I wrote the following for Liam in December of 2008. It stands as true today.
“Never fail to stand up for your neighbor. Never see yourself as better than another for when you do a part of you dies. Stand for the oppressed—without violence, if you can. Christ, after all, stood up to an entire system by allowing himself to be brutally murdered on a cross. This is to truly love your neighbor!
I wish I could say that I have done this in my life. But I am a coward. Rather than stand up for others in their oppression, I have gone along with the crowd—often leading the crowd. I am ashamed.
We all want to be popular and accepted. There will be times in your life that you will find yourself pulled away from certain friends and classmates who no longer fit the “norm.” Please, resist this temptation. Rather embrace those who are different. It won’t be easy, I know, but the reward will be overwhelming—although you most certainly won’t recognize it for years to come.
You can’t heal all the world’s suffering. This is why we long for Christ’s return. But, what if we who profess to follow Jesus took his message to heart and broke away from the pull of the Pharisees and offered comfort to the hurting? What if…?”—Lessons for Liam
Image: Walking Tall (1973)