Hater or Helper?

I don’t know about you but I tire of the ‘hater’ rhetoric I hear in the media and through our candidates for the highest office in the world.  What has happened to our nation that we are no longer viewed as a county of immigrants that learned to speak English and worked multiple jobs to make life happen? I think most of us can remember as a teen either making fun of someone who was different or watching someone else be a bully or a hater. How is it possible that now adults are the ones that push hater rhetoric and bullying? What happened to the golden rule, do unto others, as you would have them do unto you? Maybe it’s a different golden rule now, those with the gold rule?

The picture above this blog is of an elderly Chinese lady who is homeless. She clearly has some challenges in her life and usually receives criticism or hate instead of a helping hand. A few weeks ago a friend and I approached her with a helping hand.

I can’t fathom what it would be like to be a 70 something that has health issues to be on the street. What if you woke up one morning only to discover that your family or support had literally disappeared? 

My friend Wu falls into this category. She’s literally on her own without any help. What’s amazing is that she has figured a way to live on the street where most women would become a statistic. The sad reality today is that the media and our political machine are so quick to blame circumstances on everything but what really is the cause. I agree that there isn’t any quick fix or explanation totally on the reasoning behind why some people are haters or racists.

I was so fortunate to be raised by parents who taught me the importance of being a helper first before judging someone. I’ve discovered over the years that it’s so easy to let the culture around you influence you that it clouds your judgment and you end up speaking poorly about someone without any reason.  Usually it is because of someone else’s influence in my life that I gain a different perspective on culture and people groups.

I believe that prejudice, racism and hatred is something that is taught by example. Clearly little kids don’t understand racism or classism unless someone ‘enlightens’ them. It’s too easy to always blame someone else for the ills in the world and not see your part in making the world around you a better place! Recently I received a prank call where the individual forgot to block their number. Clearly someone else told this young person to do this ‘prank’ that was older and was being fueled by prejudice or hate. Imagine what would happen if the prank caller comes to their senses, calls me back, apologizes and responds to my request to meet and talk?

Clearly character, integrity and being a helper has nothing to do with your skin color, educational background or socio-economic setting! Why respond with being a hater when ultimately the language everyone understands is that of being a helper!