I am writing this missive for all my sisters and brothers who like me, feel like an alien in this world. There are many (if not most) days where I am truly certain that:

I AM NOT FROM HERE!

What’s funny about this is that I’ve never really been “from” anywhere. Having moved around a lot as a child – a trend that continued into adulthood, I’ve always been starting over – trying to make new friends, find a way to fit in (or not), etc.  Geographically I’ve always felt like

a stranger in a strange land.

Beyond the geography of things, I have never felt like I fit in or that I belonged. For one thing, I was way too smart!  From a very early age I saw through people, places, practices, teachings, rituals, and things. I questioned anything and everything that didn’t make logical sense or that struck me as just plain wrong. I saw through people’s lies. I knew when someone was phony. I understood (even without the language to describe it) that certain conditioning was just plain wrong. I had a very strong sense of right and wrong and others knew it.  As you can imagine, this got me into a fair bit of trouble – the straight A student with unsatisfactory conduct grades because I couldn’t help but challenge something when I knew it to be wrong.

I wasn’t trying to be an asshole.  I just knew in my heart that human beings were capable of so much more.  They could be honest, authentic, kind, gentle, generous, non-violent, loving, accepting, and peaceful. I knew this because

Where I come from people are kind and want to do good.

On this planet, however, it seems this is not always (rarely?) the case.  When I experience cruelty, violence, hatred, deception, betrayal, it breaks my heart.  When I see others being treated cruelly or unfairly judged because of the color of their skin or who they chose to love, my heart is crushed.  When I see people struggle with poverty, hunger, homelessness, joblessness, I feel the needlessness of this in a world that is abundant with everything people need to survive and to have a rich and meaningful life.

More troubling than this is it seems like nobody cares.  Very few are willing to take a stand for the real potential of human beings to create a kind and loving world where everyone’s needs are met and where we can all live in peace. When human beings are not willing to do the simple work of creating a loving world, I am even more certain that

I’m not from here.

It’s really quite simple. We live on an abundant planet and we have the resources, ingenuity, and technology to ensure the life of every species on this planet. We have the capacity within us to stop all wars and to redirect those funds to saving our planet, educating our children, providing meaningful work, and adequate healthcare to every single human being. The potential is within us and I know this to be true because it was true on whatever world I really came from. 

Jesus said it really well:

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” John 15: 18-19

More proof that I’m really not from this world!

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