In the Lion King, the movie closes with the song, "The Circle of Life". It tells of how we all need to find our place in the world. When we move on, someone will be there to take our place.
Life comes in cycles. Today for instance, marks the solstice. For those of us south of the equator, soon we will see longer daylight hours and shorter nights. For those of you north of the equator, the opposite will be true and you will notice that the sun will set earlier. This all changes in December when we reach the next solstice. It is a pattern, as old as time.
I know there are certain patterns of my life. My beard needs to be trimmed every two to three weeks or else it looks very scraggly. My fingernails need to be tended to frequently or they get too long. I need to do laundry every week or so or else soon I won't have clothes. Sunday morning is sermon time. Life comes in patterns. These patterns are neither good or bad, they are just the way things are.
There are other patterns in the world that need to be stopped though. Violence comes to mind. It is too easy to turn violence into more violence. Even though we were told in the gospel to turn the other cheek, many of us fall back on the idiom of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. You get a gun, I'll get a bigger gun. Another is gossip. Too often people try to top one story with an even juicier story. Another is bullying. A child who observes bullying at home is quite likely as an adult to get involved in an unhealthy relationship where bullying continues.
Instead we need to replace these negative things with positive things. If one receives an extraordinary kindness from someone else, maybe they might be more prone to be kind to others. If someone is encouraged to be who they are, maybe they might be a more supportive mentor to someone else. If someone grows up where they loved, chances are they will be loving. These healthy patterns need to be encouraged.
We do reap what we sow. If we want a world where everyone is valued, everyone is free, everyone is important, then we must treat others like that. But if we hate, others will hate us. If we lash out, others will lash out at us. If we denigrate others, we will not be respected by others. So treat others the way you wish to be treated and enjoy the goodness of life. Blessings.
