An Array of Opinions Causing Disarray
Just a ray of Light makes all the differences as differing opinions rouse. Names were called from the roster. The saving grace was there was no name calling—just the names of those upon it. As each name was called, votes were cast. As differing opinions shed not a ray of hope—casting one another aside appeared to be protocol. The purpose of the vote was to select a Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States of America.
I stayed not awake for its completion but rewound the programming the next morning as I’d heard rumors that some were a little wound up as the clock wound down. Wound or wounded would be in the eye of the beholder telling things as they saw it—all the while interpreting actions and reactions.
I noted one isolated photograph had been viewed close to two million times as someone had single handedly chosen this moment to freeze frame the discussion of two men nose to nose—dashing all other moments before or after.
The pics that didn’t make it into the headlines were the ones depicting the nodding of heads as reconciliation was right there on the screen. Apparently, nobody wants to digest giving peace a chance nor do they desire to show how man may at times solve disagreements.
I suppose in order to have restoration a few things must be broken along life’s way—as if we (every single one of us) don’t know exactly what that’s about. And that’s exactly why I was watching. I was hoping to see hope restored among a broken people moving towards reconciliatory and restorative actions so they might work together.
Why did I linger on the unveiling of votes as I did? Actually, it wasn’t for political reasons whatsoever. Rather, the purpose in watching was to regain a smidgeon of hope in the middle of a crisis driven world which appears to feed on the frayed while serving it up and regurgitating every single ounce of negativity so that we, the people, will digest it accordingly. I hung in there in hopes of seeing people making strides towards healing rather than moments turned into an eternity of hatred.
And—I got my due as those upon the votes eventually moved to unite. My favorite part of the final speech of the evening went something like this. “Although we may disagree on issues passionately, my commitment to you is that it will never be personal.”
So what is it that we, the people, know or should know? We know we cannot always tell the difference between a healthy debate and right out hate. We know we are a busy people and sometimes busybodies. When two million and counting look at what looks like the final deal breaker between people— there is more to the story and yet we, the people, have a hard time remembering that. We know that what is in the mind can be very different than what is in the heart. We know that images can trick the memory banks into seeing things one way all the while reality could be something completely different.
What else do we, the people, know? We know we have a God who is in the resurrection business. He not only desires healing but complete restoration and it is in God we trust— not man.
The final quest for man may rightly be the very things He mentions in Matthew 22:37-40. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.” Exodus 20:16 laid the foundation long ago. “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” It’s a great reminder helping to guide us in loving all whom He created in His image and likeness. May we each be set apart from the riff-raff and not pick from the low lying fruit. Rather, may we each be part of the resurrection power He desires to emblazon and embolden, within us. Amen.
