And comparison is very delicate ...and should be used very selectively.
Instruction on comparisons should start very earlier in life.
The comparison of hot & cold ....
We should be taught early on ...what is 'off', and what is 'on' for the stove. And not to touch it.
The comparison of safe & unsafe ...
We should be taught early on ...not to play in the street, especially if the street is one of frequent traffic. I know some of you may have grown up playing 'stickball' in the street in front of your house, but I'm sure it was not a highway.
Our parents likely taught us these comparisons ...yet, more instruction was on the way. How about our first day of school?? It's possible that we were taught things we were not taught at home. And for most of us, we were also taught things we'd be graded on.
To different degrees, that may have meant a lot to some of us, depending upon our personality and any competitive nature that may have been instilled in us. But, aside from the things we got graded on ....there were also other things that meant even more to some of us. And this was ...whether we were liked by others or not. And it was not just a simple choice of one person favoring another. Much effort and hyped up emotions were invested ...and often the comparisons became cruelly competitive.
Some people would say they didn't like certain others ...and would often make inaccurate assessments. And some would say they would not be your friend, unless you joined them in agreeing not to be a friend to a certain other person. These sort of comparisons were hurtful ...and cruel.
These behaviors were not instructive ...unless the lesson for the day was to learn that the people in this world are often hurtful and cruel.
To be acknowledged, recognized, or included is something that is frequently sought after ...but, when it is at the expense of not including others, the comparisons of assigned human value is destructive at the core.
And if we view those who simply include us ...as the nicest people we know, then we can become a bit diluted if we do not also see the not so nice exclusion of others.
The worst of it ...is when we believe the divisive remarks, convincing us that the comparison is fair and accurate. And with that ...if we join the chorus of the divisive group, believing the downgraded status of those we should actually view as our equals, we all too quickly become part of the problem ourselves.
There is a saying, "Give credit where credit is due." Not blowing our own horn, but when we do something nice ...it is not just the nice thing in itself that holds value, but also what is behind it.
When I worked in the prison, a newcomer (prisoner) thought he was getting a wonderful welcoming when he found his bunk laden with a half dozen or so candy bars. He joyfully ate them ...then one of the other prisoners approached him, saying he wanted the candy bars that he had placed on the bunk. When the new prisoner said he had eaten the candy bars, the other prisoner angrily threatened, "You owe me!"
There was no 'nice' behind that situation ...as the motivation was to manipulate and control. So, should we go through life being cynical & not trusting anyone?? No ...in comparison, there are those who do nice things because they have a heart to do nice things.
Most of us should know this, but I'm stating the question anyway:
Do you know who started the first hospitals??
The first universities??
How about, the first shelters, soup kitchens, and clothing drives???
Well, the first hospitals ...it has been said they were established to treat the wounded soldiers. Yet, to say a bit more, in ancient cultures such as the Egyptians ...religion and medicine were linked. Other texts list India as perhaps one of the first to provide cosmopolitan medical services. And later on, it was said that the Roman Empire, becoming very religious itself, aimed to construct a hospital in every cathedral town.
Hospitals began taking on names such as St. Thomas, St. Joseph, and St. Mary ...
In the United States, Harvard is listed as one of the first universities ...and although never formally affiliated with any denomination, the early collegiate curriculum included the training of Congregational and Unitarian clergy.
The University of Philadelphia was conceived when a group of citizens established a trust for a charity school at the request of traveling evangelist George Whitefield. A frame was built, but lack of funds delayed its founding until Benjamin Franklin put his influence behind it.
So, what am I saying??
Churches ...and Founding Fathers with the aim of not only learning, but religious learning ---were central to the much good that was transforming society.
Why is it important to say this??
Because it was clear that God was central to the much good that was happening.
Today, now well into the 21st Century, we feel we have accomplished so much, and there is not much we feel we cannot do. We have sort of climbed the informational Tower of Babel, and our achievements are so vast, too many people feel they don't really need God. Oh, it's still popular to mostly say we believe in God ...but, it sort of often doesn't go much beyond that.
So, with all the marvelous and wondrous advances we've made ...the thing that we've accomplished most, is to minimize our thoughts on how God looks at all this.
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