Lastly, it seems to be starting up again... folks lashing out at each other about whatever it is they think the other person believes. Maybe it was just wishful thinking on my part, but I thought that kind of thing had faded away a bit over the past couple years.  Maybe folks just got tired.  But it sure is back and from what I'm seeing, it's gonnna get worse. Wherever you stand on politics, religion, etc., all I'm asking is please don't let the media- talk radio, cable TV, blogs - play you like some kind of a flea market banjo. Folks will always see things differently, have different priorities... heck, some folks are just plain wired differently. Some - a lot I think- are just more scared. And scared folks have to be handled with a compassion and wisdom that don't seem to be much in evidence among our leaders. Even language is getting in the way. People use words differently. Take "justice" for example. For a lot of people it simply means punishing wrongdoing; for a whole bunch of other folks, justice is about having some real fairness in the world. These two justice-loving groups of people could start screaming at each other about justice, and be talking about completely different ideas! Doesn't mean they aren't good or kind people or even smart. Doesn't mean they don't have something that's important to say or to listen to.  I guess what I'm saying is... Breathe. Deep. And hold on. It's gonna be a bumpy ride. But with a little work and some grace, maybe we can all come through this as friends!

Peace,

John