“A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

John 13:34 NIV

When you see America, what do you see? Land of the free, home of the brave? Everyone united as one? Sure, we’ve had moments where we were united as one but what about the others? It’s said to see that the propaganda of what America should be isn’t and heading for a train wreck or worse, The Great American War. And there’s one key component that America is missing in it’s so called “united” states and that is love.

Love is universal and love is everywhere. In Christianity, the command is to “love thy neighbor”. Judaism, same thing, in fact Jesus was Jewish himself. Hinduism writing says that “this is the sum of duty; do naught onto others what you would not have them do onto you.” There are many examples but there are just a few. But what does it mean? To show compassion, love on those who are different from you. Black or white, gay or straight, man or woman, citizen or migrant, doesn’t matter who they are. As what my mother always says “everyone puts on their pants the exact same way.” Now why am I bringing this up? A past and present relationship and being a speck of millions on this land.

I have brought it up in an earlier entry but I was in a relationship with someone of so much hate. At the time, I was a naïve 21 year old, brand new to the city, not knowing much about the state of the world. The guy I was with was a Corporal of the Marine Corp, and meant to be one because his birthday was the eve of the Marine Corp birthday (11/10). Eve though he did serve for our country, he has had so much hatred towards anyone who is not like him: racially white, democratic, capitalist, and weak. The entire 6 months (too long) I had to listen to his rants about all sorts of nasty things, especially those who are people of color. All he was was full of hate and honestly, I’m glad I was out because I was so full of fear, isolation and almost brainwashed by his idealism. But what helped me out was Brennan.

Brennan grew up Jehovahs Witness, at first I was unsure until I started asking questions and boy, was I glad I am with him. JW are politically neutral, don’t get involved, they don’t get involved in the military. The best part? Brennan showed me that in a world filled with opposition, there are people who still see another person as an equal. Coming from a very toxic relationship filled with hate and right wing idolatry to a relationship where love and faith are the components to a good relationship with others. Now how can we do it?

The hardest part is to put aside your differences and realize we are one species, one animal, and despite where we come from, the color of our skin, who we love, and how we live. To have compassion will warm your heart, not harden it; hate will do that. And also ask questions, do not assume; curiosity may kill the cat but assumption will burn down bridges. I just hope that in America, if we can follow that principle and show more compassion with one another, not tiptoe around due to conflicting views and see each other as well our own neighbor. If we can do that, America and maybe other places, can and will be in a better place.