SOAPBOX

Soapbox.

Any idiot can get on a soapbox and draw a following. Strange things have been espoused by street corner preachers, politicians, fanatics, and others. Usually, when we encounter them, we chuckle. Yet, they feel the need to keep expounding their narrow thoughts over and over again. In time, instead of striking a nerve, they strike a chord with others that agree with what they are saying and they fall in line with the piper.

There are many out there. Some are pro choice and others that are pro life. Some support gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender persons. Others angrily speaak against them. Those on the right say that we must have a strong defense at all costs, and those on the left say that we must drop our weapons of war and put all resources into social services. Conservatives say we should spend less money and liberals say we should spend more. There are capitalists, communists, marxist, atheists, white supremacists, anarchists. There are Republicans, Democrats, Tea Partiers and Independents. They are white, black, hispanic, asian, middle eastern, old, young, male and female. 

Generations ago, people went from town to town, found others who held similar beliefs and tried to make converts. A critical mass formed as two or three agreed with the messenger and they would successfully recruit others to follow along a very narrow path. As technology developed, more and more people took to the airways. First, they spread their message through word and music on the radio. Then TV. Then the internet. Now there is Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and a host of other social media outlets used as our modern day soapboxes.

Today, instead of a handful of soapbox proclaimers, hundreds of thousands of people spread their thoughts and countless people hear their messages. Many agree with what they hear and send money, leave family and friends, share messages with others, and whether the message is true or not, people say "Oh yeah, That is exactly right!". Some of the more popular people on their soapboxes can take one kernel of truth and twist it to help them fill their egos and coffers.

And now, ISIS is successful in recruiting young people from around the world to their cause. Certainly, most people reject their message of power and violence, but with their words falling on millions of ears even the small percentage who respond are a large and troubling number. We are no longer chuckling. We are worried.

We need new people on soapboxes. We need people proclaiming a different message from all that has poured into our ears over the past 20 to 30 years. We need a message that will change our minds and our hearts. We need a powerful message that will counter the powerful forces at work in our world.

So, let me crawl up on my soapbox and offer a simple message that has been proclaimed before, but seems to have been lost. Let me say something that will change the world. Let me preach something that will counter the power grab of so many. Let me offer our only hope to counter the hate.

My message? Love. It is a commandment. Let us love God, let us love our neighbor, let us love our enemy. Let us love one another. Let us stop spending our time preaching that the sky is falling, that everyone else is an idiot, and that those that disagree with us are going straight to hell. Let us love.

Love is my message from the soapbox. The Wright Word for today.