Remember seeing these three? They made their first appearance in the 1600’s in Japan. The monkeys represent the idea of avoiding evil by not seeing, hearing, or speaking it. It’s a great thought but do we even consider this today? It seems like we are doing just the opposite. Gossiping about others is like that rumor weed that just keeps growing. It seems like today we just can not find the good in others. Our opponent becomes our enemy, as if this is the only way to win. What happened to the saying that says, “If you have nothing good to say about someone then do not say anything.” Today we see what we want to see in others, or for that matter, in any situation. We judge according to our standards or our beliefs or even according to our agenda. What happened to honesty and integrity and even loving one another? Can a society grow and prosper under such conditions? We must help one another and to do that we must get past seeing evil, we must get past listening to gossip, we must get past speaking slander and untruths. The Bible tells us to have good thoughts “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” This also makes for a healthy mind. Does it do any good to destroy peoples’ lives just for our gain? What happened to “one for all and all for one?” If the people of the 1600’s could see that they needed to see the good in one another and to speak good about each other and not lower themselves by listening to lies or gossip, then we as an advanced society, shouldn’t we not do the same today? What happened to all we need is love, love that’s all we need? Do we really know today what loving one another means? We talk about rights, we talk about injustices, we talk about inequality and yet, we still see evil in one another and we speak of that evil and we allow ourselves to believe in things that people tell us for the sake of their agenda. But whose agenda is right? If you are just following a crowd then chances are you are going to find yourself repeating just what you are hearing and possibly what you are hearing, is someone’s opinion, or even someone like you, what they just hear.
We have to have facts from people who have integrity, people who are not just following the crowd and facts that are more than hearsay. Most times this is what you hear when people go out and protest. They are only following others who are just following others. Monkeys are a great image of mimicking. To ape is to imitate the behavior or manner of (someone or something), especially in an absurd or unthinking way. We need to stop seeing evil and hearing evil and speaking evil and we need to start listening and stop hearing things that are just repeated by people who want to see and hear and speak evil and many times evil does evil. Let’s get together and learn to live together. There is no reason why we can’t all live together. I am no greater than you and you are no greater than me. People have lived together for millions of years on this planet and when we all look through the eyes of truth, you and I are the same. We all need to eat, we all need to sleep, and we are all going to die one day. So let’s stop seeing evil and speaking evil and hearing evil about each other and let’s help each other in any way we can to build each other up and not tear each other down. Love always finds a way.
Here is a great poem “A tide of faces, a murmuring swarm, They march in unison, a steady norm, But my heart beats a rhythm, a different tune, I’ll carve my path, beneath the pale moon. No need to echo, to blend in the fray, my spirit soars where the wild winds play, though voices may whisper, “Conform, comply,” I’ll dance to the music only I can spy. The road less traveled, where shadows may creep, a tapestry woven, where secrets sleep, I’ll embrace the silence, the solitude’s grace, and find my own compass, in this hurried race. For true strength lies not in the numbers’ might, but in the courage to stand, and claim your light, so let them follow the well-worn track, I’ll blaze my trail, and never look back.”
We need to be leaders, leaders of good. We must bring people together, not tear them apart. No matter your opinion, everyone else may have theirs. I’ll listen to you, you listen to me and maybe we can meet in the middle. I won’t speak behind your back and you don’t speak behind mine. I’ll be your friend and you can be mine. This is how the world will change for good, when we stop seeing evil and hearing evil and doing evil. Let’s start with love and caring and sharing. Maybe I have what you need and you may have what I need. One for you and one for me and if that can’t happen, then we may have to say, you need this more than I do, take it. Remember this song sung by Haley Mills? “Let’s get together. Think of all that we could share. Let’s get together everyday, every way and everywhere and though we haven’t got a lot, we could be sharin’ all we’ve got together.” What a better world it will be when we stop mimicking those who just want us to be like them. God created each one of us to be unique and special so why should we trade that in to be someone were not? I see you, I hear you, and all I can say is, you are who you are and that can be a great thing.