If haters could learn to love the ones they hate the way that lovers love the ones they love… we could all change the world.

What you want the most will come with a price tag attached to it.  But if it means enough to you, it’ll be priceless, and you will never stop until it’s within your reach.  That’s what yesterday was about to me.  But that was yesterday.  This is today.  Today, it’s time to teach each other how to love.  There’s a rainbow above us, and it means different things to different people.  See it as you will.  But, understand that it didn’t appear without a little rain.