As I watch the current escalation of violence between the police and the protesters here in the U.S., I’m reminded again what our culture continually feeds on—blame-shifting and scapegoating (villainizing).

We all want grace for ourselves but anyone who hurts us should get what they deserve.

Life can be a lot like wandering along an unseen path through an unknown wilderness – sometimes we are graced by wildflowers and guided by the stars, and other times we are pricked, scraped, and bruised by thistles, thorns, and other sharp things.

Life, it seems, is beautiful but can also be brutal.

Difficult as it may be, sometimes this brutality is necessary.  Sometimes the bumps and bruises along the way carry a hidden lesson – but it’s also important to remember that not every lesson requires bumps and bruises and that sometimes life is brutal, not because we need it, but because we allow it.

And sometimes recognizing this is the lesson.

One common way that we allow life’s brutalities is by sharing our path with those who lack respect for the journey.  When we walk side by side with people who don’t reciprocate our love and respect, the…