| COOPER FAMILY NEWSLETTER Cooper-Dickerson-Harris-Montgomery-Anthony-Caffee-Walls-Paul |
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Everyday we are faced with a decision: we either stick our heads in the sand like an ostrich or need to
be aware of what is going on around us. Why is this such a difficult decision? If we bury our head in
the sand (i.e. work, routine), then we assume we are in control. I am the King of My Comfort Zone. In
this realm, I am King Comfort. And King Comfort is extremely selfish. However, if we choose
awareness, we choose to be challenged, and on some level, see things we do not like or feel. And
sometimes, the feeling is frustrating.
The World’s Gone Mad…
Lately, this decision has become more immediate. Personally, the injustice in the world seems
especially intense. From the wars, to the extremely poor race relations, to the people who are
tortured-our justice system has become a mockery. We are more concerned about the death of
some dogs than our brothers and sisters. The government has become mockery because it seems
like it has silently and not so subtly declared war on its citizens.
The question I have really been dealing with is whether things have gotten worse or are things just
the same. Throughout history, when law was born, so was injustice. I used to think that the days
were getting darker, but I am beginning to believe that it is just a re-run of the same fight, good v. evil.
And each generation has had their own battle to fight to maintain and restore justice on the earth. But
man can’t bring peace on earth by himself.
Righteous Lot
In the book of Genesis, Abraham’s nephew Lot followed Abraham. Lot eventually settled by the city of
Sodom. Sodom was extremely wicked, to the point where God could not find ten righteous people in
the city. Lot lived in the city, but he did not condone their lifestyle. Lot was so righteous that the
inhabitants were sick of him. So God decided to save Lot and his family and destroy the city (Genesis
19).
How many of you have been troubled by the injustice that you have seen? The next question is what
have you done about it? Or have you been too “busy”? Busy is how most of the atrocities that take
place occur. We are always told to be on the “watch.” What does being on the “watch” mean to you?
What do watchmen do? They are aware and they sound the alarm when something happens that
should not be happening. How have you been doing as a watchman?
I am not saying that it is your job to be a whistle blower regarding all injustices in the world. However,
we do not turn a blind eye to the suffering and injustices in the world. We are all charged to do
something to make this world a better place. We can always do more, but do something small,
repeatedly over time, is better than not doing anything at all. People are hurting, the world is hurting.
Our entire mission is to help make this world a better place. To not only be aware and speak up but to
put our action, time and resources behind our beliefs. So, do not lose heart. I have not lost hope. All
this madness that surrounds us is coming to an end. Are you prepared?
We all must do our part. And if we allow ourselves to get uncomfortable, God said we will be
comforted. Do you trust and believe in God? If you do, you’ll do your part. I just had to get that off my
chest, because I am disgusted with what has been going on. So, educate yourself and those around
you about God. Do something and don’t give up.
be aware of what is going on around us. Why is this such a difficult decision? If we bury our head in
the sand (i.e. work, routine), then we assume we are in control. I am the King of My Comfort Zone. In
this realm, I am King Comfort. And King Comfort is extremely selfish. However, if we choose
awareness, we choose to be challenged, and on some level, see things we do not like or feel. And
sometimes, the feeling is frustrating.
The World’s Gone Mad…
Lately, this decision has become more immediate. Personally, the injustice in the world seems
especially intense. From the wars, to the extremely poor race relations, to the people who are
tortured-our justice system has become a mockery. We are more concerned about the death of
some dogs than our brothers and sisters. The government has become mockery because it seems
like it has silently and not so subtly declared war on its citizens.
The question I have really been dealing with is whether things have gotten worse or are things just
the same. Throughout history, when law was born, so was injustice. I used to think that the days
were getting darker, but I am beginning to believe that it is just a re-run of the same fight, good v. evil.
And each generation has had their own battle to fight to maintain and restore justice on the earth. But
man can’t bring peace on earth by himself.
Righteous Lot
In the book of Genesis, Abraham’s nephew Lot followed Abraham. Lot eventually settled by the city of
Sodom. Sodom was extremely wicked, to the point where God could not find ten righteous people in
the city. Lot lived in the city, but he did not condone their lifestyle. Lot was so righteous that the
inhabitants were sick of him. So God decided to save Lot and his family and destroy the city (Genesis
19).
How many of you have been troubled by the injustice that you have seen? The next question is what
have you done about it? Or have you been too “busy”? Busy is how most of the atrocities that take
place occur. We are always told to be on the “watch.” What does being on the “watch” mean to you?
What do watchmen do? They are aware and they sound the alarm when something happens that
should not be happening. How have you been doing as a watchman?
I am not saying that it is your job to be a whistle blower regarding all injustices in the world. However,
we do not turn a blind eye to the suffering and injustices in the world. We are all charged to do
something to make this world a better place. We can always do more, but do something small,
repeatedly over time, is better than not doing anything at all. People are hurting, the world is hurting.
Our entire mission is to help make this world a better place. To not only be aware and speak up but to
put our action, time and resources behind our beliefs. So, do not lose heart. I have not lost hope. All
this madness that surrounds us is coming to an end. Are you prepared?
We all must do our part. And if we allow ourselves to get uncomfortable, God said we will be
comforted. Do you trust and believe in God? If you do, you’ll do your part. I just had to get that off my
chest, because I am disgusted with what has been going on. So, educate yourself and those around
you about God. Do something and don’t give up.
Will You Do Something?
| Do Something |
Let me ask you something, Do you dislike liars? I am sure you’re thinking, “heck yeah!” But have you
ever thought about what effects your so-called “white lies” have on your conscious?
On a basic level, there are two questions most everyone hears every
day and most people routinely lie about every day. The first is, “How are
you doing?” And the variant of this question is, “How was your day?”
And I would guess that often times you respond by saying, “Fine.” But
what if you are having a bad day and you don’t care to share the details? Do you still say fine or do you
say that you are having a bad day and care not to talk about it? You
probably still respond by saying fine because you probably want to
avoid the follow up question; “So why are you having a bad day?”
I am as guilty of this as anybody else, but I am striving towards being
honest all the time. Because if you really think about it, every time we
conceal that we are going through a hard time, we lose an opportunity
for someone to give us advice or words of wisdom. Of course, I am not saying that you say everything
to everyone, but there is a way of telling the truth that is clear and respectful. So when someone asks
you how you are doing, just think about your response and whether or not you are being truthful.
And a more subtle form of lying that is harder to detect is lies of omission. A rough definition of a lie of
omission involves information known to be important that is deliberately withheld. One example of a lie
of omission involves a college student getting requesting an extension for a paper deadline claiming
that he was sick. But if the student was sick because he was out drinking all night, then should that be
considered a lie? I think it does and I could think of many more examples but I think you get my drift.
So many of our conversations in everyday life are so scripted that lying I think has become somewhat
of an accepted norm, but how do we break this cycle? I believe that there should be no hierarchy of
sins, such that lying about murder and lying about your weight is still lying, and are both sins. It
amazes me how lying has become the lubricant that our society uses to not offend others while often
misleading people into thinking and therefore believing lies.
ever thought about what effects your so-called “white lies” have on your conscious?
On a basic level, there are two questions most everyone hears every
day and most people routinely lie about every day. The first is, “How are
you doing?” And the variant of this question is, “How was your day?”
And I would guess that often times you respond by saying, “Fine.” But
what if you are having a bad day and you don’t care to share the details? Do you still say fine or do you
say that you are having a bad day and care not to talk about it? You
probably still respond by saying fine because you probably want to
avoid the follow up question; “So why are you having a bad day?”
I am as guilty of this as anybody else, but I am striving towards being
honest all the time. Because if you really think about it, every time we
conceal that we are going through a hard time, we lose an opportunity
for someone to give us advice or words of wisdom. Of course, I am not saying that you say everything
to everyone, but there is a way of telling the truth that is clear and respectful. So when someone asks
you how you are doing, just think about your response and whether or not you are being truthful.
And a more subtle form of lying that is harder to detect is lies of omission. A rough definition of a lie of
omission involves information known to be important that is deliberately withheld. One example of a lie
of omission involves a college student getting requesting an extension for a paper deadline claiming
that he was sick. But if the student was sick because he was out drinking all night, then should that be
considered a lie? I think it does and I could think of many more examples but I think you get my drift.
So many of our conversations in everyday life are so scripted that lying I think has become somewhat
of an accepted norm, but how do we break this cycle? I believe that there should be no hierarchy of
sins, such that lying about murder and lying about your weight is still lying, and are both sins. It
amazes me how lying has become the lubricant that our society uses to not offend others while often
misleading people into thinking and therefore believing lies.
Do you Dislike Liars?