Division has never been more prevalent than it is today. There is not a moment in history that is more divisive than the one we are in now. We all can pluck out a march or rally, a negative trend of injustices or one horrific event that may dare to challenge that assertion but it will pale in comparison. Why? Because practically everything that has happened before in moments, shades, and blips are happening everywhere all the time, whether your local news cares to share it or not. We have division of all kinds and types. The overt kind that is represented in loud screaming, fighting, and angry marches. The moderate kind that is represented in print media, social media, and poetry, letters, and other literary forms. Then you have the one that makes us quiver: the silent kind.
Very few hear it often in closed circles and in faint whispers. It is suppressed under a smile or shrouded behind a hand shake or a head nod. It is the chameleon of its species. It can blend in with anyone and call them friend but deep down somewhere in the recesses of the psyche, it lurks. Often, it comes out in fits of rage, sudden anguish, or extreme drunkenness that the offender usually has to apologize for. It is the most frightening of all the divisive types because it was there all the time --- hiding in plain sight, camouflaged by niceties and hospitality. We are as a country, as a world, divided and there are still many, perhaps among us right now, that think everything is fine, or being overblown and exaggerated. The tragedy of a lifetime: An undetectable poison that rages through the body and reaches the heart. By then, it is too late and it is final.
Joseph Fort Newton said that "Men build too many walls and not enough bridges."
I love that quote because it encapsulates what is wrong with mankind, constantly trying to assert their own position and rise above everyone in some attempt to gain an advantage and some level of superiority. Everyone that has lived, is living currently, and ever will live is running. What direction they are headed in and what their destination is will be left to a higher authority than us but we are in a race.
Walk. Jog. Run. Repeat.
There is a bible passage that I absolutely love. Not because it makes me smile or fills me with joy but mainly because it makes me uncomfortable and causes me to reflect on me. What I refer to in many of my posts and tweets as 'Mirror Time". It makes me immediately and emphatically look at myself and say. "How you doing?????" Are you in the right place? Are you approaching this the right way? Have you trampled on someone to get this far? Did you act with integrity, respect, and honor towards your fellow man today? Plenty of questions. These are just a few.
"There is a pathway that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." (Proverbs 14:12 International Standard Version)
Take a thought with this imagery. You have to walk to get from where you are to a destination that is said to be prosperous and glorious and everything a person could ever want or desire. You have heard nothing but good things about it. You have even seen pictures of it and read stories of its glory. But there is no other avenue to get there except but by foot. All you have are directions that a friend gave you and a desire to be in this fantastic place, living out the rest of your days in "awesomeness". You walk and travel for months and eventually you get to the place where you are supposed to be. You only have to step through one more door and you are there. You sigh and take a deep breath as you grab the door knob. You finally made it. You smile and jubilantly step through the door only to find at the very edge of a cliff . You look down in fear and with nothing under you, you fall down hundreds of feet to the rocks below. Over. It seemed right because everyone said so and it was common knowledge but it didn't end well. Walking through this life with the wrong motives and a penchant for chasing one's own lusts is probably a great recipe for a similar result. It likely ends badly.
Walk. Jog. Run. Repeat.
There is a finish line as sure as there was a starting point. We fight against imaginary slights and pound our fists against clouds of smoke without reason and we achieve nothing but a mass amplification of the division that we have already been buffeted by. Too much time spent pointing fingers. Politicians. Church Folk. Entertainers and Television Personalities. Journalists and Talking Heads. Not enough time looking in that "mirror". Once you are no longer afraid to look, tell me what you see looking back at you. It is all you profess to be openly or a terribly frightened version of what you would rather be instead? Like it or not, we are in this race together. We are the human race running for a prize that cannot be corrupted and cannot be stolen. It is greater and higher than the biggest flat screen, or the fanciest car, or the most lavish home. Despite popular belief, deep past the insecurities, the hurts, and the anger, we want the same thing: To be the best us we can be and make a difference with the life we have been granted. Are you still running? Have you quit because your father quit? Are you still running? Have you given up because your mother said you are not worth it? Are you still running? Can you see the finish line in the distances or are there just mountains blocking your view of it? Walk. Jog. Run. Repeat.
You're better than your circumstances and the people in your life say you are. You are a marvelous creation. You are not a mistake. You have a voice and you have a purpose. Stop fighting the differences and embrace the likeness. Time is running out but you're closer than you think you are. Run. And finish.
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