Skip to main content

The World is Not Full of Betrayers

There is an error in how our country is seen today. We appear to be a nation of angry, bigoted, mean-spirited, violent people. The picture is one of weakness and ingratitude, of people holding endless grudges, of crooked cops killing minorities, of shallow selfish Christians demanding everyone obey their beliefs, of incompetent predatory politicians desecrating democracy.

It’s true; the country has its fair share of these people. And the dishonorable behavior and the loud voices of all of them overwhelm the good Americans everywhere.

We are not well represented to the world.

However, every day decent Americans do their jobs honestly, competently, and well. They care for their families. They follow the law. They respect the diversity of our country. They get along with their neighbors. They worship regularly and attempt to live by their beliefs; they don’t cram them down the throats of others or assume they alone own God. They are concerned about the environment and appreciate the beauty of the earth.

These good Americans are not caught up in financial schemes that cheat people out of their savings or their retirement. They are not driven by destructive addictions and urges they cannot or will not control. They are not taken in by simplistic slogans, quick fix solutions, and empty promises. They are thoughtful, sensible people. They think. They consider. They make their own choices.

These Americans bear their suffering, whatever form it may take, courageously and reasonably. They don’t blame; they accept responsibility. They know laughter and surprise and they share compassion and praise. They show poise in difficulty. There is refinement and gentleness in their presence; a quiet reserve; a humility that says they have been through some things and they have learned from them.

These people are not afraid to share their emotions. They are affectionate and loving. They are generous and considerate. They are civil and understand the meaning of polite manners and work to get along with all people. They tip wait staff well. They smile at children. They are not threatened by the old and the sick and those with special needs. They reach out. They take in. They enjoy. And when they hurt they weep.

These good Americans are not weak. They are not pushovers. They will defend themselves and those they love. They are not menaced by bullies. They refuse the barking orders of manipulators and liars and pretenders. They are not violent or rude or ungracious. But they will stand their ground. And they are not to be dismissed.

Irish playwright and novelist Sebastian Barry has written, “The world is not full of betrayers, it is full of people with decent motives and a full desire to do right by those who know them and love them. This is a little-known truth, but I think it is a truth nonetheless. Empirically, from all the years of my work, I would attest to that. I know it is a miraculous conclusion, but there it is…We are not wolves, but lambs astonished in the margins of the fields by sunlight and summer.”

Don’t fall for the false representation given of us as a people today. We Americans possess within us the inner resources to create, to achieve, to relish and to enjoy a society thriving and healthy, growing and productive, decent and greathearted. We have never lost that capacity. We have it now. We just have to celebrate it.

© 2016 Timothy Moody

Comments

  1. Excellent my friend. Sharing on my RYS FB page tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Exceptional article! I will share on my FB as well. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We are Made for Human Connection

There are words from Brandi Carlile’s song, “The Story,” that I might sing, and perhaps you, too. “All of these lines across my face Tell you the story of who I am So many stories of where I've been And how I got to where I am But these stories don't mean anything When you've got no one to tell them to” You don’t have to be single or alone to feel the depth of those words. Someone in a longtime marriage or relationship might feel them, too. The voyage through life takes each one of us through an assortment of experiences. Some of them ennoble us. Some crush us. Some lift us beyond ourselves and carry us into the lives of those who need us. And some carry us to those we need. Some experiences are burdens. Others ease and encourage us. Some leave us baffled and unsure. Some build confidence within us and are so affirming that we grow in substance, in courage, in tenderness, and sympathy. As we age, the lines in our faces can represent the hurts we have not yet resolved. Or t

Remembering Dr. Bill Craig

In Memoriam  Dr. Bill Craig January 1, 2020 In the Hebrew Bible, we see from the life of Moses, and the Psalmist, Isaiah and others , concern for the problem of living rather than the problem of dying.   Their primary interest was not how to escape death, but rather, how to sanctify life. Bill modeled that kind of wisdom.  The brilliant novelist Louis L'Amour, who wrote bestselling books about the American West, what he called “frontier stories,” basically said the same thing. He wrote, “The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail.” No one attempted to sanctify life and get more out of the trail than Bill Craig. He was a deep thinker, a gifted veterinarian, a rugged and unbreakable man with the kindest heart and the purest motives.  He was a loving and devoted husband, father, and grandfather. Karen, Shalor and Melissa, Kellan, Nolan and Carter, were his world. They meant everything to him. I guess he had faults, but I don’t remember any of them.  There was o

Do we need a new country?

Have you seen the elaborate, stylish, opulent television commercial for Cartier? The original commercial seemed to go on forever, a full three minutes. They have shortened it now, but it still drips with ostentatiousness. It is conspicuously pretentious in spite of the beautiful music and the sleek panther and the stunning scenery and the elegant model dressed in a striking red gown. The commercial takes the viewer through an amazing montage of dreamy landscapes and famous cities and spectacular stunts while moving past a giant expensive watch and finally to a glittering diamond bracelet modeled by the woman in red. Each time I see it I keep wondering who the target audience is. It seems to be such an over the top expression of unbridled greed and materialism gone ape. In a time when much of the world is starving and millions are still out of work here at home it seems bizarre that Cartier would spend what has to be millions on a television commercial celebrating 165 years in