On a recent trip, my wife and I were able to take in a few hours at a local beach. It was relaxing–blue skies, billowy clouds floating by, a nice breeze, and the soothing sounds of the shore–with the occasional interruption of kids laughing and screaming, and overloud music. But, all in all, it was idyllic.
Suddenly, the serenity was obliterated by a loud male voice yelling, “What the f*** was that?” He yelled it over and over, and he sounded ANGRY–to the point, EVERYONE wanted to see what was going on! These waters are warm and known for the occasional interaction with sharks, so my own interest was piqued. I opened my eyes and tried to adjust to the light, while simultaneously trying to zero in on the source of the kerfuffle. And then I saw it. The old man was standing in the water facing the beach with is bronze leathery skin oiled up. He was facing a little boy how was trying to retrieve his sand pail that had had gotten caught in the surf and eluded capture. And the old man was pointing at the pail, screaming, “Put the bucket back!”
I turned to my wife and said, “Did you hear what I heard?” She smiled and said, I think everyone did. I looked around and saw that everyone around us was making the same discovery–what the man said is not what we all heard.
It reminded me of an encounter I had on a country road in Georgia recently. I had flown into Atlanta and rented a car to attend a meeting. I buckled up and headed out to a small town on the outskirts of the city. My GPS on my phone was taking me down country road after country road. When I finally came to a light, I decided to double check my phone for accurate directions. A man in a truck pulled up next to me, rolled down his window, and preceded to yell profanities, telling me that I don’t follow the laws and I was the problem with America. He then flipped me the bird, called me horrible name, and then sped off. The light turned green, but I did not move, looking around to see what I missed and what had triggered this guy. Since this was a rental car, I just assumed that this may have been mistaken identity and moved on to my meeting.
I arrived at the meeting a little frazzled from the encounter. But I pressed on. I ordered a coffee and found my way to my seat. A little later during a break, I conveyed the story to my hosts. Without hesitation, one of them asked, “Were you holding your phone in your hand?” I said, “Yes. I was checking the GPS.” He admonished me that driving with anything in your hand in Georgia is against the law. That was the moment I realized the gentleman was not only screaming, but he kept slapping his own hand.
Communication is a problem. In light of recent political events, many are starting to question whether innocent statements made without context can become trigger points for other’s action. (see https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd1rzde0n4do). In reality, the failure to communicate is at the very core of conflict. It might have been a much different outcome had my fellow driver just pulled up, rolled down his window, and said, “Hey bud! I see your from out of state. Georgia doesn’t allow anything in your hand while driving.” But instead, I got berated and insulted, and in ignorance, I continued breaking the law. Truly a pointless waste of emotion and energy.
We see this in almost every arena of life. Just watch TV, social media, other drivers on the road. EVERYONE is LOSING it. In fact, just do a search for “host eviscerates” or “host destroys” or “host obliterates.” You will find plenty of sound bites where two grown adults attack each other. Apparently, we LOVE to see this stuff.
The Bible demands a different way:
If I speak in the tongues of men…but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I see the future and can comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge…but do not have love, I am nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13)
The world is full of evil. May we be a beacon of light and love, not perpetuating the anger and hatred that we continually receive.
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