The following was posted on social media today by Janice Procopio Walker. It is an appeal for common sense and kindness in the midst of the chaos all around us:

“I just got out of a 3 day FB jail. (Don’t try to post a toy g-u-n on marketplace. No warning. Jail for 3 days!). Yes, at this point, I’m scared to even type the word out!

One thing that really struck me during that time is that we don’t really know people’s stories. And sometimes, I’m not sure we care. 😞

During both Covid 19 and the recent racial tensions…beyond the sadness of the two events first and foremost…I was really saddened by the simple lack of love and kindness on social media.

If anyone questioned the media regarding Covid 19…they were a conspiracy theorist and lost our respect. Publicly. We have successfully hidden behind the computer screen for so long, I think we have lost sight of how relationships work. Undoubtedly, we have typed things we would never have the courage to say to someone’s face. I can’t tell you how many posts on my feed have said something like “I used to respect and love these people until I saw them post … xyz…” So do we only love and respect people when they think the way we think?

During the last few days, when I could not post…interestingly…I read countless posts of how if someone did not post a certain way…they showed their true beliefs and were not a friend, were a racist etc.

The reason our children are not yet on social media, is because the temptation to be one way behind a computer screen and another way in real life…is legit.

Have we really lost our way so much that we have forgotten the love and kindness it takes to make relationships work? Have we really decided that what someone posts or does not post is the true revelation of their character?

Isn’t true character who we are when only God sees? What we do…that no one knows about? How we serve, love, care for people when no camera follows us?

I have always believed that posting is easy. Living…is not. It’s easy for us all to post a certain way to appease the crowd…but how I live…is what matters. How I love…is what matters. How I treat people face to face…defines me more than what I post.

I’m not for or against posting a certain thing…that is not my point. The judgement of it all…scares me.

I think being in FB jail for three days is just an example that no one thought about … when they posted that their friends revealed their beliefs by their lack of a certain post. Just one example of many.

I’ve read many times all the things that Covid didn’t steal from us. But in many ways…it did.

Let’s bring kindness back. Let’s bring love back. Let’s bring all views to the table and welcome conversations.

And above all…let’s go do the hard thing. Let’s love people. All people. The people that don’t agree with wearing a mask. The people that do. The people that are scared for our country’s economic future. The people that are terrified of another Covid run. The people that are doing everything in their power to stay away from the temptation of the black hole of anxiety and depression. The people that post on facebook their support of a certain cause and look like a hero to all..but don’t go out of their way to be kind to someone they meet. The people that quietly spend time on their knees asking God to make them more like Him and to ignore the noise. The people that seek to make a small difference every single day in the lives of those they interact with…but try to keep their motives pure and will never tell you about it. The people God made. All of them.”