Note: I wrote this back in June and can’t find 11.
When I started this sequence of pieces, I had forgotten how much stuff the author could cram into one rule. His twelfth rule starts with integrity, goes to right vs wrong, and some distance later covers don’t mislead. My paraphrase of the topic comes down to a phrase I remember from when I was younger of “Stick to the High Road.” I think it might have something to do with getting caught in a flood, but I always associated it with choosing to do the right thing no matter the cost.
From the mid-eighties to the mid-nineties, I tried to read Calvin and Hobbes when it was new every day. I would buy or subscribe to whatever paper carried it in my area and read it as soon as I could. I almost never read anything else in the paper (maybe the baseball) and I would toss the rest aside. For those that don’t know, Calvin and Hobbes was a comic strip focused on a six year-old boy and his stuffed tiger. Calvin never aged and the themes helped me maintain a connection to the younger me.
In the first week of Calvin and Hobbes, we see Hobbes doing anything for a tuna fish sandwich. It seems silly, but the more you think about it, many people have something they would do anything for. “I would do anything for my kids’ safety.” is probably a phrase most parents would own. “I would do anything to be rich.” is probably one many people think about, but hesitate to say in public. What is your “tuna fish sandwich”?
Many crazy things are going on in the world around us. A comment I heard over the past week was “Eventually no one with stand for the National Anthem.” I was taken aback that an activity associated with pride in our country could be eliminated. A work colleague of mine from years ago has a daughter who became somewhat famous. I follow her on twitter as she is a Christian I know and is not afraid of letting the world know her faith. Someone used a picture of her and her softball team standing for the National Anthem to fan the flames of divide in our country. As a result, the entire softball league has suspended operations in order to distance themselves from the actions of this one individual and regain the unity it sought to promote. I now understand how an action once seen as positive can become toxic and how a Christian can be faithful by sticking to the high road.
As an Eagle Scout, I was taught to respect the flag and how to actually do so. I still have pride in being an American and in being an Eagle Scout, but I recognize that the actions of evil in the past and the lack of action by supposedly good people has tarnished the image of our country and scouting. But I remember also that the “church” has been tarnished by the actions of evil and the inaction of good people not only looking at the seemingly constant stream of stuff in the media, but the entirety of history associated with the “church”.
The good thing is that the “church” is not a function of the people, but of God showing His love for us. God loved us while we were still sinners. It reminds us that we too as individuals fall short of perfection. Other than Jesus Christ, not one man has lived a life not impacted by sin. None of those in the media or the peaceful protests or the riots or looting has lived a sinless life. They have all done wrong at some point. God still loves them and commands us to love them too. While my life has seen me fail and seen my life negatively impacted by the actions or in actions of others, I am still loved by God, I still (through faith in Christ) am a child of God, and I am commanded to take the High Road. If it is right, I am to do it. If it is not right, I am “to not to” (to quote Mater). Standing for the National Anthem is something I was taught to do to honor our country and the lives of those who fought and died to provide it to me. Having racial prejudice is something people can be taught to do. Being taught something does not make it right. I need to learn. I learned only this morning that being sarcastic was to “mock or convey contempt”. I will have to remove that from my life. I need to be open to learning what it means to “Stick to the High Road” and make sure I am a peace maker and not just a peace keeper.