"And Down the Rabbit Hole she Fell...": A Thought and a Question?

So, it's been a while on the blog, I'll admit... And I have to be ever so careful sometimes what I put out on the web for the world to see.

But I do have one question to pose...

I've been seeing lots of stories and news articles lately about the world's events: i.e., BSA's inclusion of homosexual members, Marriage equality, Government sequestration, growing unemployment, Growing debt crisis, etc. And many of the articles I've seen, on certain websites or news organizations, at least some of the ones I read - I will admit, are of a more religious nature - have all approached the issues the same way... There's always some big-whig who thinks he has all the answers claiming this particular stance or that particular stance. Every article its always somebody else and there's always a dire issue. But no matter who it is, their end message is always the same: "The Moral Decline of Culture and America". And no matter what the issue really is, it's always a detriment to the moral compass of our nation. And we are slowly "killing and compromising our morals." In essence, the world is going just going to pot!

I'll admit, I sometimes grow tired of reading and hearing all the hub-bub about it. I mean, really, if after all it all ends the same, so why do I need to concern myself with it....?

Well, as I've thought over these things recently, a question has lodged itself in my brain. And it won't go away. Every time I read an article of this nature, its slapping me in the face... Every time I hear someone tout a moral message of America, I can't help but think it.... "Who decides that our morals are declining? How do we really judge that our world is in moral decay?"

I mean when you consider the history of the entire world... Why is it just now in the 20th and 21st centuries that we have decided that our morals are decaying? That we are somehow worse now, than we were say 500 or 600 years ago? Or 1000 or 2000 years ago? Who judges that? And what is the litmus test for it?

This isn't simply a post for pondering today... Perhaps I should rename the blog "Questions from the Thinking Chair." In any case, I am curious your thoughts....

Are we as a nation, culture in a downward spiral of moral decay? And if so, How do we judge it? And if so, when will we hit the bottom? Will we hit the bottom? And what happens then?

Questions, questions fill my head....

J.

Two Guys Walk Into a Bar...

So, for several years of my bachelor life, I work for a summer camp organization called Centrifuge Camps. I loved my time with “Fuge” because I learned many life lessons, made life-long friendships (including my wife), and grew my creativity in many ways. But sometimes feel like I’ve been cursed by some the doctrines I learned while with Fuge. One of the things Fuge is very good at (and I would say probably best at) is teaching you how to look at the big picture and see things that need to improve. Looking at things through an eye of excellence. One of the big draws for me to Fuge was how well they build excellence into their program. They are constantly looking for how to better and improve themselves.
    Now at first glance you may say, “what’s the big problem with always trying to better the program?” Well, nothing. Except when it becomes a problem...

You see, every year Fuge would come out with a new idea (or mantra) they would use to inspire you to excellence... One year was “Challenge the Norm”, the next year was “Bump the Lamp”, and the next year was “Throw the Fish”, and so on... Whatever the saying, it was always meant to look for the small things that make it all better - going the extra step to make camp that much better for all attenders. I liked that approach. I wanted all who attended camp to not only have a fun time, but to have a life-changing, and life-altering experience.
    You may be thinking at this point, “Well, why do you feel cursed with this idea?” Well, its like this: Where, as the thought of always looking to improve and be excellent is good, there is one fault with it. It doesn’t take into account people. If for say I’m working by myself, this idea is no problem. I can always improve upon myself. However, when other people get involved, it gets to be a bit more difficult to improve. The variables change. Most people in the world understand this. In fact, we’ve developed a rule of judgment for such situations. We call it: The BAR.
    Through my years of working with people, I’ve learned that there are mostly 3 types of people in the world.

1. People who are at the bar. These people will always go to the bar. They will do the work that is expected of them and will probably go no further. They are ok, in fact they are very pleased, to just go to the bar and stop. They have no qualms with not going the next step or not doing things that obviously need doing. Their only concern is doing just enough to get the job done and make it to the bar.

2. The second type of people, are below the bar people. These types may or may not see the bar at all. They never get to the bar and don’t even consider the option of getting to the bar. These are main laborer types. They may work hard, but as it concerns them, their focus is when it’s time to hit the bar (the non-pun type).

3. The third type of people in the world are the people who see the bar, and move right on past it. These types always see the bar behind them. They do the work that must be done, and then some, to get over it. These types of people are zealous for the work they do, and can’t for some reason understand why other people wouldn’t want to work like them. In fact, they often wonder why not everyone can see the obvious bar that they have just raised. They wonder why nobody cares to see all the hard work they’ve put into their precious previous efforts.

As I look back, I often find myself as a third type of person. And as much as I would like to be a first or second type person, there’s something built into my psyche that makes me want to go a step beyond the bar. There’s something innate in me that makes me want to see that bar, getting a running start, jump up on it, and start dancing! And you know, it gets frustrating at times... But you know, I have to remember one thing: People are different. And that’s OK. The Word says that we as people are fearfully and wonderfully made, created in the image of God the Father.
    That makes me think... my God likes creativity. He likes to make all different types of things. And that means people who go to the bar, people who are below the bar, and people who dance on top of the bar. He creates us all in different ways so we can learn how to make it all work together. Whether we see it or not, we all need the other types of people in our lives. Because they challenge us and help us to grow. And I won’t lie, that’s sometimes not easy... 

But that discussion is for a different blog post...