In Spite of Everything.

I don't know Big Ben

You can know things but you can also KNOW things. 

Like I know Ben Roethlisberger. He is the quarterback of the 6 time Super Bowl Champions- Pittsburgh Steelers. I know his age. I know his stats. I know his past. 

But I don't know him. I don't know what inspires him. I don't know what keeps him up at night. 

And he certainty does not know Jeffrey Edward Slattery from 109 Van Buren Ave, Ridgway, PA.

People aren't ALL Bad. 

I was having a conversation, over Facebook, with a friend and he reminded me of a truth I thought I knew. I was recalling a person that caused a lot of conflict in my life and in lives of those around me. I tried to help. I tried to help him but was pushed aside as of it were not true. And it came to a point in my life where I could no longer live in the toxic relationship. So I set boundaries. And it was hard. But I did it. For me. And for my family. That was in 2017. 

Its 4 years later. 

It's easy to see someone that was going around setting fires and not listening to your advice as a villain and it many ways, he was. But I was reminded of something that  I thought I KNEW today. You need to remember that, "He did a lot of great things for a long time."

Of course he did. It's easy for one moment, one fight, one event to cloud our memories. You can be having a great day and then BAM something happens. Do we need to grieve and heal? Yea. And time does not heal all things, God does. But he is patient and waits for us to be ready. 

So how then should we deal with those that we have conflict. I want to look to 2 great inspirations-Both Jewish. One Girl and One man. One hide in the attic from Nazis, the other taught spark one of the most popular world religions. 

First the girl. Her name- Anne Frank. 

Anne Frank was social distancing before it was cool. But she wasn't hiding from the virus of Covid-19, she was hiding from the virus of hatred. Hitler was going after her people- the Jews. He rose in power in Germany and inspired many to hate Jewish people. So she hid. And she wrote. And we did the one thing people who write in their diaries don't want you to do....read their DIARY!!!!!

But I think she would be okay with it. She wrote many inspiring things in her book. My favorite is her view of her enemies... Somehow, she viewed the people coming after her as "good at heart."

“In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can’t build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery, and death. I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness, I hear the ever approaching thunder, which will destroy us too, I can feel the sufferings of millions and yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right, that this cruelty too will end, and that peace and tranquility will return again.”

How often do we build a foundation of confusion, misery and death? That is NOT a firm foundation. Anne Frank died. Hitler is dead. The Nazis that arrested and put her to death are dead. Because hate leads to hate. 

But Anne Frank, in my opinion, died a content girl. She had peace because she did not hold the hatred of others as the foundation and view in which she lived her life. What if we choose to do the same. It sucks when people burn us. It sucks when you thought you had a good relationship with someone than they stab you in the back.....

But what if we believed that in spite of everything, people still had good in them?

Now to Jesus. The Jewish Carpenter. 

He is the G.O.A.T. (GREATEST OF ALL TIME) as the cool kids are saying. But what about him is remarkable? Is it that he was a Mr. Rogers type of character? No. I think what sets Jesus apart is his teaching and example of living a life demonstrated by love and forgiveness. 

There are many places we could go when talking about and thinking about Jesus but I need to go to the cross. Jesus was murdered. Why? He was trouble maker? No. Because he was claiming to be God? Kinda. 

Rome was in charge of Israel. Rome allowed the Jews to practice their religion as long as they kept it quiet. But the type of love that Jesus taught was anti-power system. He offended both the church and the state of the day. And it got him killed. On a tree. On Good Friday. 

The crowds went from "Hosanna" on Sunday to "Crucify Him!" on Friday. 

The Passion (meaning suffering) of the Lord is amazing study. He was beloved on Sunday, riding into town on a colt with Palm Branches. But soon the Last Supper came. And Judas betrayed. And Peter denied. And the other disciples ran. 

On the cross- he was alone. But he wasn't alone. There were two thieves with Jesus. One on the left and one on the right. The one said, "We deserve death but this man does not" while the other insulted Him. 

But the words that mean the most to me when Jesus was on the cross were "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."

JESUS! They are killing you! Murdering you. AND YOU DID NOTHING WRONG. But Jesus accepted death. He laid down his life and forgave the very people that killed him. 

Conclusion 

Please don't hear what I'm not saying. If you are in an abusive relationship. Leave. Call the cops. If something is bad for you not do it. Don't drink Poison. It will kill you. And usually it is a slow death. 

But....

Many times we are quick to judge those based on one action. Maybe just maybe that's a horrible way to live your life. That sounds like a life built on hate, misery, and death. We need to remember that if we judge someone based on their worst moment that we wouldn't want people to judge us based on our worst day. 

I'm still trying to learn this. I'm still trying to grow-up. Sorry, I know I should get this by now. But if we can error on the side of love I think we are better off. I'd rather love too much than love too little. I'd rather forgive too much than to forgive too little. Not that they deserve it but because I would want people to love and forgive me too.