lhd_fluidAs a child did you play the train game with your feet? My sister and I would play the game "Chugga, Chugga, Choo, Choo" like the wheels on the train we would pump our legs together and make a smooth movement. If one of us went too quickly or too slowly we would break the link and have to start over again.

Our culture is very me centered. How will I succeed? What job will I get? How will I be perceived by others? What's in it for me? I don't get anything out of it so why should I be there? If they don't have a job they need to get one! I am not going to help them it might enable them. Why should I give my hard earned money to people who don't deserve it?

There has been a slight shift in our culture since 9/11 that ever so often gives us a feeling of being more connected with one another actually willing to touch our feet to another to form one fluid motion of goodness. When we stop guarding ourselves, our treasures and our perceived entitlement of the world's goods then we can open our lives to the true intention of God, to love selflessly. We were not created to live alone, to accumulate things, live in a giant box and never share with others. We were created by God and born into a community of other people with both good and bad experiences. God never says take care of number 1 look out for your own interest and those who cannot help themselves should not only be neglected but also serve as an example of failure in our culture.

God wants us to love our neighbor as ourselves. We really know how to love ourselves but who do we define as our neighbor? Every living person is our neighbor, regardless of social ranking, wealth, education, race, sexual orientation, religion, crimes they have committed or life they are living. God wants us to get down on the floor put out our feet and connect with all of His people bare foot, open and willing to make that motion fluid so that goodness may grow from it.


Copyright 2010 Lori Hadorn-Disselkamp