New to the Blog-o-sphere: The Crisis of Change

This is my first blog. I believe it would be a good start to establish the issues and interests that are important to me. I believe there are those who are like me -of the same mindset. I also believe these people are both very different than I and very much like me.
Unlike the "silent majority" leader who once used this label to describe others like him, I am not certain people like me, are a majority. After all, the silent majority leader only created a self-serving myth. The myth was that those who embraced the same misguided beliefs as he were in the majority.
If they were in the majority then, they are certainly not on board now.

You see, we live in a country that is facing a great crisis. It is evident to me, that this crisis is one that will bring about change that we so desparately need. So often people don't realize that changes, important ones, can only be established through chaos. It is because we are human and we are so, so different. And we all want our way.
And, hey, if the change is going to be for the better, we all want our stamp on it. It must be our brand name and in our own words. If the opposition brings it about before we do, then we don't get the credit.
That's what all the political bickering is about across the country. We have an "it's time" momentum going and the opposition to change is waking up only to realize, "Uh-oh...we had our moment and we thought it would last. We thought we could hold on to our old ways, but we are losing our grip!"

The bad news (for them) is, they've lost their grip. They are sliding down a slippery slope of their own making and they look like old fools. The "old" is very descriptive of who they are; or at least their ideals. There is panic among them.

Who are they? They are people who have a hold on big money. They have their privileges, exclusive clubs, extravagent homes and cars, vacations and clothes. They like it. And they don't want to share it.
So what if a kid goes to bed hungry? So what if an 80 yr. old widow freezes to death because her heat has been cut off? So what if our schools are behind other nations' schools? They just want to keep what they have. That's all.

Change would bring a great crisis to them. Look at the poor Madoffs. Charles Dickens wrote about Madoff long before he came along. His novel, Little Dorrit, includes a character Mr. Mertle who pulled the same scandalous trick on many who invested their money in his ventures only to lose it all. In Dickens' classic, those who lost all their wealth went to debtors' prison. I suppose we've made a little progress. Or have we?
We now have people who live in boxes and alleys. They sleep on grates for warmth and under bridges. If they are lucky, they sleep in their cars.

We need fundamental change. Perhaps it took the presidency of a black man to get our attention. He is a good man and will bring change. It will be chaotic as the voices of those who want to keep things the same at all costs make noise and set in motion their machines of deception.
Be sure, the wealthy will maintain their dignity. They will stay in their safe places that exclude the common people. But they will use their influence to stir commoners into a chaotic dance that will disturb the peace and get notice in the press.

It is too bad these people cannot see how they are being used. We see them on tv shouting at town meetings. They think they are being good Americans. They just can't see they have fallen into the trap. They are just afraid.
They believe in the American spirit that stands for right and abhors wrong.
What is right? What is wrong? Who decides?
If the rich decide, we will remain as we are.
If the people decide, we can move forward and make tremendous changes where children and the elderly have food and preventative healthcare.

There are those who try to create a mindset that health and well-being is a limited commodity. The idea that there are limited blessings sets up an environment where people fear that others will take theirs. What is it they will take? They will take their comfort, their health, their privileges. And so an attitude of those who have must hang on and those who don't have must grovel. The haves believe the have nots are out to get theirs. They hold on ever more tightly. And then they set up establishments that protect them and what they call their "rights."
Who gives them these rights? Many declare it is God.
But it is God who will demand an accounting of their selfishness and self-preservation. This is not what Jesus left to us at all.
Their "rights" will become their downfall.

Crisis is indeed upon us and I welcome it. I pray that through this struggle our country faces, we will embrace change that no longer denies health and well-being to those who would seek it. We will never know true equality as long as this world remains. But we must never back down when we meet the chaos of fearful voices shouting in the face of reason. We must remember their fear and be patient.