| We live in an age of many Freedoms...... But are we really free? Oh, sure there are laws that state we are not to discriminate because of race, religion or ethinic background..... but what about public opinion? Have you ever been asked by someone what religion or race are you? Then after telling them..... you get a strange and distant look. Or you are shunned and ignored, sometimes even called names and made fun of. The pain and isolation is a heavy burden. It is strange to me that once you have spoken of your precious freedom to choose how you worship... you are no longer free to be yourself. Or if you tell someone of your heritage, you are condemned. People tend to like labeling others and putting them in little boxes. They tend to overlook who they are on the inside... in the heart and mind and spirit. What happened to the person they saw before? What about your many gifts and abilities as an individual? Did your personality.... your very essence just all of a sudden disappear? A person's religious beliefs is a part of who they are... this is true! We can not escape where we came from or who we are. It is a part of us and if we deny that... we deny ourselves. Are people so blind that they can not see past what they do not agree with or understand? Can they not see the whole person? And love them. It is up to us to make the world a better place, it starts with one person at a time. That one person could be you. Pass along love, truth and understanding. Stand tall and be proud of who you are. Help others to see the beauty that lies within your heart, mind and spirit. Some may see and others may not. If just one person is changed besause of something you said or your actions of love and acceptance, Then you have made a difference. With much love I give you the following: "I love you, my brother, whoever you are -- whether you worship in your church, kneel in your temple, or pray in your mosque. You and I are all children of one faith, for the diverse paths of religion are fingers of the loving hand of one Supreme Being, a hand extended to all, offering completeness of spirit to all, eager to receive all."
Kahlil Gibran from "The Wisdom of Gibran" 
Open the Door of Acceptance. | 
