When I looked at this photo yesterday it seemed like a fitting symbol for the way I feel about things lately. As I get closer and closer to seventy I find myself turning off the news, avoiding a few situations, and spending more time with nature. I shy away from people that I know who are prone to anger and confrontation.
When I was a teenager, I envisioned some drastic changes in the future. I grew up with the Jetson’s and Star Trek. I could see myself wearing a gold uniform and whizzing from task to task on some sort of personal transport device. I would embrace self-cleaning houses and freeze-dried food.
Most of the changes I dreamed about were good and positive and focused on unity and cooperation and peace. We would all work together to build a wonderful world!
What we’ve done instead is fulfill the Biblical warning of “wars and rumors of wars”. We live in a world filled with danger, crime, and violence. We are becoming more divided, more alienated, more separated by politics and selfish ambitions. We tolerate a leader whose mantra seems to be “Make America Hate Again!”
I understand that you may not agree with me. What I don’t understand is why that should make me good or bad. I don’t understand why my opinion about one thing should outweigh the other ten things we might agree upon. I don’t understand why disagreeing about how a project or program or law should be enacted seems to so often result in nothing being done.
Of course the Bible also says not to panic. So…I will not.
There are still people quietly going about doing good. They may not get a lot of news coverage, but the results of their efforts are all around us if we pay attention.
I know also, that I have my own path to follow. I am constantly reminded that God has things for me to do. My daily prayer is “help me to be useful”.
I may not be in control of anything newsworthy, but I can vote. I can pray. And I can work on understanding our not-so-wonderful world.
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