I’ve never been more thoroughly disgusted.
The power-hungry, money-grubbing, status-sensitive men and women presently occupying most positions of both bureaucratic and elected office are breathtaking in their eagerness to lie, cheat and steal to protect their turf.
For ‘turf’, read ‘backside’, be it skinny or ample.
There’s a sick, cynical ballet being performed before the nation’s cameras. We all are having our noses rubbed in it, just like new puppies who do their deed on the new carpet. For the same reason.
Witnesses in a legal proceeding are sworn on – get this – The Bible to tell the whole truth. Ever wonder why that is? After dreary years of watching this pathetic, laughable circus of supposed leaders ducking, bobbing and weaving well enough to maybe survive a round in the ring with Ali in his prime, it is this:
No one is expected to tell the truth until they’ve been cornered by unassailable facts and forced.
Lest you think this a political diatribe, let’s cut to the chase.
What if we all could hear God saying,
“THAT IS ENOUGH!”
loud enough for the entire world to hear?
He did. He has.
10 Rules for living here together, understanding how we relate to one another and how we relate to God.
Just 10 of ’em.
And if that’s still too tough an assignment? How about distilling those 10 down to one?
“That’s impossible. Nope. Not happenin’.”
With respect, things happen because we want them to. It is soul-cleansing to admit that.
“Well, okay–so what’s your all-star single commandment?” It’s not mine. It’s been right there alongside the original 10. It encapsulates them. It’s been inherent in every decision needing to be made, whether in the public eye or in a closed room someplace. And it’s worked 100% of the time it has honestly been used.
DO THE RIGHT THING.
Don’t. Do NOT bother with, “Well, it’s a subjective thing as to what’s right in any given—-” Now, really. Doesn’t that sound just like all those people in front of cameras and mics, desperately trying to NOT tell the truth and do the, ah, RIGHT thing? Aren’t you more than a little tired of all that?
It doesn’t matter where they’re from, to whom they’re related, how they got their money and position, or whether they stop at Costco or Sam’s Club. Party, associations, private and public affiliations, personal background, religious experiences–none of those things matter at all.
Wouldn’t it be refreshing to have someone suddenly stand up, look the camera straight in the lens, and say, “I was raised better than this. I am speaking for myself. Here is what I have and have not done and said. I refuse to lie in the attempt to stay out of trouble any longer, and my sole motivation here is to do the right thing. I will stand accountable for my words and actions.”
How long do you suppose it would take to begin turning things around if we all were willing to begin living by that simple code?
DO THE RIGHT THING.
“What if that causes trouble for person next to them?”
Same answer. That person does the right thing. And the next. And the next.
“Tall order, dude.” Yep. And the longer this sepsis of mind and spirit is allowed to fester and cause more social disease, the taller the order.
It needs to start somewhere. Living in a fairy-tale fantasy where things are just as you’d like them to be is no more responsible than letting toddlers play out on your city’s bypass. It is possible to fool yourself for so long that you’re more comfortable believing the fantasy than owning what’s real, choosing what to do about it, accepting the consequences and moving on.
Problem: down deep inside, we all instinctively know what is the right thing in each situation. God put that instinct inside every one of us. We can stomp on it, kick it around and ignore it with fingers stuck in ears, singing, “LA-LA-LA-LA-LA . . .” all we want. But the sheer power of truth will never be totally silenced.
Likewise, the awe-inspiring power of “Yes” and “No”. They are complete sentences. They require no explanation.
“You really want to do this, huh?”
“No.”
“Seriously? You’re actually gonna just turn and walk away from THIS?”
“Yes.”
Doing the right thing in each situation, and saying what you mean – and no more than is necessary.
I’m reminded of a recent Facebook picture showing a man in a suit on his knees, loudly praying, “O Lord, speak to me!” The next frame shows him startled and looking up at a huge hand reaching down through clouds, holding a Bible.
It isn’t that we don’t know the truth. It is rather that we do know it but find it inconvenient.
© D. Dean Boone, July 2014