Competition for Thought

spiritual musing by Angie Mack Reilly, author and speaker on creativity

How many games would you say that you watch in a year?
You know, football games, baseball games, golf tournaments……

Please pause and think about an actual number.  Really.

Now say this.
“Competition.
Has been on my mind at least
*insert your number* times this year.
At least.”

You want your team to win.
You want your guy to win that tournament.
Win.
Win.
Win.

Conditioning to win.  Conditioning to win.

We need to consider how much we think about competing and fighting.
It absolutely baffles me that people waste so much time watching competitive sports.
Competitive.
Things that cause parents to attack each other on the basketball court.
Teens shaming a soon-to-be all star player with an embarrassing photo.
People literally everywhere are competing.
Businesses. Political parties.
WE. NEED. TO. STOP.

This is not why we are here.
A house divided cannot stand.
We are not to be competing black v. white, gay v. straight.
Stop. Competing.

We were not called to win over flesh and blood.
We were called to win over principalities and powers.
We were called to fight fear with love.
Love in action.
This.
My dear humans.
Is why we are here. To love in action.
Not to win.
With winning, there is dominion.
Ultimate dominion over another.
We are not called to dominate people.
Hear me.
We are not called to dominate over people.
The sex scandals, the political hate, the corrupt industries.
Almost all corrupt industries.
Not even the church is safe.
The schools aren’t safe.

Is the government looking out for our safety?
Are the pharmaceutical companies looking out for our safety?
Is an unborn child safe in the womb?
Who is safe?  The food industry?
Who feels safe?

In order to feel safe from uncomfortability, some of us acquire as much wealth as possible no matter what the cost. You bet we will trumple over the poor. After all, “It’s me, the CEO, versus he, the guy with kids struggling to keep his marriage together because of financial stress.”

How many families have been destroyed?
The love of money is the root of all.
Yes.  Evil.

I am calling it that today. And so did you.
Don’t we teach our children to share and be kind to others?
Why does that change?
When does that change?
Now we are teaching our children to fight even earlier through video games, television and handheld devices. We have stopped raising them with the values that matter in a civilized existence.

Neighbors helping neighbors.
Evil is happening at a rapid speed. I see it.

The internet brought us an advancement of education and communication.

But it also accelerated evil.

That is why we need to walk in the light.

I keep reminding myself and now you………

Love in action.
not dominate to win.
Love in action.
not dominate to win.

This is why I love the arts and why you should too.

It encourages community over competition.  Kill the arts?  Kill the community.

DISCLAIMER:  Remember that the purpose of the true artist is, sometimes, to get others to think.  Writing is an art form that can be just as minimalistic or abstract as any painting or dance can be.  Most of my work is to get others to think.   Poetry is an artform.  So as you read my work, imagine sitting in a museum and listening.  Not everything needs to be literal in life.   And we need to quit getting so damn offended and nit-picky over every single word.  Social media arguments are sucking the camaraderie.

My poems are actually more like monologues or mini sermons.   They are intended to be spoken.

Writing Services by Angie

contact angie@ozaukeetalent.com