What Would Thou Have Me Do?

 The Most Important Question

Kenneth L. Hull, CMHC (retd)

The year 2020 has been a nightmare for many, with protests and riots on the right and the left. With death from police shootings, death caused by rioters and death from a pandemic the likes of which none of us have ever seen. It would have been impossible to imagine all of this the year before in 2019.

A long the way, we seem to have forgotten a few things:

We seem to have forgotten that we can disagree without having to argue and hate. Or that we can agree to disagree and remain friends, helping each other out in our time of need.

We seem to have forgotten how we have all worked together in the past to help one another during hard times, earthquakes, floods, fires and hurricanes. There was never any question of whether it was deserved or not. There was no consideration of color or race or politics or religion. We just helped because it was the right thing to do.

We seem to have forgotten that we get respect by first giving it. We seem to have forgotten that contention and hostility never lead to unity or genuine progress.

We tend to forget that compromise is not a sin or a swear word but rather a blessing that leads to the blending of ideas creating a synergy that propels us forward to greater heights and richer prosperity.

We seem to have forgotten that we learn more from listening than we do by speaking and we gain more understanding by cooperating than we do by insisting that things must be done “my” way.

In dealing with the pandemic that has killed hundreds of thousands, we have been asked to do simple things like wear a face mask and stand 6 feet apart. But rather than uniting, taking these simple steps to slow the spread, they have just become additional points of contention instead.

We claim our rights to refuse to wear a mask or work together by way of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights; but we tend to forget that the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are themselves products of compromise, discussion, understanding and the sincere desire to do what was right, what was best for the country and her people people.

We seem to forget that the founding fathers spent 116 days, deliberating, compromising and striving to craft a constitution that would form a government that provides freedom and equality for all. More importantly we forget that every day before they began their deliberations, they sought divine intervention and guidance through earnest, sincere prayer.

We tend to forget that the God of the founding fathers taught that we should love one another, even our enemies; that we should treat each other the way we want to be treated. He taught that we should forgive one another and seek Him and His wisdom with a promise that if we do, we will be guided and inspired by His spirit. He taught that we should not put our trust in the wisdom of man.

So, what it really comes down to is that the most important question is not if we should wear a mask or even if we should vote Red or Blue.

The most important question is the one that our founding fathers asked, “God, what wouldst thou have me do?”