By Joey Santos Jr.
Call it a cliché. I call it overdue. There has never been a better time to share love than now. We have been and are still going through the strangest, if not, the scariest of times. The difference is, we’ve been given some hope. This is not about who we believe in anymore. It’s about what, how, and why we believe at all.
As a kid growing up, I was given a remarkable opportunity to choose my faith. My Parents were not religious. They were Spiritual. They believed in a higher power/force who speaks through our silence and deed.
A force whose voice is heard through reflection. Not through representation. My Mother would often joke that “God doesn’t need an agent.” They raised me with freedom and consequence – if I don’t follow the rules, my freedom is taken away. Or choice through thought – think before you “act” and speak. Or guilt by association – don’t blame others. A few simple rules, but when we listen, learn, understand and adhere to them early on, it helps define us, build our character, and strengthen our integrity.
The funny thing about this last year, in particular, is the amount of “we” time we’ve been given. Some call it free time. I call it “we time” because, firstly, nothing about this lesson we are to learn from is free. Not one bit of it! And, secondly, the lessons we are being taught need to be shared. We must force ourselves to see what we are truly made of. It’s time to peel away and remove all of the paint, paper, paste, and plastic to find our foundation for all its strength or weakness and start over. The time to remember, rethink, redefine, and respect our purpose is now. Instead of complaining, let’s start embracing. Our children need to be taught. Let’s teach them. Our partners need to be heard. Let’s listen. Our souls need to be filled. Let’s pray. Our minds need to imagine. Let’s read. Our spirit needs to soar. Let’s set it free. Our hearts need to be full. Let’s laugh. Let’s love.
When we heal, the world heals. Let’s not forget, the earth doesn’t need us. We need it. It’s done just fine for millions of years without us. Truth be told, when negativity and abuse challenge its core, it has a funny way of getting rid of it. Does extinction ring a bell? A lesson I’ve been taught and remind those I love is, let’s remember, “they whisper, the voice and the scream.” The whisper is how God speaks. Call it instinct, a gut feeling we get (and with much consequence if ignored) is what we must learn to trust. The “voice” a reminder we may hear from someone else to tell us to listen and trust the whisper. And then, when that too is ignored, comes the “scream.” The last sound we hear as the bus comes racing down the street to annihilate us.
The point is that through all of these whispers, reminders, and near misses, it may finally be the time for us to wake up/wake in. Listen to our God, listen to our earth, and trust them. If something doesn’t smell right, avoid it before it stinks. If something doesn’t look or sound right, it probably isn’t. And most importantly, when something doesn’t feel right? RUN!
