Jack’s Winning Words  5/20/22 “A lie doesn’t become truth, wrong doesn’t become right and evil doesn’t become good, just because it’s accepted by the majority.”  (Booker T. Washington)   Booker T lived in post-Civil War times when the majority of people accepted the outcome of the war.  Yet, a strong minority held on to the view that the war did not resolve “the issues".  A long-held belief is that in civil societies there should be an attempt to bring majority and minority closer to a view that is acceptable to both.  What do you think?  In conflict situations,  do there always have to be winners and losers?  ;-) Jack FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  no, we don't but our human nature sure seems to "push" us in that direction.  it has sooo much to do with our pride,  our ego,  and even our sense of self-esteem.===JACK:  I found that a part of my pastoral ministry was to get a variety of church members to see themselves as part of a team and to "pull" in the same direction.    FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  Reflecting upon your WW, I think I don’t always believe in “compromise” solutions but do believe there is real truth—Jesus tells Pilate I think it was—that he Jesus is the Truth and I believe most deeply in my heart that it is possible, through the Work of the Holy Spirit, that the side in error is brought to True understanding and repentance and the other side to mercy and forgiveness and so that kind of solution comes about, more in line with God’s Will for us than our human abilities to engineer how we live together in our human society.  I guess, from this theological perspective, there are no winners and losers but God over us all and all become winners in the grand scheme of things.  Often though, what we perceive through our rational human lenses, we can lose faith and hope in God and that is a danger we face.  Why we need the Church to keep shoring us up to keep praying and working for justice, in my opinion and experience anyway.===JACK:  Where there is no compromise, there is no progress.  Sometimes we have to take a step backward in order to move two steps forward.  Compromise is hard, but it's the way to get things done.===SS:  I guess you’re right, Pastor Freed.  That’s certainly the pattern we’ve been following on racism and abortion and sexual issues and economic justice and so forth and so on.  Reality.  Thanks.===JACK:  Progress is often excruciatingly slow, but it's better than no progress.  It's sort of like the differences between the ELCA and more conservative denominations.  The ELCA  allows the brain to be used. FROM ROBERT:  I choose the peace, “peace that surpasses all understanding”… Phil 4:7===JACK:  Peace, no matter what the cost?  It seems that it would be difficult to be a member of the Society oFriends religion...but it seems to work for some. FROM WILLMAR REV:  Seems to be a stand-off with this regard at the present, with the two leading political parties and media…rhetoric conversations abound about who's at fault?!?! 0;-/===JACK:  Without a willingness to compromise, we are at a stalemate and neither side is happy...unless they are "happy" with the status quo.  Religion has learned to live with compromise, accepting one another's way of worshipping without trying to enforce agreement. FROM PASTY PAT:  An especially apropos question where I am now. I only wish I had ANY answer. Like Dickens I can only say “it was the best of times and the worst of times ===JACK:  Without compromises, you are in the Unholy Land.  I have a hard time believing that God is pleased with the strife over who's right and who's wrong.…. FROM ME IN NEWPORT BEACH:  In a pluralistic society, compromise is necessary. The more pluralistic, the more principles vary.  Compromise of principle is difficult for almost everyone.  It causes me to question, for the first time in my life, whether a democratic society as pluralistic as ours, with what appears to be either an absence of leadership or a damaged political system, can both prosper and survive.   I do not have an answer but I feel our generation is the first in my lifetime to leave our children a lesser world.  People do not seem nearly as happy today and the world seems more full of stress than happiness.  s a consequence, I believe many people, like me I am sorry to say, become more insular, watch less news which in general is more stress inducing, turn more inward and focus on the happiness of themselves and those most important in their own, immediate life.  To me the saddest example of our world’s current state that I have ever witnessed is the brazen invasion of Ukraine which essentially has rendered 48 million people homeless while the entire rest of the world watches and remains politically correct and thus far, ineffective, without answer.  Depressing.  And I have always seen myself as a positive person who liked to find answers.  ===JACK:  Yours is the response that I had hoped today's WWs would generate.  As a follow-up on the Ukraine, the seemingly non-response by "the world" might be to prevent the onset of WW 3 and the nuclear holocaust that it would bring.  The Ukraine invasion seemed to be a Soviet reaction to the possibility of the Ukraine becoming a NATO nation.  The move of Finland and Sweden toward becoming NATO-related appears to be a way of protecting themselves against what is happening in the Ukraine.  Ergo, an attack on a NATO nation is regarded as an attack on all of the treaty countries.  This still might result in WW 3 when an unbalanced person controls the weapon.  You're right...this generation is leaving major problems to the next generation.  No, where do the People of God and God fit into the equation?===ME:  That answer will have to come from God himself or a man of God, the latter of which I do not believe I qualify.   Going back to confirmation class, I still have trouble believing things I either do not understand or which require the apparent leap of faith.  Formal religions have disappointed me so many times that I think I believe primarily in what I understand as "The Golden Rule", namely,  to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Unfortunately, I also believe that power corrupts and seem to believe that absolute power corrupts absolutely.  I always thought that our American democratic political principle of checks and balances would keep our government honest.  While I have never studied either politics or religion, what are the checks and balances that keep religion honest?  Or must we have faith to rely upon the absolute power of God?===JACK:  Unfortunately, "religion" is a step by step process (which includes unlearning certain concepts that were incorrectly taught.  Confirmation was but a step.  Other steps must be taken...and along with each step there needs to be a competent teacher.  I am still learning today, and I'm moving beyond the Golden Rule.  I have moved to the occasion when the :holy men" asked Jesus what is the greatest commandment, and he responded: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself."  When the rabbis asked, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus responded wit the Parable of the Good Samaritan.   Is my neighbor at the Mexican border?  Is my neighbor next door?  Is my neighbor a Ukrainian?  Is my neighbor one of 2000 different religions?  Is my neighbor LGBT?  I love the ELCA because it allows for such questioning.  What kind of a person does God want you to be?  When Michelangelo was in his 80s he said, "Ancora imparo." I ajm always learning.  When it comes to religion, "Ancora imparo."  FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I have this on my kitchen wall! Such a good one! Blessings,===JACK:  It's good to have reminders around us.  This generation needs to know that there was a Booker T, and that he spoke wise words.  Are there any other wise words in your memory bank?===OAKS:   A quote from Bill:'Want what you have and you'll always have what you want '!!===JACK: That reminds me - I think I was supposed to see if my friend you could have that saying put on to a magnet so that you could give it to family and friends - or was I dreaming?