We love to govern ourselves…but it takes a leader to fashion a path forward from many opinions. Or as we have seen yet again today…democracies are having a bit of a rough go of it.
The continuing fuzzy math of…1 for you and 2 for me has exacerbated to 1/2 for you…if you are lucky… and 10 for me. Unfortunately, we see this equation playing out in many arenas in both church and state. The 2-for-1 disparity we had come to accept…we had normalized it. When the multitude of the great unwashed suffer and are unable to both eat and heat their homes…strife ensues.

Power is arrogant and unchecked power is very arrogant. We have a pervasive penchant in this country to blame our economic woes on the poorest of the land. We are certain to give the important people of our organization a sizeable raise while we proclaim with downcast eyes that we wish that there was enough money to give everyone a raise. It is somewhat like gasoline prices that have gone down a little…now we feel good about the reduction…but gasoline is still very expensive. It is called conditioning.

My numerous explorations into the Giant City Woods over the past two weeks have caused me to reflect on the beauty of life and the shadows that hide it from our view. Or as Ratty said to Mole in the Wind In The Willows, ‘Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.’ Of course, I was not in a boat…but Ratty’s sentiment holds true for Woods as well. There is a sharing in Woods that is missing in the human family. The trees work together for the good of the forest. Rhetoric is not heard in Woods. Have you ever noticed that Rhetoric…especially Political rhetoric is taken for actual news these days? Woods have a natural order and the inhabitants of it are happy with the structure of life and abundance and they forgo the jealousy and envy and coveteousness of their cousins…the humans.

The Wind In The Willows is a perfect example of contentment among God’s creatures. Each of the characters has their own distinct personality but they appreciate each other and care for each other and work together.

Of course we can not all have a new red sweater…