Be Kinder Than Necessary

Be kinder than necessary ", ( words to live by ) ~~ said a family member of one of the Charleston nine -- who's family member was killed inside of the church !! ~~~ May God richly bless her !!! ` These precious souls never cease to amaze me with their love, and forgiveness, and great wisdom (as posted on my friend Carolyn’s page FB).

 This posting prompted thought within me as to how this is only the tip of the iceberg for the African-American people.  African-American people have spent a life time of being kinder than necessary to people who weren’t kind to them. They have been forced to accept and live with what was forced upon them.  African’s were living their lives and happy in their home land, then white men stalked them, trapped them, brought them to the United States where they were bought and sold, beaten and raped.  Even when they married they were always at risk of being separated at the whim of a master they didn’t ask for or want. Their children were taken from them; they were forced to watch as their own were tied and beaten.

Today the African-American neighbor still struggles to be called equal to be seen as worthy, to fight for freedoms which by constitution should already be theirs. We watch daily African-American men compete and try and are still told they aren’t enough and then are called lazy and useless. I ask how many others would survive the message of hundreds of years of being told “not good enough?”

Today I stand humbly next to my African-American friends and pray for them and for myself.  I pray that all humans will one day walk in love, peace and acceptance of one another.  Love is the most powerful essence in the world. When we find a way to spread truth, love and compassion as easily as we spread hate and destruction what a different world this will be.

Mattie