Hurry Preys on the Young

Age discrimination comes in many forms. Hurry discriminates against the mature or maybe it’s vice versa – it is we, the mature, who discriminate against hurry. By its very definition, hurry or the act of hurrying is attempting to reach something, someone, or some place by a defined time or ASAP. As we add years to our journey, more and more we are asked “have you fallen in the last 3 months?” and sometimes, the question is more presumptuous when we are asked “how many times have you fallen?” I take issue with this because “I don’t do falling! It’s not in my repertoire or my portfolio!” And, contrary to my doctor’s beliefs, I’m not adding it either. I take umbrage against “hurry” for it can be a recipe for disaster.

The irony of the situation is that I DID (past tense) most of my falling when I was young, mostly before I reached 30 years of age. No doctor then asked me how many times I had fallen in the last 3 months. In every instance I was rushing for one reason or another:

  • One time I was rushing to catch a bus to go to work which was something I normally didn’t do since my job was a 20-minute walk from my home. But it had snowed the previous day and was very slushy and icy in certain spots. As I saw the bus coming, I started running to reach the bus stop and summarily fell on my pride. Not only did I miss the bus, but, of course, my clothes were ruined and I had to take the trip back home to change.
  • Another instance was on one of my day’s off. Since I was downtown, I decided I would try to catch my friend before she left work in one of the government buildings. It was close to 5:00, so I went bounding up the stairs, only to realize too late that the top step was larger than the others. Anyone who thinks falling down the stairs is ugly has never fallen up the stairs. A young man stopped to ask me if I had hurt anything to which I replied “only my pride.” To add insult to injury, my friend had not even gone to work that day.

I also take affront at the now-current commercial that infers that somehow silence and staring into space to meditate and get lost in our thoughts somehow means we are “lost”. I realize with each passing year that I find less and less things for which or to which I want to hurry. I relish the slower pace of life:

  • One morning, to stare out my window with my cup of coffee and watch the bird sitting in the tree watching me. And to ponder our differing positions in God’s kingdom
  • One afternoon, to read one chapter in a friend’s novel that I have had in my possession (unread) for more years than I care to count; and even to get “lost in thought” reminiscing about our years working together, or the trials and tribulations each of us experienced attempting to start and grow our own businesses, and even the current successes of our forays into publishing.
  • One evening, maybe to sit in the dark (or not) and be gratified in the accomplishments (big or small) of my life, to analyze things I could do differently, if the opportunity should arise again, and to take satisfaction in what I possess, material or spiritual.

We are not always slow because we can’t move any faster; it’s because we might miss something if we whiz by. The sitting in silence is not a sign of mental decay, but of mental gymnastics as we travel up the conveyor belt of our minds, remembering the relationships that shaped who we are and where we are today; reviewing the strengths and weaknesses we exhibited throughout our lifetime; and relishing in the anticipation of “what’s next?”

Hurry is definitely for the young, but even they are deprived of soaking in all that life has to offer.

When Will We Become Our Brother’s Keeper?

God asked Cain “Where is your brother?” to which Cain replied “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Genesis 2:15

Loving brothers
How could 2 brothers be so different?

Fueding — Love devolved

Even the first family had sibling rivalry, so intense that it ended in murder. How did they change from loving brothers to hating relatives? Although to be perfectly accurate, only one brother was envious.

What caused this rivalry?

  • Half-hearted commitment
  • Selfishness = Me, Myself, and I
  • Resentment at being rejected
  • Envy of another’s favor
  • Unwillingness to change

Cain was not committed to pleasing God and did not give his best. In today’s world, we are often spread so thin that we are only half-heartedly committed even to those things we care the most about. Less time is spent with our families because of the chase to achieve wealth and fame. Our wives and husbands are neglected leaving them open to temptation. Everyone is raising our children, except us. And sometimes we don’t even give our all to our jobs because it isn’t what really fulfills us. We don’t even give our all to our own selves to improve our mental and physical health. Without a commitment, we don’t give our best.

Cain lost sight of what his commitment was, which made him concerned only with himself. When we begin to lose our commitment to the world, we begin to become self-centered. We give our leftovers: we throw money at charities, instead of giving our time to make a real difference; we substitute activities rather than communication with our families; and we occupy space at our jobs.

Cain’s offerings to God were rejected because God knew his heart wasn’t in it. Once we become centered inward, we become resentful when our half-hearted efforts are rejected by others. Each rejection takes us down a darker path.

Cain not only felt rejected, but began to compare himself with his brother who had garnered favor. Instead of following Abel’s example to please God, he became envious of his favor with God. Everyone, who is honest, has had moments when we envied the fact that someone else got the promotion we wanted, or everyone, except you, was getting married, or your neighbor bought that new car that you so want but can’t afford. It can take us to a dark place. This is the time when we need to change our focus outward.

Maybe we don’t have everything we want, but do we have everything we need? Would you have more peace in the bigger house if you have to work longer hours, away from your family, so that you get to a place where no one knows anyone else anymore? Where is the love without the togetherness? Where is the “family”? Where are your friends, if you don’t have time to socialize with them? How can you “do life together” if you don’t even know what their problems are?

“Love your neighbor as yourself”

Matthew 22:39

I challenge you to get to know your neighbors, and not just your immediate neighbors, your world neighbors. But the biggest challenge is to love them like you love yourself. And here lies the rub: how well do you love yourself?