Humanity, in perspective.
If you were to believe all that you see and read, we are a terrible species. In their rush to ratings, the news outlets bombard us every day with the salacious, the scandalous, the secret and the shocking. The louder the headline, the greater the viewers.
Truth has fallen victim to greed, and kindness has been murdered by callousness. If you believe all that the media has to share with you, we as a people are not worthy of respect, are unworthy of graciousness and unable to control ourselves.
If you believe the media, and a good deal of social media, we are not worthy to survive.
And I can’t fully express how completely, vehemently, passionately and lovingly disagree with that message, and all it stands for. I am so tired of hearing only the bad about us, that I have in essence switched off from the ‘news’ media.
Most of the things I see in the news are stories that I can do nothing about, and reading them does nothing for my soul, my peace and my happiness. Recently I decided that I would try to see good things every day, and carry those in my heart instead.
And you would be amazed at the things I have seen.
People who the media would deem unimportant and not newsworthy performing beautiful, courageous and moving acts of kindness in perfect silence. Seeking not their own gratification, or compensation, they give of their time, their talents, their wealth and their love. They lift up others, and move our species another step close to the peace that we all hope for.
And their stories go unnoticed, unless we ourselves share them with others, and glory in their goodness, their kindness, their beautiful humanity, their timeless compassion.
For we must be the media of the world in which we wish to live. We who have been gifted this wonderful invention of communication have upon us a responsibility to share that which uplifts, ennobles, edifies and engages. We must be the historians of Humanity, recording and revealing the essential elements of our shared selflessness.
Our words of today can be the echoes of the future, pleading with those both then and now to move beyond the worst of who we could be, and evolving instead into the epitome of who we can be.
Because Humanity, despite the malevolent message of the manipulative media, is a species worth saving, worth cheering, worth fighting for.
In our everyday acts of compassion, we reveal not only the sublime, sacred and saving nature that is inside of us, but we build the bridges, the bonds and the bastions of a civilization that can truly be civilized.
Built upon foundations of respect, kindness, compassion and caring, we can share a brighter future, a greater tomorrow and a closer kinship one with another.
Today, I stand for humanity, and marvel at its potential.
Today, I invite you to cast down the lies of the world that tell us we are not worth saving, and instead lift up your voice as we champion not just the goodness we see, but the kindness that we don’t.
Because it’s there, inside each one of us. If we believe that we are better than we are told, then we will live to be the best of all we can be.
And I, for one, cannot wait to see that light made manifest in all its glory.
If these words have moved you today, I would humbly ask that you like, comment upon and share this post, so that we can move this work forward. I truly believe we can make a difference together.
— Dr. Alan Barnes
@maddrmusings