Are We Better Than Them?

As I sat on my vacation pondering recent civil events across the nation, I remember watching the youth (older than me at the time) protest Vietnam and how the returning soldiers were treated with such hatred. There is no debate that the Vietnam War was managed by politicians and fought for all the wrong reasons, but are we to blame those who went out into harm’s way to do their job and survive? The United States Government believed we needed to stop Communism from spreading in the Far East and had fought the Korean War years earlier to ensure this. Now the same infiltration was occurring in Vietnam and the same concerns were at stake. But no matter what your opinion of why the United States military was fighting in Vietnam, the soldiers who were sent there to fight were doing their job and we (as a nation) spit on them when they returned home.

While in high school’s Junior ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps), we visited a lot of the military bases around the Carolinas and I met several Service members who fought in the Vietnam War. In talking with those Soldiers, it was very evident that these men were hurt by the reception they received from their fellow citizens. If they weren’t spit on, they were shunned by their friends and families. The majority of those soldiers struggled to get jobs, to maintain relationships and entered into deep depression, resulting in substance abuse (alcohol, drugs, etc.). These Service men and women did not deserve to be treated with such hatred and contempt.

However, the American people had learned from their past mistakes when we sent off men and women to fight in the Gulf Wars. We did not protest them for going off to do their jobs. Instead we are honoring those who have served, appreciating their sacrifice for something more than themselves and respecting those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in serving this nation. I want to believe the American people finally recognized these Service men and women for their servanthood and not for the events they are called to serve.

So with today’s protesting against the police and the call for “defunding,” how is this any different than the way society treated those returning soldiers back in the late 60s, early 70s? Are we not blaming the Police Officer for the laws they must enforce? Are we not lashing out at the men and women who protect and serve our very lives on a daily basis? Why are we honoring the Military Veterans for their service and screaming at the Police Officers for their service? Don’t get me wrong, I am very appreciative and proud of the American people for finally recognizing the sacrifice and the hardships of serving in the military. But I can’t understand why this same group of citizens can have such hatred for the local men and women in Public Service.

In Ecclesiastes 7:15-18, King Solomon (considered to be one of the wisest men to walk the earth) reminds us to keep everything in perspective and strive for balance.

15 I have seen everything in my days of vanity: There is a just man who perishes in his righteousness, And there is a wicked man who prolongs life in his wickedness. 16 Do not be overly righteous, Nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself? 17 Do not be overly wicked, Nor be foolish: Why should you die before your time? 18 It is good that you grasp this, And also not remove your hand from the other; For he who fears God will escape them all.

In a time when there are so many people expressing their “wisdom” in social media and screaming for “righteousness” in the media, King Solomon is cautioning Us to not be over zealous in our “righteousness”. He is reminding Us to keep things in moderation and he ends this series of versus by telling Us to remain in Prayer (not remove your hand from the other) and respectively fearing the Lord.

Further reading in Ecclesiastes 7:20 reveals a truth that we must all face: 20” For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin.”  We must look at the sinner within before we can demand righteousness of others. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 NKJV). Shouldn’t we examine ourselves for our own sins before we blame others for their sins? Or when we blame others for a specific sin, should we blame everyone whose serves in the same role as the sinner? Again, I cannot condone a man for treating another man with such hatred and I believe we all have that level of hatred within ourselves. King Solomon continues by telling us to not take to heart what others may say about us, because we are guilty of some form of sin and we are no better to judge them.

As the calls for social justice continue, I implore each of us to take a count of our own sins and strive to be a better person first. To truly bring about change, we must be ready to change ourselves. Not necessarily for the racial hatred or the social injustice, but for the daily sins that keep us falling short in our service to the Lord.

In my opinion, there is only one way this nation will ever heal itself from this major tear in our flag and that is we must love one another the way Jesus taught in Matthew 22. Jesus taught us to love “the Lord your GOD with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind; and to “love your neighbor as yourself.”  Jesus tells us in verse 40 that “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets”.

Let us all focus our energy on loving GOD, loving Jesus, loving one another and learning to forgive others for their sins, as Jesus has forgiven those who believe in His Resurrection. Let us remember to keep our hands together and never stop praying. And most of all, we must be reverent and fear the Lord GOD Almighty.