I Love Truthtellers

"Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle which fits them all." Edmund Burke

"Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world...would do this, it would change the earth.”  William Faulkner

 "The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.” Fvodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov 

I love truthtellers.

I know what you are thinking...."No one likes a liar. Of course you love truthtellers, Kim." But I think it's an area that has gotten pretty grey.

It's easy to define one kind of lie. That blatant, outright statement that can be easily proven to be right or wrong. Evidence can be produced, people can be confronted. There is admission of guilt. Judge and jury can make their pronouncements.

But then there is the other side of the coin. The statements that are the truth technically, but sanitized. The lies that are told to avoid hurting someone's feelings or to avoid confrontation. The truth that is only told in part. The truths left unsaid. Things told as truth that are really lies.

We've become a sensitive people. Oh, I don't know about you, but I always have been the sensitive type, even though I simultaneously have a much thicker skin than most, and a selectively short memory. I have learned to let myself feel what I feel, but then I analyze it as quickly as possible to figure out if my sensitivity isn't sharper than it needs to be. Too often it is. Oh, sometimes the slights and digs are there....but I have learned with time they are often more about the person dishing them out than they are about me. There's much I need to discard as soon as I realize it is garbage. And none of us can get through life without producing some garbage....so we need to give folks some grace.

 I notice a difference in my relationships with unvarnished truthtellers, though. I trust them more. They may hurt my feelings on a few more occasions than those who lie to spare me, but I never have to question where I stand with them. I don't have to wonder "So what aren't they saying? What is being implied here?" They are a simple people...it's on the table. Their truthtelling gives me a security I can count on.

In this world of information, people often get confused. Or simply don't care. They pass on information as truth when it isn't. This causes me all kinds of agony. You see this as relationships break up and one side is louder than the other. People form opinions without knowing all there is to know....and you seldom know all there is to know. Just because you like someone, just because you love someone, doesn't mean their side of the story is fair. And if another person is involved, even if you don't like them, it doesn't mean they are 100% in the wrong. Take care before you throw yourself into that pile-on. Really....do you need to be there?

Facebook is an easy place to see the concept at work. People pass on information as fact, without taking five minutes to consider whether what they're passing on is truth or fiction. (So sorry for those of you who missed out on Mark Zuckerberg's money. OK really, I am not. If you would have read his Facebook page you would have known the real story. He and his wife Priscilla are giving away lots and lots of money and it's pretty cool. Bu he didn't mention you as a recipient.) People continue to share missing children or animals that have already been found (or were never really missing in the first place). Why is that a big deal, you ask? Because it keeps focus off problems that are really going on. Plus there are sensitive people out there who obsess about this kind of information. People pass on the lies that fill the Snopes database as unproven. If you pass these things on without checking them out, you are simply spreading lies.

I admittedly can be a bit judge-y in this area, because if you treat the truth as unimportant in small things, it's an easy step to telling lies about big things. And let me say that I still love you liars.... because we all have been there, either on purpose or by accident.

But yes....I really love the truthtellers. The people who honor and respect truth. Those who care about the integrity of the information they pass on. Those who will face a bit of confrontation to stand up for what they really think, who will take a few minutes to research before they believe anything that is said, posted, or printed, Those who simply keep their nose out of other people's business when they are not involved in a situation, because they know life has layers. Truthtellers know truth matters...and know that how they handle it says who they are. Or maybe it just has never occurred to them to lie.

For the record truthtellers, I think I know who you are. I watch for you carefully. And I thank you for what you do. You seem to be rarer every day, but you are the folks I want to emulate. You are the ones I trust the most.

Remembering to Remember

I'm not sure when it started, but at some point I realized our country seemed to have forgotten why we celebrate Memorial Day. When I say "our country" I mostly mean me. I had joined the throngs that watered it down and celebrated our military as a whole, our country, our freedom, red, white, blue, the flag, a day off of work, beach time, hot air balloon time, family, friends, barbeques.... whatever I could add to the pile. The more the better, right? It seemed to have become just generic patriotism...or less.

At some point I heard that screeching vinyl in my head (kids....you at not understand what I mean by that, but I have a turntable and already scratched records....I can show you sometime) and something inside of me said "What are you doing????? When did you forget to remember?"

Memorial Day is for the specific purpose of honoring those who have died while serving in our country's military. That's big. That's huge. It should not be confused with anything else (including Independence Day or Veteran's Day) or watered down to mean nothing. I don't know the number of those our country has lost (does anybody know besides God?), and am not sure that I want to know. I am sure I would be horrified. As a pacifist who is also a realist and someone who on one hand thinks we need to defend both freedom and the oppressed, but on the other would rather our country not engage in wars at all, it's a struggle for me.  I weigh the loss of lives invested for this purpose and am not sure I believe in the trade-off...yet, how many others have those lives saved? I know I have no clue. Still....I can't compute the value. My brain is too small to know what the right answers are, and I gladly abdicate that responsibility to others. But I do wonder sometimes whether these very human individuals are making the right decisions. Not enough to do anything about it, I must honestly say. I hope others are better watchdogs than me and I hope God holds those leaders close.

Each of those lives lost was precious...and are worthy of respect and remembrance. The potential our country lost with their lives, the loves lost, those who lost their spouses, their great loves, their friends, their parents, siblings, their grandparents and great-grandparents they would never know, the skills and knowledge and hearts gone with their lives. The friends who served with those who died and witnessed it. Some seeing great acts of heroism and bravery, some seeing their friends die for seemingly no purpose. The guilt suffered by some who survived, or the lack of guilt. It takes lives in many ways...both physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Most of us don't know what it is like to serve our country in this way. I never wanted to join the military (can you blame me with my mixed up mind?), but I love many who have. From those I have talked to, the reasons that folks join the military are numerous. How many signed up for a college education? How many signed up as a challenge? How many signed up for tradition? How many signed up for patriotism? How many signed up to learn a trade? How any signed up because it was thought they needed discipline? How many signed up to travel the world? How many signed up because they imagined living in a movie? How many signed up because it was an adventure? How many signed up because they needed a job? How many signed up because they were drafted? How many signed up because they simply had nothing better to do? Truth is, it doesn't matter why. They did it....and they were soldiers.

I was having a bit if a rant about signing up "kids" to fight in wars one day and the wise person I was talking to (a veteran) said something like "We have to sign up kids because they have no fear. Because they don't know what could happen. Because they will take orders and take chances. Even me....with my background...with all my training....as I have gotten older I have lost the ability to act without question or reason. In that way, I am not as good a soldier." I saw the truth of his words and it gave me chills. In a way a real life Hunger Games. But yet we also discussed other reasons. Physically these "kids" are in their prime. They are fast, their minds are in high gear, they are enthusiastic. They are some of our best and brightest stars because they are willing to work to become what they need to be to be a good soldier.

I don't think many people enlist to die.....but from those I know, most soldiers have considered the possibility and say they are willing to do so if necessary for the freedom of others. That is sobering. Whether you are against war, pro war (you know who you are!), trusting and supportive of whatever our military leaders decide, or if you struggle like me....it doesn't matter. These Americans have given up their lives for us, without our asking. They protect and defend our country. They guard our freedom. They paid the ultimate price with their lives. On this one day of the year....can't you find a way to honor them? It doesn't have to be a big and showy demonstration (because really, it's about them and not you), but take a moment and remember the sacrifices. Think of those news reports where they tell us "another troop has been killed." Remember the history....and the stories of valor. Pray for their loved ones and fellow soldiers....who do hold Memorial Day in significance. Because as a country, on Memorial Day we vow to remember those whose lives were lost. They are not numbers, or white crosses, or names on monuments. They all are our people. They represented us. We should give them the courtesy of respecting their day.

I'm thinking of a face of a stranger this year. In this internet age it is easy to do. I've got a special place in my heart for Navy Seals, so I simply Googled "Navy Seals killed in action". I easily found the webpage of the Navy Seal Foundation. I randomly picked Thomas Retzer.....simply because he was a communications specialist. I found a little bio. http://www.pacificbeacon.com/apartments/?b=retzer&t=info and more info on his death and service. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.133103066702190.23362.131872973491866

Tom (I found that is what he went by) will be the face I think of this Memorial Day. He will be the stranger whose face I remember and whose loved ones I pray for. I encourage you to find a face to plaster on your mind this year. They may be gone....but let's not forget them. (And feel free to share in blog comments who is on your mind this Memorial Day.)

IC1 SEAL Thomas E. Retzer
Born March 10, 1973
Died June 26, 2003, from injuries suffered in service in Afghanistan
He is not forgotten

Family Reunion

"Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you."  Deuteronomy 5:16

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We had our McKinney Family Reunion yesterday.  My dad was one of ten children and every single one of those children had children.  That means I have a lot of aunts and uncles and cousins.  There are actually a few McKinney cousins I couldn't easily identify. The McKinney family is big.  And I am sure to some a bit intimidating.  But to me, they have always been the essence of family.  I've always found love and comfort being part of them.

When my grandparents were alive and healthy, we all saw each other almost every week for Sunday dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's.  Being one of the older grandchildren, I remember that time.  Most of the younger cousins never got to experience it or have no memories.  Grandma and Grandpa's house was on Island Ford Rd.... remember where Moore's Buds and Bows used to be, behind Ingles?  Prior to all of that, that was my grandparent's house (I still resent that shopping center being built there!)  The house looks smallish now, but it always seemed  really big to me back then.  On Sundays food would be everywhere in the kitchen and the dining room....everyone would sit...well, I'm not sure where we all sat.   The front porch was very popular.  We'd end up eating wherever we could find a space. But I don't remember that ever being an issue. No one went hungry....unless by choice!

I remember sitting on that porch listening to the conversations of the adults.  I remember making perfume out of the roses from Grandma's rose bushes.  (Or trying to.  I never understood why putting the buds in water never produced the same smell as the flowers themselves.)   I remember chasing lightening bugs....and June bugs....and climbing the apple tree in the back yard.  Not too high.... heights were not my friend even then.  I remember spending the night with Grandma, waking to bacon frying and a big breakfast (we were a cereal and toast family at home, so it was always a treat), and then for lunch going to Hickory for hot dogs at Fred Shell's.  I remember when my aunts Dana and Tena were in high school and watching them roll their hair with the biggest rollers you have ever seen.  Maybe it was juice cans.  Regardless, I couldn't wait until the day when I got to do the same.  Well, until my mom put sponge rollers in my hair for the first time.  I learned quickly rollers were not the thing for me!  I couldn't image bigger and harder rollers being used!

I remember sitting in the den where the piano was (you remember, that room where no one ever went!) and staring at the wall trying to figure out where the body of the deer was, whose head was on the living room wall on the other side.  My uncles told me it was back there.  I never could figure it out.  The wall just wasn't wide enough.....I should see part of it.  It never occurred to me that they were pulling my leg.

My  cousins, siblings and I would challenge each other to run in front of the TV screen and see if Grandpa yelled at us.  He did....most of the time.  That was our bonding time with Grandpa.  I remember giggling and giggling as I ran through that room.  Yeah, you would think after raising 10 kids he would have mellowed and could take that in stride....but the mellow only happened in the very last years of his life.  We drove him crazy.  And yes, that makes me smile even now.  But he married the perfect woman in my Grandma.  She was his polar opposite.  Nothing ever seemed to get to her.  I never remember impatience from her.  She would see us running, know exactly what we were up to, and quietly giggle herself.  I have no memories of ever seeing her angry.  She took everything in stride.  My mother will tell the story of coming over to this country to marry my dad (she was from a quiet family of three daughters in South Wales) and my uncles (Harold and Farrell, I believe it was) chasing each other around the house with knives.  Scared my mom to death.  My grandmother's response was to not even raise her voice, but to say "Boys, put the knives down."  And they did.  They knew the strength behind the quiet demeanor.

Your family is different than friends.  You choose your friends, God assigns your family.  While it is not always fair, while it may not always be good or healthy, while they may not always be the people you would choose, we're placed where we are for a reason.  For a purpose.  I am quite fortunate with the family to which I was assigned.  My siblings are some of my favorite people in the world.  I love and support them, and I know they love and support me.  My parents are great.....they have loved us, taught us, worried about us, and released us as adults.  I think they did their job well.  I look into their faces, and the faces of my aunts and my uncles, and I see a lot of who I am.  These are the adults who were assigned to love me, to stand by me.  To help make me a better person.  Some were there constantly, year in and out, some just for a season or two.  But I can tell you how every single one of them has shaped my life in some way.  My cousins....especially those close in age....add texture to the mix.  Some I feel particularly close to, some I don't know well.  Those adopted, the step cousins, the cousins by marriage....they are all part of the plan and an important part of who we are.  They are all part of what makes our family work.  The unit is functioning, whether it always functions well or not, whether it is functioning on all cylinders.  It always works best if all the units are engaged.  If they aren't, the machine doesn't work as well, but still can chug on and produce good stuff.

Most of the McKinney family is loud and opinionated and freely will give you advice.  I've always liked that.  At times I suspect those voiced opinions have led to hurt feelings and alienation by some members of the family. I never was privy to exactly what went on and still don't understand. It bothered me for a time, then I realized that time wasted worrying about such things is simply time wasted.  Those who feel wronged should state the offense to the perceived offender.  They should work it out.  In life in general, but especially in a family.  If they choose not to, they carry the issue around with them and it can be a heavy load.   The alienation stays and festers.  Often we let misdemeanors against each other become life sentence crimes.....why is that our choice?   All I know is that such choices take away precious time....keep us from what we should be in each other's lives....and people suffer from the alienation. 

Oh, how our family has grown!  Now we have the next generations.  I have nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, and my cousins have children and grandchildren.  Many don't carry the McKinney name, but they are part of the canvas.  They carry the connection, the McKinney history.  They have inherited good and bad.  I hope they see those of us who are adults grab hold of the good things that we have been handed, and replace the bad with better. I hope they never grab onto the "family isn't important" mentality.  Because done well, family makes up a group of people who are there to lift you up when you do well, and catch you when you fall.  They may then dropkick you into next week to teach you a lesson, but when that is done with love consider it a gift!  They didn't choose you....but yet they love you anyway.  Even when that love requires work.

It's a pretty cool thing to look around a room and know that while Paul and Lois McKinney are not on this earth, their lives still impact ours every single day.  We are their legacy.  I have inherited my grandpa's outspoken ways, but I believe I have also inherited my grandma's restraint and strength.  (On my maternal side, I think I have inherited my grandsha's spirit of contentment and my nana's critical spirit. But Nana taught me how I don't want that critical spirit to develop, so I am trying to learn to use it for good and not for making me and everybody else around me miserable!!!)  And their looks....a quick glance around the room at the McKinney reunion and you saw the same faces, with a bit of a mash-up here and and again!  You can't deny the common blood running in some of our veins.

I am sure that my grandparents never thought about how far the family tree would expand beyond them.  But it grows and grows and twists and turns and some branches fall off and others grow fuller and fuller.   I love that Paul and Lois McKinney are part of my life even today.  They are the cornerstone of my family.....and from them I received the gift of many other family members that I can share life with today.  They were responsible for giving life to my dad, and in that they made my life possible.  I'm grateful for family......and for union and reunion.  I appreciate those to whom it is important, those who make it a priority.  If we allow ourselves to be a part of that crazy unit called a family, we are rewarded with the richness of history..... and we fulfill some of our purpose on this earth.  If we don't, I think we miss out on some of why we were created.  And when we don't fulfill our purpose, we miss out on claiming some of the greatest joys of life.

Behind the Charm and the Beauty

Day 31 in Proverbs

Proverbs 31:8-9 "But you must defend those who are helpless and have no hope.  Be fair and give justice to the poor and homeless."

Proverbs 31: 28-29 "Her children praise her, and with great pride her husband says, 'There are many good women, but you are the best!'"

Proverbs 31:30 "Charm can be deceiving, and beauty fades away, but a woman who honors the Lord deserves to be praised.  Show her respect - praise her in public for what she has done."

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The description of the "Proverbs 31 woman" intimidates me.  I'm quite certain that if you read the description, I am not who immediately came to your mind!  I have friends who I see in the description, though, or who strive to be like her.  I definitely do respect them for all that they do.  Even if I had the marriage and the children, I am not sure I could live up to the ideals.  But I hope I would make the attempt.  

In successful relationships, there is work to be done.  We need to be willing to do whatever we can to support those who are our family.  When people talk about having a 50-50 relationship, I generally roll my eyes.  No true relationship is ever that balanced.  Someone generally has to give more, and someone needs to receive more.  The percentages of who is giving and who is receiving should change from time to time, and should weigh more heavily in each direction on a regular basis.  Problems occur when one person is doing almost all of the giving, and one person is doing all of the receiving.  Both parties need to be willing to make the sacrifices that will bond them closer.  They need to care for each other so much that they don't feel the sacrifice....they just want to make their partner's life better.

I was having a conversation with one of my friends the other day and we were talking about marriage.  She was celebrating her 28th wedding anniversary.  They've accomplished a lot in that time.  They will continue to do so.  As their friend, one of the things that makes me smile is how they work together to build their life.  She supports him, and he supports her.  Even after all of this time, it is obvious they genuinely and practically care for each other.  When we were talking she said "He really is my best friend.  There is no one in the world I would rather spend time with."  That hasn't been built by emotions, which can flounder....it has been built because they both are willing to sacrifice for each other and make each other the primary focus of their lives.  I know each looks at each other they say to themselves "You are the best and I am glad I chose you!"  I see it every time I am around them.

I have seen a lot of people in relationships who have a need to let everyone know constantly how very much in love they are and often put on public demonstrations of their affection.  Those are usually the relationships that fail.  It's more about showing off than anything else....and when you show off in that way, you usually are a bit self centered and trying to get outside affirmation for inside deficiencies.  Not a great recipe for a long term relationship.  True love generally is quieter than that.....it's less public.  It's not necessary that others notice how great you are as a couple....it's right there between you and solid.  When you are around other people,  you are so confident in the relationship that you both can give others attention and share your focus (while occasionally catching the eye of their partner across the room and smiling.) 

I'm not saying that you shouldn't share the good things about your relationship and praise the other person publicly.  You definitely should.  Personally I love when I hear my couple friends talk about their spouse like they made a good choice!  But your relationship should mostly reside between the two of you.  Relationships are never strengthened when you constantly either share the laundry list of your partner's faults with the world or have the need to constantly brag about how great the two of you are together.  Plus, it bores us!  (Note....sometimes you do need to talk to friends about what is going on in your relationship to gain perspective.  Just be wise about who you choose to talk to...and don't make it a public topic of conversation.)

A lot of people who focus on this chapter only notice that section about the women.  That's all you ever hear about.  There's something to be said for the "Proverbs 31 man", too, though. Men who make an effort to be caring and show it.  Who notice those with needs and have compassionate hearts to work to provide for them and defend them.  Who are involved in their community.  Who not only support their partner, but really do put them above all others.  Who don't just see their lives as a playground, or think their world is all about them and their needs, but are looking outside and noticing the needs of others.  Especially those they call family.  I love seeing that kind of man!

Charm and beauty are wonderful things, but they are very deceptive.  They're not always what they appear to be.  They can be illusions.  Their allure fades.  Those who honor God.....who are willing to do the work and get their hands dirty, who are willing to live sacrificially, those whose pride come from being people of purpose who care for others....those are the people we should aspire to be.  I am not the Proverbs 31 woman.  But I am surrounded by quite a few of them.  So yea to the Proverbs 31 woman....and to the Proverbs 31 man.  I am watching you, as are others.  May we all see you, and learn from you, and want to become more like you.  And may you be the kind of people we most respect.


(I made it through Proverbs blogging!!!!  There were times when I wondered if I would.  And also completed the 4,000 squat challenge during the month of July.  And had my annual physical and went on a cruise with my niece Maggie.  It has been a good month!  Happy birthday month to me!  Thank you Lord for another wonderful year of life....I know it is a gift and I hope you see I am using it well.  And if not, poke me!)

Killing Ourselves With Our Own Political Swords

Day 16 in Proverbs 

OK....for my birthday month of July decided to take a jog through Proverbs and blog on my thoughts.  Got behind when on vacation, but I'm BACK!   (Also got behind on the 4,000 squats I am supposed to be doing during the month of July....but am halfway there, so will catch up before the month is over and complete the task!)  So here goes....first things first.....going to try to start catching up the blog!

Proverbs 16:9-15 “We make our own plans, but the Lord decides where we will go.  Rulers speak with authority and are never wrong.  The Lord doesn’t like it when we cheat in business.  Justice makes rulers powerful.   They should hate evil and like honesty and truth.  An angry ruler can put you to death.  So be wise!  Don’t make one angry. When a ruler is happy and pleased with you, it’s like refreshing rain, and you will live.”

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I make no secret of the fact that I am disgusted with our political process, but I think I am a bit unique in that I am more disgusted by the average citizen than by those politicians we have elected.  It’s odd to me that we elect our rulers, yet they get even less respect than someone who gains their power through a royal system in which it is inherited.  The venom with which people speak of people they have never met and from whom most of their knowledge is by clips of TV news astounds me.  Or even worse, when they haven’t watched any TV news, or read any political positions, or gotten to know any candidates, and their knowledge comes only by hearsay…normally by someone in their political party, who they may know, but more often than not they also just know by sound bites.  Or it comes from the way they look....and how we think they think.

So when was the last time you looked at a politician with views that oppose yours and said “Rulers speak with authority and are never wrong”?  Yeah, I am a skeptic, too, but I also think maybe things could be a bit different if we believed in their power of the office a bit.  Maybe instead of having to sell us a product their whole time in office, they could have the freedom to concentrate on issues more than PR.  Because I don’t have a strong political affiliation, I like to hope I remove myself from a lot of the rhetoric when I vote.  It's impossible to remove yourself from it all....but I think it is up to ourselves to make sure we are making as pure a decision as we can.  And no....I don't think I am there yet.  I still approach the whole process poorly.  But I desire to learn and grow in that area.....and when you commit to that path, you usually can find your way down it.

I don't think it is easy to always make correct first impressions about people anyway (my thought is that if you think you are really good at it, perhaps you refuse to ever consider you may have been wrong), but politicians?  It is about impossible.  They get trained to not say anything that shows who they really are.  Is that what we want?  Perfection is overrated.....and probably does not make for the most compassionate leaders.  I'd rather someone who has come through the trenches, been wrong on occasion and learned from making mistakes.  I think some of our greatest leaders have at times in their lives been some of our most imperfect people.  From the beginning of time that has been the case, I suspect.  I'd rather someone who makes an effort to know their constituents, who listens to what they say, spends time figuring out the bits that are truth (recognizing that what comes out of our mouths is often based on our own experience, our emotions, and not necessarily that of the good of the general public), who studies the issues and then makes the best decision they can at the time.  

I was a Broadcast Journalism major in college and I know what goes on beyond the camera when a TV show is being produced.  The job is to make good TV….and if that is their primary goal to please those people who provide the funds to enable them to do what they do.  You can’t let that leave your mind.  That’s not to say that there aren’t a lot of people on integrity in the media….I think most have more than the average person.  But your mind changes a bit when you do that full time.  I worked on a local TV station when I was in college and we were always looking for a good story.  You had to have good stories for every show, so anything you see, any conversation that you have, anything you learn….you are viewing it with “So what is the story here?” at the back of your mind.  When that happens, you have a certain point of view that is unique, but also sometimes becomes a bit artificial.  Great sound bites seldom tell the whole truth.

So how do we choose leaders?  I say we try to get to know them.  Beyond the public forum.  That's tough to do....and as I say this, I must also say I really don't want to.  I don't always have a lot of patience with political types.  But what should we look for when we do?  Not someone who agrees with us on every issue, but instead people who like honesty and truth.  Those who fight for justice for all people.  Not just for you and your issues.

We believe that it is the job of the politician to please us.....and in many ways in our system we have made it that way.  But as we get to know them, they need to get to know us.  We need to please them.  Offensive to your sensibilities?  I understand!  But if our interactions with our political leaders are as rabid crazy people, do we want to have the kind of leaders who respond to that?  I hope they ignore the shouting.  I want them to see the normal people.  Those who don't always speak with loud voices, but with compassionate ones.  They need to see our hearts.  We need to help them see beyond the rhetoric to the road of justice.  That's what should be the source of our passion....justice and mercy and kindness and honesty and truth.

Solomon, the writer of Proverbs, was king and definitely he writes from a certain point of view that we should keep in mind as we read what he says.  We need to think through the point of view of the other person.  We need to think through the point of view of our leaders.  I am not planning to offer myself up for political office any time soon.  I think it is on the same level as working for a church.....you must deal with the worst of humanity, be disrespected daily for reasons that have nothing to do with you, and do it all with a loving manner.  I am low in patience for this and way too much of a seasoned sinner.

The verse about cheating in business seems a bit out of place here, doesn't it?  But we need to do our jobs the way we expect our leaders to do theirs.  Honestly.  Loving justice and mercy.  Looking to God and not people to direct our paths.  One of our jobs as a citizen is to respect our leaders.  Not always agree with them, but respect them.  Especially in this great country when they are chosen by the people.  Whether we voted for them or not, they are still in authority over us and we need to respect them for that.  It is a privilege to live in a free country, but we are not completely free.  We have leaders who can impact our lives.  We have laws that have come up, among other reasons, because we haven't proven ourselves as a people who are capable of respecting other people without them.  They are also to be respected.  Let's not waste our own time with anger, either theirs or ours, but instead work to actually get things done in our country.  Meaningful things that will make this a country we are all proud to live in.....and one in which we won't cringe when we hear a politician begin to speak.  

We can go in with our swords drawn and win a battle or two.  But they do have power....they can kill us in the war.  I'd personally prefer as little government (laws, rules) as possible, but not in a country where people don't understand the basics of respect for others.  Respecting others requires we respect our leaders and those in authority.  Once again, it doesn't mean we agree.  But there hasn't been near enough respectful disagreeing going on....just lots of angry, useless talk that sounds a lot like Charlie Brown's teacher.