Here are a few of my favorite recent posts from my Facebook newsfeed. The posts are original works by my Facebook Friends, and they’re published with their permission. I look for well-written vignettes and well-crafted art that are positive, meaningful, uplifting, relatable, and sometimes hilarious. To me, these works deserve to be preserved, published, and not left to fade away on the Facebook feed. So, job well done, writers, poets, and artists. May your words and works live on to encourage and entertain for many days to come.
Reflections on an old year, hope for the new one
The code on hate: Life happened to us
By Donald Edward Sawyer
Indianapolis, Indiana
Clearly, I am appalled by racism. It upsets me to no end. But I am also fascinated by it. How can a person be conditioned to hate and feel superior based on the color of one’s skin? What goes into that? How can one come to a true understanding of racism without getting lost in academic writings and lectures? I grew up in a mixed neighborhood. When I was a baby, my mom and her friend got the biggest kick out of watching their children play in our backyard, compassionately exchanging baby bottles, sharing in fellowship with each other. My baby friend was a white girl. I can guarantee that Katy’s and my view on race, back when we were drinking out of each other’s baby bottles, is different now than it was then — not for the better — because life happened to us from the time we were babies until now. I can say this for sure because we stayed friends through high school, but found our way into different crowds as the currents of cultural norms carried us down different streams. I’m interested in cracking the code on racism.
I will take this day
By Beth Bricker Davis
Pueblo, Colorado
I will take this day given me,
this blue sky, these white clouds
stretched quietly across dry prairie,
I will take these trees,
brown branches January-bare,
standing motionless in hard ground,
I will take this sunset, this orange,
this vibrant hue fading itself
into earth’s western slope,
I will take this life,
this one long breath,
this First Day of this New Year.
May we never take normalcy for granted
By V. Linn Strock
Austin, Texas
The year 2020 began with high expectations, but by March all plans were being adjusted if not canceled altogether — commencements, vacations, weddings, and other significant life events. Everyday activities like going to work or school, eating out, movies, concerts, sporting events, and church were canceled. We began to understand what “COVID fatigue” meant, made manifest by the division the virus caused among family and friends.
Worst of all is the loss of life so many have experienced and cannot be dismissed. The heartache of loss is real for so many. Add to this the social unrest and the political environment, it is enough to make us all a little anxious. Small returns of normalcy — eating out, church, and gathering with friends — made us appreciate those things more. May we never take them for granted.
As we’ve entered 2021, my prayer for my family and yours is that we will test positive for faith, hope and love, keep our distance from doubt, and isolate ourselves from fear. Trust God in all things. Happy New Year!
Revolutionary kindness
By Sara Skye Gurule
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Revolutionary. A friend recently pointed out how kindness is revolutionary in this day and age. The more I thought about it, I realized how sad and yet very true it is that many of us are quick to receive kindness but struggle to give it and to truly think of others before ourselves. Kindness is the expression of love. We all want kindness but it has to be given first.
Makes me think of this book I used to teach from called, Have You Filled a Bucket Today? It illustrates that when we choose to be kind, we not only fill the buckets of those around us, but also fill our OWN bucket. Conversely, when we choose to say or do mean things, we are taking out of others’ buckets. I want to be known as someone who doesn’t only receive kindness but gives it in abundance.
Louder For Malchus 
nice.
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