Faith Venture

I devoted a portion of my university years studying international politics. I learned a sensitivity toward people in countries other than the US and even Western Europe. The study of the history of international actions taught me about the Law of Unintended Consequences.

It also taught me to consider alternative trains of thought.

For example, consider what we call the Golden Rule. No, I don’t mean “he who has the gold makes the rules.” I have met people who honor that one. I am thinking about “do unto others as you would like them to do unto you.”

I always adopted the meaning of doing good for other people.

Three sources in my reading last week all pointed to a nefarious side of this rule.

“Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you…so that, they will reciprocate and give you something.”

Gotta say, I am so naive that I never considered the use of the rule for manipulation.

I try to avoid being the object of manipulation. I think of it every time I open Facebook or LinkedIn (the only social media I use). These are engaged in a constant battle to manipulate us. Enter at your own risk.

I will continue to try to live by the Golden Rule. And, I guess that as I become aware of someone trying to manipulate me, I’ll decide my response from there.

“The luminous and shocking beauty of the everyday is something I try to remain alert to, if only as an antidote to the chronic cynicism and disenchantment that seems to surround everything, these days. It tells me that, despite how debased or corrupt we are told humanity is and how degraded the world has become, it just keeps on being beautiful.”​— Nick Cave (Singer, Musician, Writer)

We can get sucked into cynicism and negativity so easily. Media, social media, conversations can accumulate ideas of how bad people are and how divided we are. 

Poll after poll show actually the inverse. Most people are kind. Most people are helpful. Most Americans want basically the same thing—maybe with subtle differences left or right.

Listening to Nick Cave reminds us to look for beauty everyday. It’s there. Awareness is in itself a beautiful thing.

Some people look at the Gospels and see “separating the sheep from the goats.”

I see Jesus grieving for each person who came to him and could not find the courage or strength to make the right decision to change directions and follow him.

Just for today, look for the beauty in something—nature, a building, a relationship, seeing a parent with child. And then maybe you look tomorrow. And maybe it becomes a way of life which will change our very attitude toward life. 

That would be a beautiful thing.