Nothing in common
Have you ever heard the saying, “We have nothing in common?” Growing up as a gay boy in a very rural Virginia town, I always carried the feeling of being the odd ball and having nothing in common with others. I knew of no other gay people in my small town. Being gay was taboo and considered the worst sin ever. I felt very much out of place my whole life. “We have nothing in common.” I’ve been guilty of either thinking or saying that many times in my life. Perhaps you have also. Guilty of saying such things as, “I cannot worship with the Muslims because we have nothing in common.” “I am a Christian.” Or guilty of thinking such thoughts as, I cannot hang out with a certain race, or group of a different culture, because we have nothing in common. The results are we end up separating ourselves from part of God’s creation. How can we be a part of his creation and pull away from the whole?
I found myself standing on my balcony the other day looking down at all the people at the pool. Most of them I know a little about from observation and from living here for about 18 months. Small community. Word gets out. While standing on the balcony I caught myself thinking, I have nothing in common with those people. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I have everything in common with those people. I decided to wander down to the pool and mingle a bit. I sat with a group of my neighbors. I discovered that like all people, there were some in the group that needed to just talk and be heard. There were some who needed love and attention. There were some who were sad and lonely. There were some who were joyful and full of life. There were some who were talking about their diseases and needed advice. Although one was an atheist, one a republican, one depressed, one with physical ailments, one bipolar, one mentally challenged, and one alcoholic, we all needed each other. We were all still beautiful living beings created by the same source. I found great love and acceptance in the group. No judgment. No arguing over differences. Just good respectful discussion and support.
What an awakening moment for me when I truly realized that we are one with ALL living beings. We all breathe the same air. We all hurt. We all experience sadness, pain, and suffering. We all experience the same emotions. We were all born into this world with a heart, lungs, kidneys, a liver, and all the other organs our temple houses. Our bodies were all created to function the same. Why all the commonalities? Because we were all created by one source and one power. That pretty much does away with the thought process that we have nothing in common. What would happen if we spent less time focusing on our differences and more time appreciating our similarities? More time appreciating the Divine oneness in which we were all created. More time appreciating the inherent greatness inside ALL living beings.
I am thankful to be more aware of this truth. It is my desire to view all living beings as part of me. It is my desire to appreciate ALL of God’s creation. It is my desire to be more aware of the importance of embracing our commonalities in an effort to create a more peaceful world that works for everyone. I would be honored and grateful to have your feedback. I look forward to hearing from you and I’ll see you next Sunday for my Weekly Sunday Blog.
Peace and blessings
wonderful post… so true… my friend….
Awesome blog Vince very insightful and well said my friend. In these worrisome days we need to love and pray for everyone. We are one under God and we need our differences to help us to really appreciate the Glory of our Heavenly Father. God Bless !
Jeff Greene
Jeff,
Thank you so much for your words. You are a true representative of Christ.
Vince
I wish every person in the world could read these words. I’d bet the hearts of many would be changed! ❤️
Awww Sissy, thank you so much as always for your love and support.
Vince
Love You Vince, Well Well Said!
Sometimes I find Myself feeling like I don’t have nothing common with the Diversity of different Cultures. But that’s not the case.. Because once I interact having a conversation with any of the different Cultures, I see they are just Beautiful people beautiful on the inside and out. God created all same in His image. 💘
WOW Vince…your writing is eloquent & so on point!! Well done!!
Susan Axelrod
Well said!..
Phyllis
God created us all the same, in his image! He love us all and his desire is for us to love others as Christ loves the church. Thank you for sharing your heart, I’m sure a lot of people can relate.
April
Love this Vince! The Burg is becoming more and more diverse and I hear all the time comments from people feeling threatened about different cultures, etc. While I find myself sometimes missing the simplicity of our childhood years, we do need to understand as humans, we still have many similarities. Having worked on a home loan for a non – English speaking person that closed on their house last week and gave me a hug and a kiss, her gratitude was heartwarming. Hope you have a great day and kudos to you for taking those steps towards your neighbors with openness.
Kathy
Wow, what a word! I love your spirit.
Trena
My mother was Swiss and in their culture they had a saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” This is because in their small country they have 4 distinct regions: French, German, Italian and Romanch. When she was growing up everyone learned two languages. After you completed school, you had to go live in another region then your home region for one year.
Doing as the Romans do meant learning their language, culture, food, customs. You soon learn we are all cut from the same cloth with the same emotions, yet unique in our own way. It is fascinating to see and share how each persons life is playing out. To insert yourself into that play-out even briefly is even more fascinating.
Sibyl
I’m loving this blog Viince, it’s deep with a lot of meaning. We all have flaws in our character, but it doesn’t mean we don’t fit in😄
Yvette,
Thank you so much for your response. Really appreciate your insight and look forward to hearing more from you.
Vince
And the Lord GOD created us all.