The Random Yes

I am a “yes friend,” in that you can ask me to go do random things and I will say yes. Not only that, I will love every minute of the random shenanigans and will do all I can to blend and share that love and laughter.

This weekend, saying yes got me to a dive bar where smoking is still allowed, an outdoor concert with a 3-man band that hasn’t played together in a year and a half, and a local theater group production of the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

All of these were uniquely cultural experiences yet they all had the same feel: good people getting together to have a good time. In all my yes-shenanigan experiences, I have found that 99% of people, in all groups, from all walks of life, getting together for all sorts of reasons, are good people.

This brings two thoughts to mind: 1) people have more in common than they do differences and 2) we are meant to interact with those who are different than us. Yet, we seem to focus on the differences and we tend to stear clear of those who are different than us. And all this does is serve to polarize us even more.

I say let go and let be. Enjoy people. Love them for their humanness. Love them despite their flaws. Love them in the midst of their struggles. Love them even if they don’t love you. There’s way too much good in this world to get bogged down in the 1% that isn’t so good, and let’s be honest, probably isn’t in your control anyway.

And please stop seeing stories about the exceptions and believing they are the rule. You don’t make it on the news if you’re the rule.

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

John 15:12-15