Paraplegia (Updated from 11/21/2014)

 

Who walks their path better than I?

The child upon a first step

The woman wheelchair-bound

The old man breathing his last

Do the humble walk, with head bowed?

They see nothing but the path

Missing all around them

Focused on what lies before

Do the blind not see the trek?

The cane swings left and right

Night merges with day

Safer to just be still

Who walks their path better than I?

Everyone who walks a path

For it is their path

Only they can walk it

Do the humble walk, with head bowed?

Smiling at all around them

Where they have been and are now

The reality before them

Do the blind not see the trek?

The closed eye does not stop perception

Sleeping does not stop the dream

Incarceration does not stop flight

To find a path is the goal of life

The first step, the beginning of a journey

More important than the destination

Actions more important than ego

Not taking the first step

Admits paraplegia

Not traveling a path

Admits being crippled

On a path, the child can teach the master

The paralyzed, the runner

The sinner, the righteous

The dying, the living

One's path is in the mind's eye

The destination is ahead

You will arrive tomorrow

Or, you are already there

Envision a first step and the journey has begun!

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch - it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either view any more right or wrong than the other. Opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form their own opinions, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint.

I fervently hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning those opinions offered. After twenty-three years of military intelligence, I believe that engaging each other in this manner, and in this arena, is a way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience... and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. Following his service career, he spent 17 years working with the premier and world-renowned Western Institutional Review Board, helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. He also served 8 years on the Board of Directors for the Angela J. Bowen Foundation.

Ordained in 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As a weapon for his war on intolerance, he chose the pen. He wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's personal, spiritual path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as the lead chaplain at a regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony at: tolerantpastor@gmail.com