Perspective

We watched Schindler’s List yesterday. 

Just for kicks.

Cam had only seen it once. 

I’m always reluctant to watch heavy movies. The weight seems to cling to me. And I return to those images, those stories, the atrocities, the simple lack of humanity and feel the weight pull on me again. The weight of what our world is capable of. 

It makes me cringe. Swell with sadness. Cover my eyes. Hold my heart. Lower my head with remorse.

I feel the growl stirring in my throat. The anger dwelling, building up, rising to the surface. And it makes me want to yell, ‘Everyone needs a time out!’ 

And it makes me want to hide. In my house. With my children. Under my bed. 

And I wonder, why is it that we need to be taught to ‘love one another’? Is it not in our nature? To innately enable compassion? To reach out? To lift up? To turn to our neighbor with love? 

I turn to Cam and spill my emotion.

He responds, with the opposition. 

Hope.

Cam points out many people (ie Oskar Schindler) who boldly showed compassion in spite of the hate. Who brought color back into a world of gloom.

Who stood up to love. 

So I crawl out of my covers. Open the curtains. 

And I hope.

For our world. For our future. For our children.