(a 3 minute read) I am exhilarated and overjoyed to be talking about something that every single person would agree on, every single person. A rarity you must admit. I saw the movie ‘Wonder’ and it was indeed a wonder. I won’t spoil the movie for you and will only touch on the obvious. If you have seen the movie, please stick with me through this, and if you have not seen the movie, I highly recommend it.

It is the story of a boy that is facially disfigured and the struggles that he storms through. Why is he ‘storming’ through them? You know……….. ‘kids will be kids’, right?  Whether you’ve seen the movie or not, can you imagine the stares, the gawking and the remarks?

Auggie, that’s his name 🙂  had to put up with a lot.

Can you imagine what the kids would do?

Come one, let your imagination summon a few situations……………….

Here’s a plausible one; a kid shouts, “Clear the hall………… here comes the FREAK!”

You’ve cringed a little right now, or a lot, or maybe shed a tear, right?

You may be thinking to yourself, “Some kids are just cruel, mean and bullies.”

Once one kid says ‘Freak’ other kids will start using ‘Freak’ and before you know it, Auggie’s labelled…………….. Pretty sad, right?

Everyday my friend, you and I label people aloud or in our minds…………….. which makes me and you cruel, mean and bullies.

Auggie or anyone in his shoes hope, pray and crave, yes crave that others, you and I, NOT label him. How would we do that? You and I have to CHOOSE to ACT differently. That’s what Auggie craves; that we ACT differently. Not only that we do not use FREAK aloud or in our minds, but when someone shouts FREAK, that you and I would not clear the hall………..

Abiding by other’s labels and ‘clearing the hall’, is indeed speaking LOUDER than their words………….

So let you and I think deep and hard before we SAY or even THINK things like;

Muslims / Christians Are………….

Republicans / Democrats Are……………..

Asians / African-Americans Are…………….

And the list goes on and on………………..

We live in a world that is trying ever so hard to polarize you and I, and it is succeeding, just look around.

You and I must NOT, must NOT ‘clear the hall’ when we hear ‘FREAK’, whomever that label is targeting.

I implore you, yes you, not to use the “but this is what I believe” as an excuse to label others, take jabs at ‘them’, or hide behind making or passing jokes about ‘them’, whomever ‘them’ are.

You and I are NOT kids and it is time we stop the avalanche of polarization…… as it is indeed happening, and it ain’t gonna stop by itself.

Remember…………………… DO NOT CLEAR THE HALL just cause someone is shouting FREAK…………

Heads up, this here, me, could be the one shouting…………… so look around and examine first 🙂  then act.

If you like the ‘Twilight Zone’, look up the episode ‘Eye of the Beholder’. I highly highly highly recommend it as it addresses ‘perspective’ pretty well, I think. (iTunes / Amazon Video / Hulu)

My Creator, my Lord and my maker; I know You did not make me to dislike/loath/hate my sister or my brother, no matter what they believe in. I may feel that way about some of my sisters and brothers , only because I’ve been listening to some of my other brothers and sisters more keenly than I have been listening to You. I know You disagree with MANY of the things I do or think, yet You never ‘label’ me or shout ‘FREAK’. I hope that I would follow in Your example and in Your love. I thank You and I love You my Lord and my Creator. Amen.