This I Believe

This I Believe Essay:

I have many beliefs and principles that guide my life, and, although I don’t always manage to live up to them, they are the strongest influence on my decision making process.

First and foremost, I believe in God and that God is personally concerned with every one. To that end, I believe that through his embodiment on earth, Jesus Christ, he called us all to a life of service. The best way to worship God, therefore, is to serve others in as many ways as you can and be, for the world a reflection of the love showed by Jesus. I believe that the best way to do this is to work for peace and justice for everyone, irrespective of their faith or beliefs. I also believe that your service must, of necessity, begin in your own community. I did not come to this belief easily, but when I went to college and met a wider variety of people. I came to the conclusion that most people are honest and good and will contribute positively to society if given and equal chance. When in doubt, I try to remember John Wesley’s rule: Do all the good that you can.

Secondly, I believe that all beings on this planet deserve a baseline respect, and that this is best expressed in an attitude of civility toward all of God’s creation. One of my strongest criticisms of our current society is that we have allowed ourselves to become uncivil. Our modern culture no longer criticizes bad sportsmanship, overwhelming greed, foul language, or ridicule of those unable to defend themselves. Materialism has become the only measure of success, ‘winning’ has truly become everything, and personal gain at the expense of others is viewed as a right. True discussion and dialogue between people of different belief systems has been replaced with the “sound bite” and scorn, so that no one truly listens to anyone who disagrees with them. I think that we, as a people, must learn to value dissent and be prepared to defend our beliefs in a reasoned, and respectful way.

Finally, I believe that no success in life comes without work, but that there are many measures of success. Everyone in our society has a potential for valuable contribution if treated with respect and Justice. I am proud to be an American, but I understand that and accident of birth does not make me anymore valuable than a citizen of any other country. I believe that the great possibility of our country is that the founding fathers gave us a blueprint for perfectibility that will never be fully realized, and yet gives us a direction in which to proceed. I believe that the highest patriotism is one that strives to continue to look at our institutions with a critical yet constructive eye; the true patriot, one who is willing to work for change and social justice so that America can live out it’s promise.