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2/19/2004
The Fallen Man
Do you ever look at someone and think they have latent terroist capabilities? Liar. Well, I do. It's probably from a stereotypical perspective, but who knows, maybe I have a future as an airport security screener. In high school, I remember this one kid named Micah Broadsky. Make sure you roll the "r" when you say that for the full effect of the last name. I think it's Russian. Anyway, he was a 10th grader who left mid-day to take math classes at the University of Washington Graduate School because our high quality private school wasn't "challenging" him enough. No doubt, Micah was very smart but he had the social skills of a 5-year-old. I kid you not, he threw temper tantrums and cursed at teachers when he got a low score. He didn't know how to share, how to be respectful, or how to hold a normal conversation. I always thought Micah would snap one day; like he would do something crazy and blow up the school. People used to think I was joking when I said that but i was VERY serious. Micah was smart, but Micah had issues. Unfortunately, in this country, the first outweighs the latter. Teachers could care less that Micah didn't know how to relate to people because he got good grades right?
Airport security cracks me up. It is a joke. If you're silly enough to believe that they really give a hoot about you and your loved ones being safe on that airplane, you're in for a ride. Literally. It's all a big show to keep you flying. Or in other words, to keep you paying. If somebody wants to do something horrible on a plane, they will find a way to do it. No amount of security or bullet proof doors can stop someone whose intentions are wicked. Hijacking is all about manipulation anyway. How can five people overpower 150 passengers? The same way a politician can gain votes from the masses or the psychic hotline racks up millions: manipulation.
The media baffles me. Columbine. Scott Peterson. Bill Clinton. Martha Stewart. Everyone was shocked.
"How could they?"
"I never saw it coming."
"But he was such a nice guy."
"I just don't understand."
Woeful tales of nation-wide distress caused by significant heartbreak in human morality. It is interesting how we pin certain people as having a propensity to commit certain crimes and then when someone who doesn't fit that mold does so, we are shocked. We have discussions around the water cooler about how disappointed we are and how things like this never happen in our neighborhood. All the while, we fail to realize that the piece of the puzzle at work here is sin. In come the smoke screens,
"Well, we need stricter gun control laws."
"Well I heard that he really had psychological problems. Plus, I don't think he was happy in his marriage."
"What a man does in his bedroom is his own business."
"She had a rough childhood."
All masks for the reality that is really at work on the earth. When we are disconnected from God, we are capable of doing anything. Yes, there are various factors as work, but separtion from God is number one. I don't care how educated you are, how much money you make, or how good of a family upbringing you had, God never designed us to live apart from Him. When we do so, we blow it. I know I do. So as I listen to commentators try to give their solutions and rationale as to why people do the things that they do it is as if they are beating the air. It's all bunk because no one wants to fess up to the fact that people are just people, and the idea of bad people and good people is not "relative". God clearly defines the standards for what is "good" in His sight. While universities have designed courses around "Ethics" and companies are establishing "Ethics Departments" God makes it simple for us. He tells us what's right and what's wrong.
While driving the other day, I saw a billboard. On it, was a picture of Ghandi and child, and the words read in big bold letters, "CHARACTER - Pass it on." The message I assume, was urging people to pass on character to children. And what better example of character than the non-violent message of Ghandi! Nice feel good words right? Since we're a morally relative society, I assume that means, don't steal, don't kill, try not to lie, be on time, and pick up after yourself. Oh, and don't hate. Character is romanticized. We're in love with the idea, but much of the world is unsure of what it really means, what it looks like, or how to achieve it. The sad part is, we credit good works, talent and skill over character these days. Look at the icons of our society, leaders, lawmakers, artists. It's usually not until something terribly bad happens that we start to ask the character questions. Even then, we don't know how to navigate the discussion, so we start making up excuses and generating laws and programs. It is a problem that I pray our generation works to change. No amount of psychological profilers can consistently pin a terroist, a murderer, a thief, or a liar until they deal with the spirit of the man. And that has nothing to do with outward appearance.
posted by ambra at 2/19/2004 11:24:02 AM | link to this entry |
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