Have We as a Nation Lost our Perspective?

I have a view. You have a view. We all have views. I look into the wild blue yonder and see a cloud. To me it is a castle. You see a fortress. Someone else sees the New York City skyline. I see a whale. You see a shark. Those other people see a seal, yet we are all looking at the same sky!

Matthew, Mark and John all knew Jesus. Their recollections of our Savior are the beginning of the New Testament. We also have Luke’s beautiful narrative that tells us of the Nativity, which the other Gospels do not have. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all shared the same story about the greatest man who ever lived. Each individual shares another detail, a different perspective, and they are all right.

Yes, there are things that are clearly black and white, wrong and right—that’s obvious. Yet, grey areas are all around us. Stealing is wrong, but who would begrudge a child inside of a refugee camp a crust of bread that he snatches from a kitchen? Committing a robbery and shooting the victim is wrong. However, using a gun to save your family’s life if a bad man is trying to assault your children is justifiable.

I like to give to causes. I tithe to my church. The church then distributes the money to hungry families and hurricane victims, etc. I would feel differently if a hurricane survivor forcibly demanded that I hand over what little I have when I myself am struggling. I like to give, willingly. I don’t like to be coerced and robbed. It’s all a matter of perspective.

Some of you supported the candidates that ran in last year’s elections. Many saw saviors that had the potential to put our nation back on the right path. From my point of view not one of them was truly worthy of the office of president. From my view, they had no real direction. Of those that courted the voting masses, some were well-meaning. Others were self-serving. They each had a viewpoint that in some portion was right, but to me as a whole, was wrong. With all the confusion, and fighting, I’m afraid that our voters lost their perspective of what is good for our entire country, for everyone.

Getting back to the story I mentioned a couple posts back, about the elephant, I feel I need to ask if we are all blind. Are some of us grasping a trunk and others a tail? Can we not see what is best, not for just one group but for all Americans? Can we once again have a nation that is for the people, by the people, of the people?

Sadly, from my perspective, the answer is, “No”.