On my way…
Sometimes on the way to my office, I get off on an exit that has two lanes:
- a right turn only and
- a left turn or go straight ahead lane.
I need to go straight ahead so I have to wait for almost all of those in front of me to turn left before I can go through the intersection.
Hardly anyone turns right.
On the other side of the intersection there are two lanes that narrow to one. So I could cheat and act like I am turning right but go through the intersection and, because almost all people turn left, I could easily merge into the left lane, go straight and save a lot of time.
Sometimes as much as maybe a song on the radio or a short news report on NPR.
I think almost no one would notice.
Today I was a good boy and stayed in the left turn/go straight lane when someone decided to be tricky and go through the intersection from the right-hand-turn-only lane.
As fate would have it, the guy in front of me was also going straight and was visibly perturbed by the driver who pulled my premeditated but unexecuted trick. Watching that guy who was in front of me through his rear window dealing with the trickster, I knew that at that moment there was no benefit in being a lip reader. For a few moments, it looked like he was even going to follow that tricky driver into the gas station on the other side of the intersection and make sure that the tricky driver understood in detail how his victim’s rights had been violated. After all, the expedient tricky driver had broken the rules and cost both of us some valuable seconds on our trips to somewhere.
I have been on both sides of the equation – the perp and the victim.
Righteous in both cases.
I am quite capable of making a convincing argument for my actions even if I only convince myself, which is really the most important person in the conversation – ‘cause I am the doer. And I am the one who must deal with the guilt and the anger.
*****
Blessed are the peacemakers for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are the meek for they will see God.
Jesus, from the Gospel of Matthew
Inheriting the earth. Seeing God. If only.
I don’t even think of inheriting the earth, winning the lottery is so crazy to even think about I don’t even buy tickets.
But seeing God, that’s at the top of my list.
Let me see if I have this right. I am supposed to be able to accept without whining being the victim of someone “breaking the rules” and so confident in big picture justice that I love both the tricky driver and the guy that’s mouthing non-affirmations?
Possible, but more than kinda hard.
God, sometimes you are not so subtle,
or easy to please.
