I remember one time when I was little and afraid of a rainstorm. The loud terrifying sound of thunderclaps sounded like rocks banging and the lightning so unpredictable and unnatural. The small raindrops would pelt the old rusty roof of my grandparents’ small bungalow, sounding like an endless shower of rocks. I remember being so scared, I had heard of roofs being blown off houses from the strong gushes of wind and people being away swept in floods. Trust me, I love the rain but not when it sounded like it was threatening me. I remember it all vividly, being so scared that I curled up in a corner.
But do you know what got me through it all? Praying. My grandma told me to pray with her, that way I would feel safe. She told me that God who created all things, great and small, has the power to protect me, my family and the world. After she told me all these things, we prayed. After the storm, there was a rainbow. For me seeing a rainbow signified the hope and calm that I felt knowing that the storm was over.
Right now the world is going through a storm, tragedies are threading hashtags.
To all those who might not be religious, I say this to everyone in light of all the violence and sadness in the world, find that which gives you calm and hope and hold onto that. To those who are, find some time to pray for the world to heal. Nowadays, it seems like only dark clouds are lingering, with each refreshed social media newsfeed. People are dying from unnatural causes; shootings, bombings and viruses as evident in #PrayforOrlando, #PrayforIstanbul #BlackLivesMatter and now our prayers go out to Nice. Nowadays, people are being shot for who they love, the skin they were born in and where they are!
Why is there so much hate and anger in the world?
The worst thing is that none of these things are new. As a meme had put it, the only new thing is technology, we have cameras and news spread faster; other than these, everything is still the same. The pages of history are soaked with blood of genocide and war that have claimed the lives of innocent. I believe that we need to be the generation that cherishes human lives and It is sad to think that even in the 21st century, the clouds of the past still hover over our daily lives. There are people who are very eager to point fingers and pull triggers, instead of taking time to empathize and understand people.
Some things need to change.
We need to show more love and be more supportive than ever. Especially now that we live in a world where we should be able to be proud of who we are, love who we want to love, the skin we are born in and be anywhere we want to be.
I challenge everyone to live by the golden rule : “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I know that this article is beginning to sound like a sermon, which it isn't, but I believe that every belief, lifestyle, and religion does have this expectation. We all have the moral obligation to treat people like how you want to be treated.
Times like this demands that we show more love instead of pointing fingers and throwing blame. We should create a world full of understanding and a place where we are able to love the people we want, the skin that we are born in, and where we come from. We need to embrace our differences regardless of how different we are. Different is good and different should be embraced.
