introspection

Lately I've been asking myself a lot of questions.

If I believe every person born is bears the image of God, how does that shape the way I interact with every person I meet in a day? For some reason, I tend to react to the injustice I see with an injustice of my own. I see how the poor continue to be oppressed, so I marginalize and loathe the rich. I see how the "unpopular" are ridiculed, so I find "acceptable" ways of ridiculing the popular. I see this reaction all around me, and somehow I'm not comforted to know I'm not the only culprit. Even though I disagree with the liturgy to which patriots worship and the sacrifice of human blood to the god of imperialism, I have a gut feeling that I'm joining the ranks of hate if I disrespect the worshipers as people. Fallen people, I grant, but am I not also fallen?

I want to be just as pleased to shake the hand of President Bush as the hand of my African-American housing-project-dwelling friend.