I just finished watching the movie Spotlight. For those of you that don’t know, it was a movie about the Boston investigative reporters that uncovered the scandal happening with the Catholic Church. The entire movie gave me chills, but the very end, where the lists of places that had similar scandals uncovered really shook me to my core. Is that what we have become? Any organization that begins with good intentions to bring people together and give people a place to call home, should be a safe haven. Not a place for organized chaos. At what point do we stop labeling outsiders and forming into groups that separate us as a whole and recognize that we as a people all have a common link? One that should not be taken advantage of, but accepted with love and respected to care for one another. At what point do we embrace the oneness and disregard the things that bring us (our ego) pride, and take responsibility as a whole?

It’s hard to decide who is the wrong “one” in these scenarios. Is it the priest that did the molesting? Or the person that molested the priest causing them to believe pedophila is acceptable? Is it the legal system that failed us or the archdiocese organization as a whole? Is it the parents that denied their child’s rights to be “wronged” for the sake of the church’s reputation or their own? The blame can be shifted and passed down and refocused in so many ways. Similar to that of those in the Islamic faith that believe in sharia law, or Christianity and the groups of them that practice segregation of the LGBT community. Any and all of these groups along with their individuals can take part in the blame of the wrongdoing. Regardless of who is “the most” to blame, at the end of the day, where does that get us? Someone should be held accountable, yes. Sometimes more than one person should be. However, it isn’t the blame of the individual or the whole, that will change the chaos to structure. It’s the reprogramming of the structure to begin with.

According to the stories, when Jesus came to the time in his life where he was meant to walk a certain path, he didn’t just go around pointing the finger and telling others what to do. He did point the finger. He let others know when they were wrong. He did tell them what to do. But he also made sure to live in a way that was modelling the appropriate behavior for his disciples and followers. As a Jew, he let the Jews know that they were not practicing what was meant for the Jewish faith. They were practicing certain traditions and certain learned behaviors, called a religion, but not practicing what was most important. He told them they were not practicing what God would want, but what their fathers would want. He told them that if they were children of God, they would love him as God had sent him. Even after Abraham, Moses,  Joshua and Joseph came and laid their mark on the people from what they heard of God’s voice, Jesus still had to come to do more work. Because times change. And we must be willing to look at our structures and see what works, what doesn’t and what simply no longer applies. If we try to keep making something that isn’t working work by blaming a part and not looking at the whole, we will continue to produce the same kinds of issues, problems and difficulties. The chaotic cycle will continue. All we are doing is relocating the priest, not addressing the institution that would rather not address this issue.

There is such a larger hope in the world today. Despite all of the chaos that is still going on. Many of us feel this spiritual pull, not against our origins, but closer to the message and not necessarily the particular messenger. I will be the first to admit that I was raised mostly without a religion, but I personally fell in love with Jesus. But I am sure I could get similar results if I pray to Buddha, Allah, Teddy Roosevelt, or any other positive influence who’s message is about LOVE above all, rather than the rules and regulations they like to fill in the rest of the book with. We can honestly all look toward the God of our understanding and be loving of people who understand a God differently. It’s the laws and structure that we need to let go of. Not the underlying love. The blame can be placed when necessary, but basking in the blame and focusing on specifically righting the wrongs in opposition is not always an effective method. Martin Luther King Jr. said it best, “and since we know that the system will not change the rules, we are going to have to change the system.” Turning white into black or black into white, Christian into Muslim or gay into straight is not a method that will serve us best. Devoiding ourselves of these labels which separate us so intently is the path that will see us through to a structure that can make us whole. We have the chance to make a difference, by throwing it all in the pot, the melting pot, and letting it all simmer together until it becomes one.

Up until now, I sometimes identified with a group of religion, skin color or political view which separated me from my brothers and sisters. This swept anger, hatred and pain under the rug and allowed chaos to enforce the rules.

From now on, I will embrace the whole. I am my brother, and he is me, we are one in the same. I will not look down on others because of their status in the world. I will love each individual as if I were loving myself. Because when I do this it opens me to receiving love from them as well. And God only knows I have my differences. But we all need love. Me and my brother as one.