Amazing Grace
A musing
Extending grace is an underused act of everyday kindness.
It’s not the same as excusing someone or condoning their acts but rather accepting their limitations and imperfections as a human being.
More than that, grace is a ‘boomerang’. It comes back to us. Seeing and accepting the flaws in others, fosters self compassion. This is what I believe is truly meant by ‘self love’.
Louis Armstrong famously sang
“When you’re smiling, the whole world smiles with you”
But the opposite is also true.
When you sneer at the world, the world sneers back.
Some of the responses to Ann Widdecombe’s death have been vile.
When discussing the murder of a 78 year old woman - whether we are talking about an abstract idea of it or a concrete actuality - do we allow ourselves to be consumed by bitterness or permit ourselves to tune in to our higher humanity?
I don’t care what ‘she said’.
It’s not about HER.
It’s about what celebrating someone’s death does to YOU.
What it does to the world.
She’s gone.
Whatever you say isn’t going to affect her.
It will impact you and others though.
And that’s the bit people don’t seem to understand.
Words don’t just disappear into the ether. They hang around like smoke rings. They cling and get inside people. Rejoicing in her death doesn’t cancel out the words that she said that you may not have liked, you merely light new fires.
Put down the fucking matches, FFS.
I didn’t agree with her on some stuff myself, Israel for example.
But if we perceive someone as immoral, does that justify us in reciprocating that immorality?
Or does doing so, render us the same……or even worse?
Social media is often called an ‘echo chamber’.
But any echoes out there, ultimately originate from us. We may not be the whole orchestra but we each have one tiny instrument.
OUR VOICE!
If we are going to have an ‘echo chamber’, endeavour to make chamber music instead of hurling chamber pots.
Let’s drown out the chaotic cacophonies of cynicism and cruelty with the healing melodies of compassion and calm.
Angels are already singing,
When we choose to hear them.
Nicely put. Kindness matters. I didn't know this person. I don't live in the UK. I had to Google her name. No one deserves to be murdered. But people amplifying joy over someone's death is never the right choice. They can keep those sorts of opinions to themselves. Sadly, people on social media are going for likes, even waiting for outrage comments, because of their comments. Ultimately, various people in the limelight, show business, politics, or lobbyists will garner hateful comments for comments or actions they make at one time or another. But they still have families, people who watched them grow, people who loved them. Condolences to her family and friends. I hope they do find and convict whoever did this murder. RIP, Ann Widdecombe.
l feel sad for Ann being killed by someome in her own home .l think it's only people who have compassion feel for others.I hope Ann has gone to a better place in Spirit.Thanks Julie for your good and kind words for Ann. 🕊️xxx.