A while back I was given a sermon, and it spoke to me.\u00a0It still speaks to me.\u00a0\u00a0 It resonates in a lot of things much as an good sermon should.<\/p>\n
There are 3 men of history, actually 4 men I would draw your attention too.<\/p>\n
HATE<\/p>\n
Genghis Khan is arguably one of the greatest leaders of the Mongol empire. Legend of his birth\u00a0 says he was clutching at a blood clot, a dark omen of things to come.\u00a0 History is forever scarred by the myriad of lives he laid to waste.\u00a0 When he was reprimanded in a letter by the pope for his atrocities; he responded, \u201cI am the punishment of God. If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you. \u201c<\/p>\n
LOVE<\/p>\n
In another world, in a different time, there was a man who taught the value of empathy with wisdom.\u00a0 His statement often makes me think of another great fisher of men because I think that may be who he is referencing.\u00a0 Gandhi said, \u201cGive a man a fish you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish feed him for a lifetime.\u00a0 I think empathy is a side of love, but with wisdom it becomes much more powerful.\u00a0With ignorance it may lead in the opposite directions.\u00a0\u00a0Like chiding without giving direction or coddling without using what is referred to as tough love. (This may be able to be worded differently and still get point across, like Tough love is….. I had to read it three times to understand)<\/p>\n
INDIFFERENCE<\/p>\n
History also speaks of another man, a man whose life would be of little consequence today had he not crossed paths with another man.\u00a0 He was in charge of a great number of men when the city was in turmoil.\u00a0 For much of my life what he did made the most sense to me, but now when you look at leadership you recognize there are tough decisions to be made, and when it came time to do the right thing he washed his hand of his responsibility in order to appease those in power that could have created great unrest.\u00a0 His name was Pontius Pilot, and his apathy is what made him known.\u00a0 When he washed his hands he made the decision to protect himself.<\/p>\n
The sermon that I referenced explained the opposite of love is actually indifference rather than hate.\u00a0 So introspectively I would ask myself from time to time, \u201cWhat am I indifferent about and then how does that affect me? \u201cOr better still the fact that I don\u2019t give a shit about something, someone or some cause.\u00a0 Is it because it doesn\u2019t affect me?\u00a0 In life you can only care about a certain number of things, and the things that you value should move you.\u00a0 I leave you with a story.<\/p>\n
I think this concept can be best demonstrated here.<\/p>\n
Student :(asks\u00a0 jokingly)\u00a0 \u201cWhy do you hate me?\u201d
\nProfessor :\u00a0 (responds jokingly)\u00a0 \u201cHow can you hate someone you don\u2019t even care about.\u201d<\/p>\n
I also thought there was a pretty good quote here in the movie backdraft<\/p>\n