Who Says Who’s On First?

We have many running jokes in the San Francisco Bay Area. Most of them involve most of our professional sports teams… well, teams consisting of people who get paid. Calling them professional is a bit of a stretch. But I digress. Anyway, given how most of the running with said teams consists of watching the other team while it’s running up the score, a line comes to mind: “Yeah, they’re incompetent stumblebums. But they’re MY incompetent stumblebums! And don’t you forget it!”

Jokes about how it’s necessary for fans to defend the local teams since none of them have any defense of their own aside, it’s interesting to note whose colors we choose to wear. More than a little of our identity is rooted in those, or what, with whom or which we choose to be identified. Even if we prefer to be considered solely on our individual merits, quick references by others for the purpose of categorization are unavoidable. This is the nature of things.

Taking this from the abstract to the concrete, lately it’s become apparent that in political matters there is a disconnect within the discourse. Be it Nancy Pelosi or variations thereof dismissing the electorate’s will with a sniff and insistence they know best, or citizen pundits shouting in outrage when politicians they normally favor refuse to in every matter bow to their will, the words being written and spoken have scant connection between the perceived power of the communicator and their genuine level of control.

Man has long paid lip service to God while in fact saying “look at me!” Nothing new here. That duly noted, it’s alarming and more than a tad disheartening to see how this mindset is manifesting itself among those who are seemingly rather enraptured with themselves and the illusion of wielding power because they have a blog.

Examples… sure. Consider the outrage, commented on earlier this month, over Sarah Palin skipping CPAC. Which, when boiled down, constitutes a self-centered, self-important temper tantrum. “But… but I’M going to be there!” Oh how lovely for you; hope it’s a valuable, enriching experience. But if someone isn’t, not only are they not eligible for membership in the Kool Kidz Klub it’s a personal diss? Yeahright.

And who are we again? Or perhaps better said, what are we?

Oh, wait, that’s right.

Dust.

And we are not being mindful of the difference between gain and value.

Value is educating others and working together for a common cause. Value is winning over hearts and minds. Value comes not from seeking the approval and applause of others, but rather from giving, caring and sharing without concern for who gets the credit.

Value comes not from allegiance but rather identification. Consider the example of Christ:

“Master,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”

“Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”

The apostles attitude was since the man wasn’t one of them, he had no place claiming any form of identification with Christ. He begged to differ.

He knew the value of this man.

And what is gain?

Gain is the promotion of self, choosing to be surrounded with those who promote you even as you similarly promote them in a mutual admiration society dance. To seek gain is to long for power, prestige and position. By any means necessary, gain works toward not the common good but rather personal glory.

It’s a luxury we cannot afford.

Remember the four tenets of the blogging evangel:

1. The ability to broadcast ones opinion neither elevates nor validates said opinion.
2. Blog from and for the heart, not the bank account.
3. Answer your e-mail every time all the time.
4. Never become what you profess to oppose. Never.

We could use some healthy doses of One and Four right about now.