It has been heartening to see so many people wearing purple, or layering lavender on their Facebook profile pictures in association with Spirit Day. This is the day that the LGBT community has adopted to send hope to those kids who are under assault from classmates, and sometimes teachers and administrators, and to let them know, in the words of the now famous catch phrase, "It gets better." The campaign is directed to LGBT kids, but it is a message for any kid who gets picked on for being different.
We live in a culture where bullying is accepted. Much as we say we're against it, TV shows where judges ridicule singers or competitors expose themselves to what amounts to hazing to win prizes are among the most prolific and popular. And in between those shows right now, voters are reminded why this candidate is a liar and cheat as opposed to the other candidate who is just an all-around ugly human being. Until there is a real commitment from our leaders to refrain from bullying, how can we really expect children to be kind?
I thought it was appropriate that today's morning office included Psalm 17, which includes these verses:
Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings,
From the wicked who assault me,
from my deadly enemies who surround me.
To the child being harassed at school or dodging verbal and physical abuse on the bus or the walk home, please know this: you are stronger than you think. You are the apple of God's eye. And you have a legion of adults who not only empathize with what you are experiencing; we are working to make the world better now.
1 comment:
Thanks for reminding me what this day is all about. I wore my purple dress on Sunday so just a little early, but I am glad to know what it means and there is some purple in my shirt that i have on
Peggins
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