My heart has been heavy.
The senseless tragedy in New Zealand, which left dozens dead and many injured, is just awful. Anytime something like this happens…which is WAY too often, unfortunately….people try and make sense of it all.
Why?
Who is this person and why did they do this?
More times than not, they all have one common factor: hate. Hate for a particular race, hate for a particular religion, or hate for a certain set of people with different beliefs or values.
So, where does such hatred come from?
I truly believe that a person is not born to hate. A person is not born with hatred in their heart. They are not born with a desire to inflict harm on others. So how does it happen? How does a person grow to hate at such a level they would do such terrible things. People are taught to hate. It is bred by what they see, what they hear, and what they are taught. I’m not talking about on television or video games…although, those can be influencers, as well. I’m talking about things they see and hear from those around them…us, mainly as their parents.
Our children are like sponges…even when you think they aren’t listening, they are.
They are listening and watching how we treat people, how we talk to people, and how we talk ABOUT people.
I think sometimes we get wrapped up in making sure our kids are the smartest or the best athletes, we don’t stop and ask ourselves:
“What kind of human am I raising?”
We can’t depend on them getting guidance from movie stars, professional athletes, or even world leaders. It’s on us.
