Tuesday, Jul. 27, 2004 2:29 P.M.

Musing, As Usual

The Truckee River narrows as it enters the City of Truckee. It presents itself properly, in this flowering meadow, in contrast to its white water descent, downstream from Lake Tahoe.

Phrase Catcher: �Late last night, but not too late to eat pizza�� (Doug: The Wondering Jew.) This just hit me as classic. How true. Pizza is one of those anytime delights. Kids will eat it anywhere, anytime, and usually choose it over anything else, when it is an option. I recall, when as a teenager�I discovered pizza for the first time. (Yes kiddos, there was a day, when everyone in America didn�t know what pizza was. At least, not in the mid-west.) Being an oddball, I have always loved a lot of peculiar food items, - anchovies being one of them. As a child, I could eat anchovies right out of the little can. Sometimes with crackers. So, what topping do you think I ordered on my authentic Italian style pizza - at an authentic Italian pizzeria in Louisville? You got it. Anchovy pizza. It being my very first taste of this delicacy, it is still my favorite. I seldom order it these days, however, because I have friends. And I want to keep them. But on my birthday, I often go to the local establishment that makes (in my modest opinion) the pizza closest to the real thing, and I treat myself to a good old anchovy pizza.

Now, I am going to be the �fool that rushes in, where angels fear to tread.� The following are my thoughts for the most part. But they are not new or unique to me. I have heard them expressed in various ways and by people of diverse persuasions, of late. In fact, just last night on the opening night of the Democratic Convention in Boston, former President Clinton said, �Americans long to be united.�

I am certainly not enjoying or looking forward to this election year. There is too much anger, and too much turmoil. I have heard it stated that there is a bloodless civil war going on. There is no geographical Mason-Dixon Line this time. But an ideological line cutting through the hearts of Americans, in a terrifying way.

The aspect that troubles me most has little to do with the issues themselves. It is the extreme insensitivity to, and lack of awareness of others. Of others� intelligence; their choices; their reactions to the political scene�when it differs from the speaker�s.

I sometimes find myself in a group, or with someone who is vehemently pouring out vitriolic disgust of the opposing political party. Their attitude conveys the assumption that they are �right�, and furthermore, that everyone within hearing is in agreement with them.

In one of her recent books, Karen Armstrong wrote: �As far as I could see, certainty (that he/she, alone were correct � my insert) made people heartless, cruel, and inhuman. It closed their minds to new positions, and made them complacent and pleased with themselves. That kind of certainty had damaged me in the past, and I wanted no more of it. �what to do then? Are we to not have certainty? Certainly not! Certainty brings stabilization and security. We cannot allow it to make us cruel, heartless and inhuman.� And I would add�insensitive to those within the sound of our voice and the influence of our opinion.

We must not allow ourselves to leave others with the feeling of having been verbally battered. I have experienced that feeling of late. And I have been appalled at some uncouth and crude statements being spewed out by a few prominent individuals�seemingly oblivious to their listeners.

It is not good to be ignorant. It is quite another thing, to be wise and learned enough to recognize your relative ignorance on the vast horizon of knowledge. It is still another, to think that you know it all.

The other day I was thinking about how I used to think I knew so much about the nature and workings of God. (Imagine!) Now I feel that I know very little at all about these things. And in this state, at some inexplicable level, I realize that I know far more than I ever did before.

This is not the time for gentle politeness. There is much at stake. But there was much at stake in the first Civil War, and its greatest sin was that families and neighbors destroyed each other in the wake of its terrible rage. Must we repeat this?

I have made firm decisions regarding certain issues. But I cannot bring myself to denigrate the heart and soul of another, by verbally belittling his or her ideologies, to their faces�or behind their backs.

Have we come so far as a culture and a civilization, that we cannot tolerate, but need to belittle� the opinions of others?

I know of a gentleman who frequently travels abroad in his profession. Several years ago, on an overseas flight, he found himself seated next to a passenger from a certain Middle Eastern country. My friend is always genuinely interested in learning of other cultures, and in the course of the conversation, he asked his fellow passenger: �How would you describe your country to me?� The reply came without hesitation. �We are the most barbaric nation on the face of the earth.� My friend was stunned to note that the statement had been spoken with no small amount of pride.

How does that apply to us? I certainly do not think we are barbaric. (Although that statement might be one of those to which I am objecting.) But I am concerned that there seems to be a rising tide of carelessness about the fact that everyone is not in agreement with our compartmentalized thinking. There is a bold rudeness and bombastic attitude of opinion, which can crush and offend�even those around us whom we care about. Family against family. Friend against friend. Good people against other good people�of differing opinion. This is what I am afraid of.

� Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.� (Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 12)

Lincoln was afraid of this. I am no Lincoln�.but I share his concern.

This is a fragile and scary time. And it calls for much prayer.

It is very good to have strong feelings about an issue. It is not good to wound a fellow American because of it. I am not so naive as to think that this will be managed on the whole. But perhaps, you or I can take care in this area. Perhaps you or I can seek Godly wisdom as to how we, as individuals, should behave; both toward each other, and also toward the important issues at hand.

This is the best of times. This is the worst of times. And we must decide which we will display�as individuals.

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