Speaking Truth With Love and Compassion
On Sunday, September 6, 2020, I watched SuperSoul Sunday, hosted by Oprah Winfrey. Her guest was Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakistani woman who survived being shot in the head by a man in her own country. She was 15 years old when he boarded her school bus with the intention of murdering her. Why? Because she dared to publicly speak her truth.
Her beloved parents taught Malala along with her brothers because they believed that girls had a right to education. When she began to speak publicly on behalf the rights of all girls, her parents supported her even though they knew there could be consequences. They refused to limit her natural intelligence, gifts, and talents.
Malala's stage is the world - and rightly so. She survived what should have been a fatal head wound. She healed, as people of all faiths around the world fervently prayed for her, and she regained her ability to walk, speak, read, and write. She has published 2 books and travels to countries where women are oppressed to meet them and to speak on their behalf. She is a force to be reckoned with in our world.
My stage is more local and very much smaller. The size of one's stage or sphere of influence does not matter. My life has been very different from hers. I grew up with the freedom to attend school and the freedom to speak my mind without fear of bodily arm. These differences are not the point. What matters is that we speak our truth when given the opportunity from a place of genuine love, compassion, and peace.
My Personal Prayer:
May my words in all situations be spoken with love and compassion for others...and may I continue to love and respect others whether we agree on everything or not.
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