Saturday, March 29, 2014

Dichotomy

There was a man who wondered what it was all about.

All his life there seemed to be two examples of people, one good, one bad, one positive, one negative.

The list went on seemingly from the beginning.

A self centered possessive mother.  A loving, giving wise great grandmother.  A grandpa who cared for him and had little but love and concern.  A grandpa who cared actually only for himself, stole inheritance and promoted selfishness.  A self centered spoiled cousin.  A cousin who was realistic but had common sense and helped others.  Teachers who taught and inspired, giving so others might truly learn.  Teachers who were know it alls, autocratic, seeking self importance.  Pastors who followed Jesus.  Pastors who followed themselves.  A bishop who cared and helped others no matter who.  A bishop who served his own fiefdom, thinking he owned others.  Head of a charitable help center who literally bled for others.  Her replacement just the opposite. 

People who built.  Those who destroyed.

He watched the seemingly unprincipled rise and succeed as he saw selflessness rewarded with punishment.

It seemed for every good thing, a bad thing attempted to neutralize it.

There was a feeling of loneliness, isolation.  He was brought to the brink of wondering 'what's the use'.

But, at the inverse summit of fear and desperation, something happened.  He remembered.

Many of the Founders lost all.  Many lost families, wealth even health.  Yet they pressed on.  There was something greater than themselves even together or separately.  Apparently painted into a corner, they knew Freedom/Liberty was worth it, even when some spit in their faces.  Others tried to take credit for their work when they did little or nothing during the fight.

The fight is never over.  Cliches come to mind like lemons and lemonade.  Silly?  Maybe.  But clichés often have a tinge of truth.

The man knew, past the 'golly gee' and what could have been cynicism, that most often it's content of character that counts.  No matter position, be it leader or follower, parent or child etc, that who you are is more important than what you are.

Betrayed and spurned by old 'friends', he thought of his oldest friend, now old and ill, a shell of his former self.  Truth will out.  He knew what was more valuable and that all our yesterdays coalesce.

He came back from the edge, and pressed on, quietly helping, healing.  Also he exposed those who craved power, even at the cost of Freedom.

A line from a song in Jesus Christ Superstar came to mind.  When Simon the Zealot tried to convince Jesus to lead a bloody revolution (actually serving Simon's self interest), Jesus remonstrated him, telling him he and so many others did not understand what power or glory are.

And we know that same Man of Easter advised his Apostles to sell their coats and buy swords, knew hearts better than others knew. 

Ultimate betrayal turned into ultimate triumph.

We are in the midst of an ultimate struggle (to borrow a collectivist term -s-), which will determine A bright day of Freedom or a dark night of slavery.

If this man knew, in spite of all against him, he must step out and step up, what will you do?

What will you do?



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