California Adventure: Day 4

Tuesday July 26th 2011


What an adventurous day! I have to say, Los Angles has certainly improved how they get you into the city and to all the surrounding areas! With a little time and patients, you don't have to really drive anywhere! The Metro Link will take you from San Bernardino to Union Station in LA and then from there you can take the Metro Line to various stops and then hop on any number of buses! For an all day pass during the day it is $23 and that covers ALL your connections!


The Metro Link uses existing Railroad lines and share them with the commercial trains. It is such an efficient system. I just don't understand why more Metro areas (PHOENIX) don't use the same system. Do you realize how much money would be saved if there was better mass transit? 


Oh well, this blog isn't about Urban Transit. 


My friend and I went to the Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance. 


http://www.museumoftolerance.com/site/c.tmL6KfNVLtH/b.4865925/k.83A7/Whats_Happening_at_the_MOT.htm


Wow! I was touched and amazed. It was a wonderful experience. 


So, on the subject of Tolerance. We use that word a lot don't we? "I only tolerate this." "How can you tolerate that person?" "We all need to have tolerance."


Well, what does that word actually mean?

• is the practice of permitting a thing of which one disapproves, such as social, ethnic, sexual, or religious practices.

Here is the catch word "Permitting" 

We hear that word a lot too. "I will not permit you to do that." "Will I be permitted to say this?" "You can't do that without a permit." 

Well, here is the meaning of that word.

• Give authorization or consent to (someone) to do something
• Authorize or give permission for (something)
• (of a thing, circumstance, or condition) Provide an opportunity or scope for 
• Allow for; admit of

Okay, so Tolerance is an active choice. To my way of thinking it really can't be "taught" per se, but more it has to be observed and practiced. You can't teach someone to be tolerant if you don't actively permit it yourself. 

This is how I observed tolerance this week. My friend is very open with her life, through that openness and through the events in her life and through the journey and paths she has taken she began to allow tolerance in her life, for everything not just picking and choosing what to be tolerant in. 

So, I think that is really the key, with tolerance you are either "All In" or "All Out" 

You can't be "tolerant" of one thing but then not permit another thing. It is almost hypocritical, and the thing is that not everyone in this world thinks and behaves the same way. We are all humans living on this planet together, and yet we can't seem to just tolerate each other. We don't act like friends to our world neighbors, we use and manipulate them as they use and manipulate us. 

What a better world it would be if the leaders just said, "You know what, I'm sorry for being a jerk to you and your country. It is not right of me to interfere in you life. Let's talk, let's work this out. I understand that your culture is different and while I may not agree with how you run your country, I know that we are intelligent humans who can talk and see eye to eye on some things." 

Why don't we do this? For THOUSANDS of YEARS!!!! Two Millennium leaders have used intolerance to deal with issues. Don't you think it is enough? Maybe the world won't come to an end if we did this. We don't know the future, maybe if people got a long and loved each other, than maybe GOD won't have to come again, because we figured it out. We won't need a caretaker because we learned to take care of ourselves. 

I think so many people look to GOD as this babysitter. "God will take care of me." "God is in control" "God will allow this." You know I don't think we give GOD enough credit, and I think we lessen HIS power by bringing HIM down to the role of "Caretaker" 

God IS. 

So, since that is true, then GOD is much more powerful than just being a babysitter, and more like a parent who raises their children in love and then sends them out into the world to face the future, I think that is what GOD does for us. 

But, we are so scared to leave home! We want GOD to keep taking care of us, instead of going out there and continuing to grow by applying the lessons that GOD taught us. Through Prayer we go to GOD for guidance because everyone needs guidance. That is a no brain-er. 

But, for humans to just latch on and hang on the coat tails of GOD and never let go, I think is a bit immature. GOD wants us to be strong! HE wants us to make our own decisions using the lessons that we learned from HIM. HE knows we are going to screw up, but like a loving parent, HE is there and HE loves us so much that HE will give us a great big hug and then lovingly kick our asses, and say. "REALLY??!! Are you kidding me?" Then HE will reposition us and put us back on the road and out the door. 

Really Friends? Really?? do you Really want that? 

I don't. 

Choosing to leave the nest is scary. Choosing to go out there and live your life, take risks and make mistakes scares the hell out of most people. But, friends if it wasn't scary then were is the challenge? 

If the apostles didn't take a risk they would be still sitting in that upper room, waiting for GOD to take care of them. 

Face your fears friends! Be Tolerant of ALL people! Every human being you come into contact, look at them and see GOD in them. God created ALL off us and HE lives in ALL of us. 

My challenge for you: See Jesus in your fellow man today. See Jesus in your enemies. See Jesus in yourself. Then once you've seen Jesus, forgive as Jesus forgave.