Goodness in the face of badness gets people's attention. It makes people stop and notice that your response wasn't measured in wrong, even though it would have been justified. I was a little wide-eyed when I first read Proverbs 25:21-22, where it says when we give good to our enemies, it's like we're pouring coals of fire on their heads.
What do you see when you look at me
Hunched and broken under the tree
Holes in my shoes and stench in the air
No shower to wash my scraggly hair
I slept in the woods as you drove by
You glanced, but didn’t hear my cry
It’s strange living as a first gen in the Experiential Age. Our brain is fed a steady diet of images about relationships, body image, career, health, success, achievements, education, caretaking, knowledge, ambition, comparison, living circumstances, best life practices, and on and on.
Who hears your voice, the words you speak?
They float on air, from here to there
A simple word can grow and grow
Becoming more, you’ll never know
We bring good news and sometimes scorn
Our words can take a drastic turn
It’s amazing the powerful way a fleeting thought can spiral us faster than anything. We’re doing good, and then suddenly we’re not.