My daughter tells this story. It was anti-bullying day at
her school one day. Everyone was told that they could wear pink for the
anti-bullying day. They invited everyone to the gym to participate in an event.
The people not wearing pink, however, were asked NOT to participate. They were
singled out and excluded. In essence they were bullied. I have actually heard
more than one story like this over the years of people being bullied by proponents
of the cause de jour because they did
not conform in the acceptable way.
I have never been the biggest fan of the anti-bullying
campaign, for one example. Being anti-anything is a scary place to be
emotionally. It causes division and tears people apart. I have seen this: because
it is the thing to do, Fred declares himself as anti-bullying; he thus decides he
is not a bully (therefore nothing he does is bullying). Bullying does exist –otherwise
why would he be anti-bullying- so everyone who is not recognizably on his side
(by wearing pink or whatever else) must be a bully. Therefore Fred either tells
a teacher on ‘the bully’ (his victim) or gathers his friends to mock or ostracize
the bully.
If one actually wanted to stop bullying, one would not have
anti-bullying days but rather ‘friendship days’ or ‘help your neighbour days’.
If one wants to stop bullying (or any other action) one cannot do so by villainizing
others. History shows us (and not too distant history) that this, when
developed to its absolute extreme, can lead to mass persecution and even genocide.
My cause is right, my side is right; ergo the other side is wrong. We are the
good guys so everything we do is right; they are the bad guys so everything they
do is wrong. Social media today is filled with self righteous anti-everything
hate.
We have just marked Good Friday and Easter in the Christian
Calendar. Jesus, rather than being anti-Pharisee, anti-Roman, anti-Temple,
anti-establishment; Jesus said of those who persecuted, prosecuted, sentenced,
and killed him, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing” (Luke
24:34); just as he had extolled us earlier to “Love your enemies and pray for
those who hurt you, Then you will be children of your Father who is in heaven”
(Matthew 5:44-45).
Today, rather than creating divisions and ostracizing
others, let us forgive and accept one another instead. Then, maybe even we will
truly be children of our Father who is in heaven.
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