I read a diary by
Actor212 this morning called "
Why Has God Forsaken Us?". It prompted me to think about a few things relevant to the concept, and I posted a response both in comments to Actor212's diary as well as on his blog.
As it was a long comment, and I'm interested in the thoughts of others as well, I thought I'd put my Christmas Day diary to good use and share what I had to say in a more direct manner.
My thoughts on who has forsaken whom after the jump.
The Forsaken
Who are the true forsaken?
There's a Christian message, oft heard with regard to "giving" of oneself, as well as in times of need: "God helps those who help themselves".
There are two sides to that sword.
In the case of our current crossroads with the RRR's "War on Christmas", the reminder that "helping themselves" isn't meant as a validation of shameless self-promotion to the exclusion and detriment of others. "Helping themselves" is, instead (at least IMO), the capacity to demonstrate the ability to help each other. Not only that, but for each individual to look inside and see what can be done to improve and grow one's own soul through a personal enrichment of understanding and charity that builds esteem, exudes confidence and understanding, nourishes benevolence, and establishes a firm conviction to integrity and ethical behavior applied in a universal manner.
That form of "helping oneself" serves to set examples and an atmosphere that enables others to follow. It's a form of giving of oneself that sets a tone both challenging and inspiring for others to replicate.
To ignore such a message is to forsake both the message and the messenger. It forsakes the very core of oneself as well as the people to whom a person claims to belong.
To focus on self-indulgence, particularly to the exclusion of others, and encourage self-aggrandizing behavior to the detriment of others, forsakes the best of what humanity has to offer.
We now find ourselves confronted by leaders who have forsaken not only the message they claim to spread, but also our entire nation, and the human race.
They have forsaken the God they claim to serve and in whose name they claim to act. They have forsaken the message of love, charity, healing, and benevolence of the season. They have forsaken -
and outright betrayed - the base principles of the nation. And they, as well those who ardently support them, have forsaken humanity.
Those who believe in the message "God helps those who helps themselves" in the spirit in which I believe it was meant - be they Christian, or not (and therefore the same message stated in different words but meaning the same thing) - are the ones have been forsaken. The "God" of their faith (or gods, goddesses, spirits, higher powers, or simply humanity itself) has not forsaken "us", and "we the people" have not forsaken our "gods". Our leadership has forsaken all, for the false idols of personal power and wealth - false, because both can
be achieved while genuinely seeking to better life for all.
This, I believe.
And this, I believe, is what we must keep in our hearts and minds as we move forward to rectify the message and rein in our runaway nation & those currently in power who impugn and forsake us all.
>/ rant off /<
Have a joyous holiday of your own choosing, and thank you for the opportunity to rant.