Love one another...It's the right thing to do

I'm not exactly the church type.
Spiritual yes; church no.

That's not to say I have no religious beliefs.
Having attending church services five days a week for four years, I feel very qualified to say,
the lesson Christ tried to teach us when he came to Earth is this:
Love one another.
Yep, that's it...very simple.

Just three little words: Love one another.
It really doesn't matter if a person is gay or not.
It doesn't matter what religion a person is.
It doesn't matter what color a person is or what part of the world they come from.
It doesn't matter what gender a person identifies with...

Love one another...

This world would be a far different place if we just talked to one another.
Just a few rules: Ask intelligent questions and really listen to the answers.
Try to understand that each culture has its own 'unspoken' rules.
If something doesn't make sense, be honest and say you don't understand.

 Be sure your only agenda is to learn.
Only then will you have a chance to really get to know how someone else views the world.
And perhaps, make a new friend.
It may not solve all the worlds problems, but it could be helpful.

When was the last time you talked to someone from another culture?
Have you ever been to worship services of a faith different than your own?
I have. Many in fact. 

I've asked a Muslim woman why she wears a burka even though she was born and and has lived her entire life in the United States.
I didn't like the answers she gave, but I liked her.
She gave me a glimpse of her life as a Muslim woman, but mostly I realized she, an American woman, has the same hopes and dreams for her children as all other parents do.
And I now understand why she wears a burka and headscarf in the office with no air conditioning on a incredibly hot day even when no men are present.

I understand the tiniest bit of the religious tradition that is her life.
And now when I see a woman in grocery store wearing head scarf, I see the woman, not a foreigner.
And the scarfs are quite pretty.

How about talking to a gay woman to see how she views the attitudes of non-gays?
What challenges does a man face in living a life as a gay person in our society?
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to face the prejudices towards transgender persons?
Which bathroom do you choose? And how much unhappiness has that person experienced before embracing the person they are deep inside?

Are you willing to take a step outside of your current reality to learn how others live and think without judging their beliefs? And do it in a respectful way?

Are you willing to consider Christ's words?
Love one another...

It means thinking about what love really is.
It means listening with heart.

But be careful. Be aware.
You may have to rethink a long-held belief that you currently hold dear to your heart. Are you ready consider that maybe everything in the religious book you read may not be 100% accurate for this date in time?
You may come to understand God a little bit better than you do now.

Maybe, you'll come to understand that others, including gays, blacks, Latinos, Democrats and Republicans are human beings just like you.
Just like you, they have hopes and dreams of finding someone to love and marry.
Just like you, they are human beings who want to be accepted as they are.
Just like you, they want to work and be contributing members of society.
Just like you, they want to be loved.

For they may be our mothers and fathers, our brothers and sisters, our sons and daughters, and our grandchildren.

Love one another...It's the right thing to do.