“Be The Change You Wish To See In The World”
During these times of pandemic and social injustice, our resolve as human beings is being tested like never before. The challenges of life and death have hit close to home and yet many choose to deny or at least retreat from the realities of the day. A pandemic is not a crapshoot or a game of chance. Black lives matter because human rights matter. We are compelled to look deep inside our souls, identify and purge demons of bigotry and racism that divide us as a people. We are also being challenged to protect ourselves while protecting others by wearing facemasks and practicing social distancing during this ongoing covid-19 crisis. We may have grown tired of the virus but the virus has not grown tired of us. These current challenges have taken many of us to the emotional brink, but we must persevere. Justice must be served and reforms made so we can all live equal and safe under the law and in our hearts. There is more than one virus among us and the best medicine is understanding and self-reflection. Only through personal examination will real reform become possible. Laws and regulations will not change minds and hearts alone. Social reform needs to originate inside each and every one of us. It’s never too late to become a better person, to admit your social insecurities and change the way you treat people of different colors, religions or sexual orientations. None of us is perfect, but we all have the ability to change and grow as human beings. Not in my lifetime, have we been faced with such social and public health crises simultaneously. We are going to have to dig deep into the depths of our hearts and souls to make these changes. We also need to understand that such a formula for enlightenment may take time to mature. I agree that we need change now. We want the virus to go away and leave us alone. We want to live our lives without having our civil and human rights taken away from us. It’s time now more than ever to realize that real change starts with each and every one of us. Look inside yourself and change what needs to be changed, dump the social baggage and embrace the good things about yourself that make you a loving, caring human being. The thing that makes social injustice and a pandemic much alike, is that it affects us all and it will take all of us working together to rid ourselves of the pain and suffering that these health and social ills inflict. If we want to live in the free, safe and just world we all desire and deserve, we have to clean up our own houses first. It’s time to take responsibility for changes in our communities, our businesses, our organizations, our families and ourselves. Change begins by listening.
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
— Mahatma Gandhi
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Wear your mask & listen, J.B. Lester