May 8th, 2024: Be Aware of Others' Agendas

Flag waving is very popular these days. People wave all kinds of flags in recent demonstrations. It was interesting to see what happened to the person who waved the Pride flag during a Pro Palestinian demonstration recently. He realized that it might not have been appropriate to do so. We might want to take time to understand history before we wave any flag. In Canada, there is an intentional direction from public schools not to teach history that is more than 20 years old. There is also clear avoidance to teach about the Holocaust.

Dressing up is another thing. For me to dress like a Palestinian does not mean I understand their pain and struggles. Fighting for justice is not like going to a costume party. If I want to embrace the suffering of the world, the first thing I need to consider is my privilege. It is the lesson of saying no to ourselves so others might have daily food and shelter. When I was at university, our Student Union Centre was very simple. It had one simple and little coffee shop. It served only coffee. Nowadays, a Student Union is like another shopping mall where students can buy their five to ten dollar coffee. Privileges have become what we are used to. How can we make a difference?

Universities in North America will have to go through a needed period of soul-searching to re-establish the reasons for their existence. Otherwise, they can be manipulated and used by other people with their wicked agenda. Our search for meaning and truth has to be the main goal in any discipline. For the time being, I am discouraged by the lack of spiritual, historical, emotional, and personal awareness that has been displayed in the public domain.

"Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them." - Proverbs 4:5