ONE REFLECTION OF AN EXCHANGE

Have you ever judged
a book by its cover,
later to realize
that you were wrong?

Yesterday I heard my Pastor say,
“Be careful not to make
a long-lasting impression
from one reflection
of an exchange.”
​
The statement was so profound
it stuck to me like a glove.

I sat dumbfounded,
for just a moment,
and thought,
“I have to write a poem about that.”

Some words
are worthier than others -
to remember;
and his words
were more than enough
to make me think again.

How many times
do we judge another person
by what they post
on social media?

Could it be
that we have been branded
by the social dilemma?

Has Twitter and Facebook
decided
that psychological warfare
is the best kind of treasury?

We now have a platform
where all of our opinions and beliefs
can be exposed openly.

And what we post 
is often a twisted version of "me" -
a small shadow of self
that displays what I want you to see.

And when we are face-to-face,
what happens when
I wake up
on the wrong side of the bed?

Perhaps what could have gone right,
may go wrong -
what happens then?
Will you still be my friend?

And what about the man
who has a grumpy old soul,
but longs for connection
more than he will ever show?

How will we respond
when he makes
an obnoxious remark?
Will we hold grudge, or not?

And what about the child
who is angry and dying inside
because she not felt love?
How will we treat her?
Will we be another person
to throw a rock at her soul?

You know,
we are all just people.
Filled with all kinds
of thoughts and emotion.

We all have bad days,
sometimes;
while others feel it
every day.

Everyone has
vulnerability factors.
Things that trigger us
to be emotionally dys-regulated,
bitter and upset.

Chronic pain, lack of sleep,
Arthritis and food allergies - 
all can lead to not feeling our best.

Death and grief,
high sensitivities,
depression and anxiety
can definitely effect
the way we handle stress.

Personal biases
based on life experiences
can cause us to hunker in.
We do a great job
at holding tight
to our personal opinions.

I am learning that
that every interaction
is not always about "us."
In fact, we must pay attention
to what is going on with "them."

People are born
into different families.
People have
different personalities.
People have their own
life experiences.
And people identify with
different ethnicities,
races and languages.

People see the world
through different lenses.
There are so many different colors,
and so many different kinds of glasses.

And people express themselves
in so many different ways;
some in writing
and some face-to-face;
some creative
and some logical;
some in pictures,
some through songs;  
some through glances,
and some through tones.

People belong
to different political parties
for different reasons.
Some are pro-choice
and some are pro-life.
Some fight to save
the second amendment.
Some approach poverty
from a top-down perspective,
where the government steps in
for the the good of the collective.
Some see color
as a matter of skin,
while others emphasize
reverse discrimination.
Some pay attention
to foreign affairs,
and some prefer
to focus on the homeland. 

I ask you this,
which is right,
and which is wrong?

We should learn
to pay attention
to the reasons of others,
rather than projecting
our own opinion.

The thing is -
I know I evangelize
by sharing the Gospel of Christ;
the truth in love.
And yet,
I know I must do better
at not passing judgement
because the Lord says
we all have sinned.

We all are biased
even when we think we are not.

In fact,
I find it interesting
that some smug people 
believe they are being totally impartial
when their non-verbal communication, 
questions and direction
is screaming they are not.

Every interaction
leaves an impression -
even when you think
you have not expressed an objection.

Because even the act
of not responding
to an opinion or a situation
says a whole lot.

Communication
is the exchange of information;
whether it's accepted or rejected 
is not really the point.
Communication still happens
whether we agree or not.

Communion
is the sharing of common things; 
like people, places and things,
interests and beliefs. 
When we take communion with God,
we are communicating with Him
that we believe Jesus is His Son.

Community
is when a group of living beings
come together to make up a social unit.
If we share space,
we are part of each other,
whether we like it or not.

While there are so many differences
that represent all of us,
we must focus in
on commonalities
if we are going to live
peaceful lives. 

We were all born to a mother,
from her womb we did come;
made from an egg and sperm,
combined into one.

We were all babies
who could not tend for ourselves,
and when we are old,
it will probably be the same,
will it not?

We all breath oxygen,
and we all have lungs;
we all have a heart
and a cardio-respiratory system.

We all live 
by the breath of life;
and we all return
to the dust of the earth.

We are all given
a number of days
​to live as positively, patiently,
peacefully and productively
as we can.

Some believe in a Creator
and some do not,
either way,
we must remember
that everything a person does
is not always about us.

Every behavior
has a thought or feeling
behind it.

There are so many things
that can get in the way
of showing love;
and this is probably why
God commands us to forgive others.

“Be careful not to make 
a long-lasting impression 
from one reflection
of an exchange.” 

I know these words
​will continue to sink in deep,
and I hope I can be
​a better person because of them.