it’s still my creed.

Don Barnes·Thursday, January 7, 2016

I am not better or worse, no more or less deserving, no higher or lower than anyone else.

In the universal scheme of things, I am completely insignificant. If the Lord tarries and no meteor hurtles from the depths of space to strike us into oblivion, my life will make no lasting difference. A thousand years from now, no one will remember me. I am simply a man, walking in this world because it is where I am. There is no over-riding purpose for my life. I have no destiny to fulfill. When I die, the stars will not go out. The world will not stop spinning.

This knowledge allows me to live peacefully among my fellow humans. Because I am not superior, or inferior, I must view each one as an equal. I must not eye them with my judgment, or weigh them in the balance of my personal justice. Each one is responsible for himself, before the One who made him. My duty is only to facilitate that person’s ability to draw nearer to that One.

If you, however, choose to judge and condemn me, I cannot stop you. Please, though, remember to prove your own heart before you start gathering stones.