Sabbath Messages > Sabbath Message: February 12, 2005
Good Sabbath
February 12, 2005
"Keep strong, if possible. In any case, keep cool. Have unlimited patience. Never corner an opponent and always assist him to save face. Put yourself in his shoes so as to see things through his eyes. Avoid self righteousness like the plaque as nothing is so selfblinding" (B.H. Liddell Hart)
When politics substitutes for thoughtfulness, when the brain is mutated by partisanship, when truth--so hard to find to begin with--is obfuscated by politician spin, then it is as if we were struck blind, not by God but by our own stubbornness.
"Nothing will repay a man for becoming inhuman. The aim of life is some way of living, as flexible and gentle as human nature; so that ambition may stoop to kindness and philosophy to candor and humor." (George Santayana)
We are caught between two forces; on one hand,the ruthlessness, mercilessness and chaos of the powers of destruction, suppression and discrimination; on the other, the benign influence of self-sacrifice, emancipation, and progress towards humanity. We always stand at that cross road where education is the only factor that stands between destruction and survival as social force concerned with the fate of our fellow humans.
Every few years I re-read Stanton Coblentz's "The Long Road to Humanity", which is the age-old battle against tyranny and oppression. I despise tyranny and certainly am less forgiving of it than perhaps God suggests. However, century after century and epoch after epoch we live through history's repetition of man's inhumanity to fellow beings. We search for answers, pray to God that we are not victims and it simply goes on as if there were really a devil directing this unending insult to goodness.
"Free governments have committed more flagrant acts of tyranny then the most perfectly despotic governments we have ever known" (Burke)
Freedom is no preventative of tyranny just as religion is not. What we believe about our gods is reflected in our actions towards others, not in our pious words of praise. We are better only by acting better not by mouthing platitudes.
"Hateful is the power, and pitiable is the life, of those who wish to be feared rather to be loved." (Cornelius Nepos)
"That sovereign is a tyrant who knows no law but his own caprice." (Voltaire)
"Happy is the man that finds wisdom,
And the human that obtains understanding,
For it is better than silver or gold
And more precious than rubies."
(Proverbs 3:13-18)
We are sophisticated, I guess, when we come up with budgets that subtract, from the deprived, harm the young, give back to the rich, enfeeble the health system, deny child care assistance. When we are challenged as to the well-spun numbers that defy mathematics, we protest it as partisanship, for while the truth may set one free, it is well buried under a tyrant's absolute rule, for absolute control corrupts absolutely--remenber!!
"Divide with reason between self-love and society; and be so true to thyself as thou be not false to others".
Now is the time to pursue justice, God commands us, for injustice constructs walls between us all and makes victory temporary and wea;th like pitiful sand. Pursue wisdom and you will find justice more easily, as its pathway is hidden except to be illuminated by truth revealed.
Walk softly this winter's day and gather warmth by sharing your love with a fellow-human.
Sandy
