Of Convicts and Convictions

"Convict" and "convictions" are too close in nature not to be concentric at times.  After all, people can become prisoners of their convictions, penned in by the absolutes.  And, just as every convict has a victim, so, too, can people become victims of others' convictions.

As for me, it seems more likely that I'll become a convict before I can identify a single conviction that envelops me.  Maybe that's kind of sad, thinking that I can't name even one thing I hold to so tightly that each moment reflects it.  For me, just getting out of bed each morning tends to muddy things.  Sure, I have tenets that guide me--kindness, truth-seeking and honesty, for example.  But I don't believe I've ever batted .1000 on a single one of those.  Heck, I've usually blown all three before breakfast each day. 

Then again, I do wake up early.  Very early.

I'm so conflicted that even the act of loving God doesn't seem to simplify things.  Indeed, for me, loving God has the opposite effect--making things even more complicated and confounding.  Even the essence of most religions--loving neighbor as self--is a toughie, especially when I need so many home improvements myself.

It seems I spend most days doing two things--navigating and negotiating.  I read the situation, apply what I know, figure out what I don't know (which is usually a much larger slice of the pie) and start building a bridge or two between those gaps.

It's satisfying work, to be sure.  But never clean or tidy.


I think that's why I'm so disgusted with politics today.  Too many politicians want clean and tidy, all-or-nothing and we keep getting more of the nothing.  They become penned in by their convictions--or the convictions of their constituents.  And convictions flourish best in the realm of paper.  They become much tougher to maintain when skin is the medium.

Jesus was a squeamish sort because he challenged his people's very convictions.  I imagine He'd prefer His name not be invoked so much these days.  Or at least to be cited correctly.

Heck, even Ronald Reagan knew the value of reaching across the aisle.  And I respected him for that.

 I just got back from staring at the ocean for five day.  Even in those five days, it was obvious that nature holds no black-and-white convictions.  I saw plenty of navigating and negotiating, the hum of life continually takings its own temperature as it found a new path, a new pattern, a new way to make it to another sunset. 

Seems to have worked for nature.  I don't know why such a thing couldn't help us, as well.

"You can never step in the same river twice for new waters are always flowing on to you."
--Heraclitus of Ephesus