Blog 3023 – 02.08.2024

Everyday People

Today’s anthem from my youth is one of the more astute and “right on” to borrow a popular exclamation from that time. Oftentimes people with a little more privilege, power, and possessions begin to think that they are better than everyday people. It is an illusion proposed, pronounced, and peddled, by that great accuser of the brethren, satan, whom I call ego and do not even here dignify with a capital letter.

Why this insatiable need or desire to always be “one up” on our brothers? In the Old Testament God knew his wayward children needed help finding their way so he gave them judges and prophets to guide them, not to rule over them. But they saw their neighbors had kings whom they placed above them so they asked their prophet to petition God to give them a king. God was disappointed that they did not recognize who and whose they truly were and therefor thought they needed another king, but he relented and gave them want they wanted, knowing the disastrous results that would come of it.

The history of the kings of Israel starts with Saul a head taller than his brothers. (Note: With the two possible exceptions of George W. Bush and Joe Biden, U.S. voters have always picked the taller of the two candidates, probably not the best way to pick a leader.) The story of the captains and kings throughout history, tall or short, is testimony to the old adage that “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Jesus in one of his many lessons trying to teach us who’s who and how to treat everyone said: “In that you did it (or did it not) to the least of these my siblings, you did (or did it not) to me.” Most religions even Christians, I think, miss the point, God does not play favorites, but sees us all the same. Some of us might stand a bit taller or like the stars in the sky may seem for a while to be bigger or to shine a bit brighter, but we are all just stars shining in the night sky and just everyday people watching the parade go by from slightly different vantage points.

“I can be right and I can be wrong. My own beliefs are in my song. I, I, I, I am everyday people.”

Your friend and fellow traveler,

David White

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SmFdCz7FBsmPMcvte0eAFGVqQcCvW-GW/view?usp=drivesdk

Everyday People