You guys n gals are awesome, hope you know that.
No matter you religious or political affiliation, i think that pauls words to the Ephesians bear some thought and i hope you'll grant me the latitude to quote it here.
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
I believe that there are 2 forces on this earth, however you want to define or name them. Good, light, hope and peace. And wickedness, darkness, sorrow and hate. It is really easy to get tied up in conflict. Me vs them, but like paul said, people arent the problem, no matter which side they are on. If we allow ourselves to be influenced negatively to get worked up to any degree of hate, we've already lost.
I am all for discourse, discussion and debate, i think it necessary and good. But as soon as we let ourselves be influenced by those negative inclinations, we close down real communication and from that point there are no winners save it be the powers of darkness.
One more quick story and i will let it be.
On a farm in the days of horse and buggy, a young boy found a felling wedge, the big iron ones lumberjacks pound into saw cuts. While he was playing he set it between the limbs of a young walnut tree his father had planted. He remembered he was late for dinner and forgot all about the wedge. It sat between those limbs forgotten, untill many years later. The boy eventually inherited his fathers farm and the young walnut tree had grown mighty and strong, until one fateful night. in
An ice storm, that the proud tree should have weathered without issue, added some weight and with a mighty 'snap' one of the main limbs fell off. The loss of that limb caused the whole tree to become unbalanced and uproot. Hearing the noise, the once boy ran out to inspect the damage and there, right in the first break, was the wedge he had years ago forgotten. The tree had grown around it and swallowed it up. What would have been something that caused no damage at all, left neglected, took down the whole tree.
Edit: plus its mostly Chris's fault ;)
