I AM MAD

I Am Mad dan skognes leadership development training coaching consulting motivation blogging speaking

Trayvon Martin vs George Zimmerman.  Has anyone in America or the world, for that matter, not heard about this tragedy.  You know what?  I am so MAD.  But I am not mad at George Zimmerman.  I am not mad at Trayvon Martin. I am MAD at what has happened to our country.

This used to be a place where people cared about each other, where everything was not a racial issue, where everything was not another reason to cry out for gun control. What has happened to our country?  We are a sick society.  We need a Doctor, and we need him now!

We live in a society where we are going to blame somebody for what is happening.  You can blame Trayvon, or you can blame George.  Either way, you miss the point.  This is not a matter of blaming a person.  This goes much deeper than that.  It goes to a character flaw.  It goes to a spiritual flaw.  It goes to a moral flaw.

I am SO MAD.  Am I the only person who sees that we are in spiritual warfare?  This is not a battle of flesh and blood.  This is a battle against the unseen spirits who war against our souls.  They seek to steal, kill, and destroy.  Have they not accomplished all of this with one fell swoop?

Do you remember the famous quote from Rodney King, “Can’t we all just get along?”  Apparently the answer is a resounding NO. I am MAD that we have chosen to cross the lines.  I am MAD that we choose to think the worst of other.  I am MAD that we choose not to forgive.

How in the world are we going to survive and live together in a multi-cultural and multi-faith country if we have chosen to take the low road when it comes to conflicts?  Life is complicated for most of us.

I think this sinking ship can be saved, but only if we plug the holes that are flooding.

First Hole To Fix: We have to plug the hole of racism.  Please quit making race an issue in every conflict.  Very simply, it is not.

Second Hole To Fix: Don’t believe everything you hear or read in the media.  Remember that the media is interested in keeping the story alive…no matter if it is truthful or not.  I realize there are good reporters out there and networks that seek to tell the truth.  The problem is, for every good one, there seems to be a dozen that are stretching the truth to the limits that even someone locked up in a funny farm would say, “That is crazy!”

Third Hole To Fix: Violence begets violence.  Live by the sword, die by the sword.  Learn the lesson.  If you live for revenge, just remember that if you believe an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, simply means everyone ends up blind and toothless. What goes around comes around.  Change the cycle by returning good for evil. You won’t be able to do that in your own strength.  Our human nature wants revenge.  God’s nature allows you to forgive and give grace.  That is the cool thing about grace.  Nobody deserves it.  Not you, not me.  But that is exactly what God gives us…and he wants us to give each other….grace.

You want to change this world to be a better place.  Take a look at the man in the mirror.  It starts with each of us fixing ourselves. We have to take responsibility for our own actions.  If we can just do that and fix ourselves, we have hope.  Hope is kept alive as long as one person, yes, even one is willing to make a change.  Let’s keep hope alive.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

8 Responses to “I AM MAD”

  1. Bruce Gamiere says:

    Well stated.

  2. It’s a god thing…I see God is speaking to your heart just as he has mine. That phrase has been in my mind all day long, “Live by the sword…etc.”

    I was so filled with passion about it that I sat down to write and your blog popped up when I finished, saying a lot of the same things mine does. Let’s hope people listen. ^5. Adrienne

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