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a “bad” experience

Years ago when my oldest son was a wibbling, wobbling toddler, I will never forget the day his stuffed Curious George went sailing through the aisle at our local grocery.  While first appalled that my son would turn his beloved companion into a public projectile, I couldn’t help but chuckle as George came to rest in the narrow gauntlet between multiple canned goods.  I may have even grinned from ear to ear.

 

Unfortunately, my laughter quickly subsided, as George landed a mere 3-4 feet in front of one of those motorized carts, donned by an obviously, elderly lady.

 

“I’m sorry, ma’am.  My son threw his favorite stuffed animal.”

 

Instead of the articulated grace perhaps far too naively expected, the lady’s countenance turned immediately stern, glaring at me, squinting her eyes, and then retorting, “You need to get better control of your children!”

 

I was shocked.  What?  I need to get better control?  There is no grace for a harmless throw of Curious George?

 

Let me tell you what I did not…

I did not conclude that all elderly women are as withholding of grace as she.  I did not conclude that all persons on motorized carts have lost respect for the rest of the waiting world.  No.  I made zero conclusions about the elderly nor those on those oh-so-cool motorized carts.

 

However, my sense is that refraining from making conclusions — when we have 1 “bad” experience — is the rarity as opposed to the norm.

 

How often do we do that?  How often do we make conclusions about an entire demographic because of a singular experience?  For example…

 

Have you had 1 “bad” experience with a Christian?  (“Bad” equates to harshness and immediate judgment.)  Have you had 2, 4, maybe even 17 “bad” interactions?  There are billions of Christians on this planet.  Even 17 so-called “bad” experiences pale in comparison.

 

Have you had 1 “bad” experience with a Republican or Democrat?  (“Bad” equates to arrogance and a clear failure to listen.)  There are millions of partisans on this planet; they are not all the same.  In fact, I have a brother who is a state legislator.  He is ethical, fiscally responsible, and he listens to those he represents.  More of our representatives — regardless of party — should be like him.

 

Have you had 1 “bad” experience with a member of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community? … or with someone who believes LGBT behavior is unnatural?  (“Bad” equates to so passionate they actually justify condescendence of persons with differing opinion.)  I have friends who are gay… and friends who believe homosexuality is sinful.  I have both who still love and respect their neighbor.

 

Friends, one of the most accepted forms of arrogance on this planet is when we make judgments about entire people groups because of 1 “bad” experience.  Sure, we don’t feel it’s only 1.  We find other likeminded persons to “amen” our experience, so we’re never confronted with the darts that pierce our self-inflated bubbles; we’re never confronted with the reality that challenges our self-created reality.  In other words, we allow 1 or 2 or even 17 “bad” experiences to tell us what we want to hear — as opposed to be on a continuous seeking of actual truth.  Too many times, experience trumps truth.

 

When the lady at that grocery challenged my parenting, I wish all could have witnessed the astonished look on my face…

 

“What?  I need to get better control of my children?”

 

I knew her response was not the response of all people.  It was not even the response of all elderly women on motorized carts.  Hence, I smiled, paused, and said the first thing that came to mind…

 

“Have a nice day, ma’am.  I will, too.”

 

Respectfully…

AR

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fixing our eyes

Let me be frank:  there is one thing I have hated my entire life.  No, not pickles.  Not even disrespect.  Unfortunately, too many times in my playful adolescence, I partook of both.

 

While it is true our family has attempted as best as possible to adopt the “hate what God hates” mentality (which thus allows pickles to remain a non-hated option), the Intramuralist must confess to a tinge of hypocrisy, as my enduring hatred has yet to be mentioned negatively in any even dead sea scroll.

 

I have always hated running.  Yep, running.  Moving one foot in front of the other for an extended period of time, without a book to read, show to watch, or witty person to talk to.  Dwelling on my perceived boredom associated with the activity, I remember years ago during pre-iPod/Walkman days, donning my cool cassette player and a basketball, thinking perhaps the clever combination of music and dribbling would somehow ease my pain.  Note:  it didn’t work.

 

In recent years, no less, I have been humbly graced by the friendship of a few persistent, pesky, and pretty perky runners in my life.  God bless you, guys, but that’s still not my ‘thing.’  But yet, they’ve taught me something…

 

My running friends profess the process is more mental than physical; running has more to do with the mind and spirit as opposed to the actual body.  Mind over matter.  A reshaping of the mind.  As one wise friend says with unparalleled passion, “whatever we pay attention to grows.”  If we pay attention to how much our body hurts when running  (or how bored we may be), we will fail to persevere.  We’ll miss the run.  Hence, the question is:  what’s our focus?  On what are we fixing our eyes?

 

Where we go, what we do, the successes we enjoy, the places we falter… on what are we fixing our eyes?  Allow me to thus assert, that whatever our eyes are fixed upon is solely what we will see.  For example…

 

… if we fix our eyes upon Boehner or Barack’s broken promises, we’ll miss their promises kept.

… if we fix our eyes upon one party’s infinite wisdom, we’ll miss our own lack of objectivity.

… if we fix our eyes upon another’s lack of grace, we’ll miss the times we ourselves have justified refusal.

… if we fix our eyes upon the praise of NBA’er Jason Collins — who was vocal about his sexuality last week, we’ll miss the criticism of NFL’er Tim Tebow — who many have asked to remain silent.

… if we fix our eyes upon the need for all to have free education and healthcare, we’ll miss that our government doesn’t have enough money for it to be free.

… if we fix our eyes upon our government’s lack of money, we’ll miss how to care for “the least of these.”

… if we fix our eyes upon the emotion stemming from the victims in Newtown, we’ll miss the rationale for the 2nd Amendment.

… if we fix our eyes upon the existing prejudice of many white people, we’ll miss the existing prejudice of many black people.

… if we fix our eyes upon “if-it-feels-good-do-it,” we’ll miss the negative impact of moral relativity.

… and if we fix our eyes upon the ‘speck in another’s eye,’ we’ll miss the log in our own.

 

Such begs the question:  what should we fix our eyes upon?  What’s so worth it — that the focus does not result in blindness elsewhere?  What lasts?  My running friends suggest we must keep our eyes on the prize — on where we want to end up — on the big picture, so-to-speak.  Only by keeping our eyes fixed upon where we want to go will our gaze not prompt blindness somewhere else.

 

Meanwhile… yes… true… I’ve started running.  Shocking, I know… I, too, am a little dumbstruck.  But my focus is no longer on the perceived boredom nor bodily harm; it’s on something bigger.

 

Respectfully,

AR

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community

Imagine if America was a community… one large, real, significant, interactive, healthy community.  What would that change?  What would we be like?

 

Perhaps some would suggest:  we already are a community — maybe not so healthy — but we’re still a community!  It ‘takes a village,’ you know.

 

I think not.

 

To be a community — an authentic community —  is first, not something forced upon us.  Community is a choice.  It’s a choice, in its simplest manifestation, to do life together.

 

Does that mean there never exists disagreement?  Of course not.  Disagreement does not equate to disrespect (… a few more of us could learn that, I’m thinking…).

 

But if we functioned as an authentic community, we would never work so hard to squelch or silence opinion solely because it’s different.  Dare I say that neither the Executive nor Legislative branches consistently practice such wisdom.  Far too often, P.R. campaigns and rhetorical put-downs are instead, lavishly employed.

 

To live in community means to be on mission together…  We saw that in the days immediately succeeding the Boston Marathon bombing.  Not solely the city proper nor the Commonwealth of Massachusetts but rather, seemingly the entire U.S. of A. was passionately seeking the arrest of those responsible.  Cheers, tweets, and texts rang out when the suspects were apprehended.  Being united in purpose prompted a truer sense of community.

 

Hence, what mission could endure in this country?  What mission could a “united state” of America join in on together?  A mission that would last? …

 

To fend off all evil.

To pursue life.

To pursue liberty.

To even pursue happiness.

To recognize that opposition does not equate to evil.

To recognize that evil is the utter absence of God.

To defend our inalienable rights.

To recognize that those rights come from someone bigger and better than you and me.

To learn to preach to ourselves as opposed to listen to ourselves.

To acknowledge God.

To relentlessly pursue his blessing and perspective.

To extinguish terrorism.

To recognize that there exist multiple, organized, anti-Christian organizations that wish to bring us serious harm.

To seek God’s best for all people.

To be humble enough to pray.

To submit.

To do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.

 

Again I ask, what mission could we join in on together?

 

As I look at the purpose articulated by current leadership — regardless of party affiliation — I don’t see much of the above.  Instead, it seems we have a plethora of “me first”…  “Party first”…  and a generous helping of “I know best.”

 

I don’t see a lot of humility, submission, and putting others before ourselves.

 

The reality, therefore, is that I don’t see a lot of community.

 

Respectfully…

AR

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what’s wrong with this law?

What’s wrong with “Obamacare”?

 

Please.  Pause.  As always, the Intramuralist attempts to stand as a beacon of respect.  You, my friends, have done an excellent job at modeling your diversity of opinion without succumbing to the temptation of disrespect.  Far too many intelligent people continue to justify disrespectful articulation when the moment serves them well.  As best as possible, we strive not to fall so infamously far.

 

It is no secret that the Intramuralist is no fan of the Patient Affordable Care Act.  Having read the entire legislation prior to its passage, we found multiple enactments, which were are not only prone to government overreach but also social concern.  When healthcare is proposed as a “one size fits all model,” the underlying reality is that as the model evolves and impure motive sets in, perceived economic drains on the system will be extracted.  If we can ensure continued care for 100 at the same price as the one-time surgery of 1, why would we choose the 1?  Funds are not limitless.  Hence, economically, it makes more sense to care for the 100.  It’s the survival of the fittest.  It’s natural selection.  Is it moral?  Of course not.  But when a person actually reads the legislation, the embedded motive of moral behavior is ambiguous.

 

Do not allow me to suggest that I believe the creators of this law were motivated by impure motive.  I do believe, however, that as the law evolves, the exponentially increased potential for impurity exists, as money and power never fail to pollute policy.  At some point in time — with the wrong people in charge — I believe Obamacare will be a dire, iniquitous law.

 

Allow me, no less, to return to my original question:  what’s wrong with this law?  Perhaps you even question the basis for my question.  Here is the reason for my current pondering:

 

According to Politico and The Wall Street Journal, congressional leaders have been holding closed-door discussions regarding how to exempt themselves from the law.  When Politico broke the story last week, the conversations collapsed — obviously because of the complete lack of positive publicity.

 

Reports are that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) initiated the discussions, although he denies such an account; he says he simply wants the law to be “workable for everyone.”  The loophole in Reid’s claim is that when the law was being crafted in 2009, Democrats repeatedly attempted to exempt themselves and/or their key aides.

 

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) had authored an amendment approved by the Senate Finance Committee that compelled Congress to partake, but yet, when brought to the floor by Sen. Reid, the bill’s language had been altered, exempting congressional aides and party leaders.

 

If this law is good, why are those who know what’s in it wanting to avoid it?

 

Oh, wait… I return to my original concerns about the bill…

 

Never mind the broken promises.  Never mind the poor P.R.  Never mind that when the town hall meetings got too tough, the town hall meetings were shut down.

 

Never mind that some Republicans seemed simply obstructionists.  Never mind that the legislation only passed through a partisan measure designed for the budget reconciliation process.  Never mind that premiums are now increasing and options for keeping existent care are decreasing.

 

This original, approximate 2000 page legislation was approved and opposed by those who never read it.  They never read it, yet they want to be exempt.

 

Hence, I ask again:  what’s wrong with “Obamacare”?

 

Respectfully…

AR

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hmmm..

In all actuality, there are days the Intramuralist wonders the wisdom of what to publish.  We scan a sampling of the week’s headlines and editorials, yet quickly, we come across a slew of spewing that seems to make you go “hmmm”…

 

What do we write about?

 

Do we consider the nonpartisan Rasmussen Reports, and how…

 

“Confidence that the United States and its allies are winning the War on Terror has fallen to its lowest level in roughly two years.”

 

Or do we pay any attention to a presidential photo op, as detailed by Politico…

 

“Tuesday morning, a peculiar announcement trickled out of the White House press office: President Barack Obama would be holding a moment of silence for the victims of the Boston bombings.  At the White House.  By himself.  No press or other intruders allowed.  Except the White House photographer.

 

That Obama assumed Americans would want an iconic photo of him privately mourning the victims of the bombings was emblematic of a kind of hubris that has enveloped the president and his White House as the president commences his second term.”

 

No, those aspects aren’t that important to articulate.

 

How about the news as reported by Salon…

 

“So I’ve found it a sad commentary on GOP rebuilding that there’s been so much talk this week about the likelihood and desirability of a Jeb Bush candidacy.  And apparently one influential Republican, his mother, Barbara, agrees with me.

 

‘He’s by far the best-qualified man, but no,’ the former first lady told NBC’s Matt Lauer when he asked if she wanted her son, the former Florida governor, to run for president. ‘I really don’t.  I think it’s a great country.  There are a lot of great families, and it’s not just four families, or whatever.  There are other people out there that are very qualified.  We’ve had enough Bushes.’”

 

Am I the only one who thinks we need no more family ties to the Executive Branch?  No more Bushes and Clintons or Kennedys and Obamas or anyone else who has already occupied the oval space…  Nope.  Love that Barbara Bush… love how agree with her or not, she never seems to hide how she feels.

 

What about the news from Fox News’ Neil Cavuto and his notion that the media enacts a double standard for Obama and Bush actions in regard to the situation in Syria…

 

“What’s the difference between weapons of mass destruction and weapons of chemical destruction?  One gives you an excuse to bash a Republican president.  The other an excuse not to bash a Democratic president.  Nevermind this president drew the line in the sand on mass destruction weapons.  Democrats were all over that former president for getting wrong what most of they themselves were convinced George Bush had right.  And now they aren’t saying boo to this president that his worst fears are right.  So now repeating, that president is bad for pushing us into a war most Democrats supported because it sure looked like Saddam had bad stuff.  In fact, they used bad stuff.  This president is not bad for ignoring his own threats of consequences.  Now that we know Bashar Assad definitely has bad stuff.  I’m not saying one is right and one is wrong.  What I am saying is the double-standard in the coverage of each is very wrong.”

 

Does there exist a double standard?  I can’t answer that question.  Just the pondering is confusing.

 

So what can I answer?  2 things this day…

 

One, I can see why many persons intentionally choose to pay no attention to the news; it could drive a person crazy (… just sayin’).

And two, some things will always seem to make you go ‘hmmm.’

 

Respectfully… always…

AR

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the enemy among us

Extending the conversation from a wise friend in cyberspace, we were discussing the nation’s response to the tragedy in Boston.  We discussed Tuesday’s concept of whether or not we would simply forget the learnings after the “music fades,” so-to-speak, and return to our unfortunate, engrained, far-too-often divisive and defensive standing.

 

My wise friend made an excellent observation and then asked an even better question…

 

I am reminded, ‘A house divided against itself cannot stand.’  As long as we cannot come to some workable agreements on important issues among ourselves, it seems we leave ourselves vulnerable to destruction.   

 

My question is, without that tangible adversary, can we agree on what the ‘enemy’ to rally against is?  Is there a common goal that we can rally around without a tangible face of violence?  And even better than a common enemy, is there a unified love to rally for…?  Is there a common respect for the sanctity of life…?  Or is it ‘every man for himself’?  … each out for his own right to his own idea of liberty… her own idea of happiness.  Is there a higher standard we can agree upon?

 

Friends, just as a common enemy united us in Boston — going forward — what is it that propels us?  In other words, if a common enemy unites us like nothing else, who is that enemy as we continue forward?

 

I think we have two authentic, current challenges in this area:  we either deny the existence of an enemy — or we identify the enemy as someone who it’s not.  Allow me to respectfully share with you who it’s not…

 

It’s not the Democrats.

It’s not Pres. Obama.

It’s not the Republicans on Capitol Hill.

It’s not those who oppose gay marriage.

It’s not those for or against gun control.

It’s not the NRA, the ACLU, or any passionate, partisan advocacy group.

It’s not the teachers’ union nor Gov. Scott Walker in Wisconsin nor any other governor.

It’s not the academic elite.

It’s not even the uneducated.

And it’s certainly not any rhetorical 1, 2, or 17%.

 

No, it’s none of the above.  And until we recognize that, as a nation, we may forever be both polarized and paralyzed.

 

Who is our enemy?

 

It’s no longer the Soviets.  We no longer face a Cold War.  But we have to quit insinuating or proclaiming that the enemy is something or someone it is not.  Such may serve to net votes and drum up passion, but such is not wise; and such is not a process nor practice dripping of integrity.

 

In reality, the “enemy” can only be equated with one thing…

 

That one thing is not partisan…

That one thing is not an opinion…

 

That one thing is only one thing; it is evil.

 

The men who blew up the streets of Boston were motivated by evil.  Evil is prominent in more ways than we can ever know.  Evil is real.  Evil is the complete absence of God.  Evil is deep.  It dwells deep within the heart of far too many.  There is, no less, no such thing as any “lesser” of two evils.

 

That’s hard; it’s hard to specifically quantify.  But evil — yes, evil — as we are calling it what it is — is prominent in more ways than we know; we have to be willing to see it and say it, for that is our common enemy.  That is the enemy which unites us.  And that is what we must combat and God-willing, attempt to extinguish.

 

Respectfully,

AR

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unchanged?

After the music fades, what do we do?  Where do we go?  How do we act?  How do we now converse with one another?

 

Do we simply go on with life as normal?  Do we forget the music even ever played?  Do we deny the song’s existence?  … even though we were changed by the content of the song?  What do we do?  … after the music fades?

 

I love the lyrics from Shaun Groves’ popular song…
Much more than just a melody.
Please take me and break me;
Right now God, I don’t want to leave Unchanged;

I never wanna be the same.

 

The key A-ha?  “I don’t want to leave unchanged.  I never wanna be the same.”

 

If we walk away from the week in Boston forgetting the murderous marathon… forgetting the fatalities… forgetting the horror… forgetting once again how a radical Islamic devotee desired to wreak havoc on American innocence…

 

If we walk away from the week in Boston forgetting not only the tragedy but the unity in the hours that followed… forgetting how so much of the piddly, weekly, stereotypical stories were put away for real news… forgetting how, as the President reminded us, we are Americans first… forgetting the common purpose… forgetting the common goal… forgetting the patriotism and shots heard ‘round the nation… forgetting the spontaneous celebration when the second suspect was apprehended… forgetting our resounding, obvious, corporate strength…

 

If we walk away from the week in Boston and forget, we will have failed to maximize the moment and learn from the tragedy.

 

It reminds me of one of my “Bible nerd moments.”  Yes, it’s true; I am affectionately what some may call — or at least, I call — a “Bible nerd.”  I recognize there’s tons of wisdom in that book — and there’s tons I don’t even come close to comprehending.  Hence, I am intentional in trying to understand.

 

If this lovable nerd was asked to sum up the Old Testament in only a few poignant words, I would simply suggest:  “Don’t forget.  Don’t forget about me and what I’ve done for you.”  We should never forget the reality of God.

 

If we forget what happened last week — meaning we go right back to our passionate, partisan, and often stubborn and selfish ways — we go right back to judging our brothers (even though we like to say we don’t) — we go right back to chastising and blaming as opposed to listening and learning — we go right back to the divisive crud so many espouse, proclaim, or defiantly repost — we go right back to carelessly handling all words of truth — then, I’m afraid, we will have far too soon forgotten.  Yes, we will have forgotten.  And dare I also conclude, radical, violent Islam will have once again won.

 

More of Groves’ song…

 

I wanna sing.  I wanna fly.
I wanna see from Your side of the sky.
I wanna love.  I wanna stay,
Wanna be close to You
Long after the music fades.

Lord, I come To give You
Much more than just a melody.
Please take me and break me;
Right now God, I don’t want to leave Unchanged;

I never wanna be the same.

 

Yes, “unchanged”…  that’s the word.  After last week in Boston, as a nation, I don’t ‘wanna be’ unchanged.

 

Respectfully,

AR

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collective parenting

Prior to Boston’s bombing garnering most of the nation’s attention, the week previous cable news host Melissa Harris-Perry received more attention than usual for the news she made as opposed to the news she reported.  In only a 30 second promotional ad for her network, the television host and Tulane professor said the following:

 

“We have never invested as much in public education as we should have, because we’ve always had kind of a private notion of children.  ‘Your kid is yours and totally your responsibility.’  We haven’t had a very collective notion of ‘these are our children.’  So part of it is we have to breakthrough our kind of private idea that kids belong to their parents or kids belong to their families, and recognize that kids belong to whole communities.  Once it’s everybody’s responsibility and not just the household’s, then we start making better investments.”   [Emphasis was Harris-Perry’s.]

 

While the Intramuralist previously paid little attention to the rhetorical flap that has since transpired on all sides of the equation, my desire today is to briefly analyze what the TV host said and why my internal alarms are unfortunately now sounding…

 

In attempts to either squelch the firestorm (or gain increased publicity — you decide), Harris-Perry acknowledged that while she can comprehend how many are “genuinely upset” by what she said, she still stands by her statement.  She reiterated that the ad “isn’t about me wanting to take your kids, and this isn’t even about whether children are property.  This is about whether we as a society, expressing our collective will through our public institutions, including our government, have a right to impinge on individual freedoms in order to advance a common good.”  

 

That emphasis is mine.  That’s where my alarm begins to sound…

 

Let’s be clear.  People sometimes make bad choices.  We sometimes make bad choices.  I still make bad choices.  I’ve previously allowed my kids to sleep ‘til noon and eat ice cream for breakfast.  I also have zero doubt that at times I’ve allowed them to believe some things that were not true — even completely, totally ignorantly on my part; yes, I have at times taught them wrongly… maybe even “allowing” my kids to believe something that didn’t advance the desired “common good” that one of the country’s presumed intellectuals passionately believes in.

 

But a free, democratic republic, that teaching is no one’s right nor responsibility other than my household’s.  Perhaps even more significantly — and why this intelligent professor’s comments strike me as a contradiction of wisdom — is because it is no one else’s responsibility to teach my kids rightly.  It is no one else’s right nor responsibility to discern what is right or wrong for my children… that applies whether the topic be worldly or weighty, no matter if even about ice cream.

 

For me, that’s what bothers me about this ad.  With all due respect to Melissa Harris-Perry, I do not think of my children as my property; that’s not the issue.

 

Each of us has been endowed with inalienable rights.  Note:  the Declaration of Independence credits our Creator for those rights — not any desiring overreach of government.  One of those rights — and responsibilities — is to raise our children well.  That is not our community’s right nor the government’s responsibility.  That job is notably, divinely ours.

 

So if in my responsibility I make errors in judgment — which will happen sometimes — and if I make errors that cause partisans on one side or another (or both) to cringe at my teaching — it is no one’s right to play the moral compass or perceived human Holy Spirit and convict my kid; it is not their right to straighten my kid out.  Alarmingly, that argument is far more compatible with a socialist state than with a democratic republic that long ago acknowledged the individual endowment by our Creator.

 

Pass the ice cream, please.  For the record, we’ll be serving it for breakfast.

 

Respectfully,

AR

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distinction

At times like this when we witness the wounded lives and hearts of those among us, there is no distinction between…

 

A Bay Stater and an American.

Black and white.

Man and woman.

Democrat and Republican.

Legal and illegal alien.

Red Sox and Yankees fans.

Young and old.

A Harvard and Yale grad.

A feminist and stay-at-home mom.

Conservative and liberal.

A Duke and North Carolina fan.

Cops and robbers.

Cowboys and Indians.

 

There is no distinction.  We are Americans… persons each created equally, endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable Rights.  Those rights were tragically infringed upon on Monday.

 

Yet while there exists no division in the distinction between who we are, there is a distinction in how we behave…

 

There are those who weep… and those who can’t.

There are those who trust God… and those who won’t.

There are those who shake their fists at Him… and those who quietly mutter “help me understand.”

There are those who want immediate revenge… and those who recognize that prudence is most effective.

There are those who wish to enact legislation to ensure something like this never happens again… and those who acknowledge that no legislation completely curbs the heart of an evil man.

There are those who passionately articulate… and those whose passion is silently spoken through streaming tears.

There are those who speak foolishly in the aftermath… and those who intentionally encourage those around them.

There are those who seek to numb the pain… and those who know that numbing is never effective for the long term.

There are those who ache… and those who walk alongside them.

And there are those for whom we have abundant compassion… and those for whom we find great reason to withhold.

 

The reality is that over the course of our lifetime, we have each most likely behaved as each of those above.  Hence, it may be wise to give a little more mercy and grace to them all.

 

Respectfully… as a still sober nation…

AR

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what do we know for certain?

As the answers come in but the shock ceases to subside, it is time for each of us to initially pause, recognize we don’t have all the answers, and refrain from rushing to judgment.  Hence…

 

What do we know for certain?

 

That bad things still happen.  Last I looked, planet Earth could not be equated with heaven, paradise, nor even any Garden of Eden.  This isn’t it, folks.  And until heaven is reality, we shouldn’t mistake Earth for something it’s not.

 

What do we know for certain?

 

That suffering continues to occur.  This may be the hardest thing we ever have to wrestle with, friends, and this post won’t begin to do the topic justice.  I don’t like it; none of us like it.  A wise man would wish suffering upon no one; that said, few life circumstances teach us more.  We are a stubborn people.  I admit it:  the Intramuralist can be stubborn.  Yet the painful paradox exists in that suffering often manifests itself as life’s most effective teacher.

 

What do we know for certain?

 

That so much on this planet obstructs the truth.  Perhaps most bluntly put, humans often get in the way.  For example, too many utilize their 15 minutes of fame or moments before the mic to rush to incomplete (and thus typically inaccurate) judgment.  Note MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, only a few hours after Boston’s bombing, saying, “Normally, domestic terrorists, people tend to be on the far right.”  Mr. Matthews, your response is not helpful nor wise.  You are thus potentially impeding truth.  Please listen to Pres. Obama, who wisely reminded us all yesterday to not “jump to conclusions before we have all the facts.”

 

What do we know for certain?

 

That evil exists on this planet.  Yes, again, this is no happy, oh-so-joyful analysis; as I believe you are aware, we will never intentionally circumvent truth amidst this blog’s dialogue.  Evil is real.  Immorality, sin, and depravity are not merely themes embedded within Aesop’s Fables; they are bona fide motivations on this planet.  They are hard to acknowledge, and they are motivations that will also not be extinguished simply by crafting new legislation or enacting creative government controls.  We are not capable of extinguishing all evil.  Hence, let me add a related tangent…  the Intramuralist does not care if the existence of evil stems from foreign or domestic sources.  We don’t distinguish whether the wickedness manifests itself within an Islamic Jihad, the Klu Klux Klan, or the hatred so often selfishly spewed, masked as a justifiable, passionate response.  Evil is evil.  It is the complete absence of God; it also then equates to the complete absence of good.

 

What do we know for certain?

 

That life should never be taken for granted.  What happened in Boston yesterday was awful.  Tears again flow when I think of the 8 year old boy, killed in the Boston Back Bay section’s blast.  Was he there to witness a parent or friend finally complete the grueling race?  God grant unprecedented peace to his family.  I cannot imagine the level of grief now lingering in the absolute pit of their hearts…

I think, too, of my dear friend, Leesh, who had just finished the race, picked up her medal, and was turning to walk back toward her husband when she witnessed the bombs’ blast in her spouse’s direction…  no doubt she is hugging him tightly this night…

 

What do we know for certain?

 

That there are more important things on this planet than politics, games, and division among good people.  God be with us.  My sense is we need him.  Daily.  Desperately.  I also deeply, totally, respectfully desire that we all know that for certain.

 

Respectfully… always…

AR