My cousin is a professor at some university in California. Many professors have a dual role, and my cousin is also a seismologist.

If there is an earthquake somewhere in the world ...he goes there. 

He studies and interprets seismic data to locate earthquakes and earthquake faults.

We joked about it, stating he should have a T-shirt made, with Fault-finder printed on it.

He is a man of great integrity ...and it is not at all in his nature to find fault in others (though it seems that men of integrity are often the ones whom others find fault in).

Anyway, I am taken in two different directions here.

One analogy brings me to think of our own quaking spirits ...the combined force of which may bring us to future earthshaking changes, if we are not able to interpret it and act upon it in time. 

But mostly I want to focus on what we all have in common ...as we are all at fault, we are all guilty.

Some people tire of hearing this, and just wish it would go away.

But it will take more than wishing ...and it will not go away. 

This too, takes me in two directions. My second first point here is ...we must all trust someone.

But there is sometimes terror enacted against the vulnerability of those whose hearts wants to remain pure.

Many horrible moments have been documented throughout history. I am mentioning one, as it is the one that I most recently heard an author talk about. I wish I could share the title of his book, but I can't remember ...though his description was enough to leave a deep impression upon my mind.

The author was exploring the question of why they would get on the train, without a fight ...the train that would eventually lead them to their death. 

I'm referring to the nightmarish event called The Holocaust.  The author stated that it was well known of this powerful machine, consisting not only of Hitler's army, but also his ideology.

A fence was put up, they were told, to protect them from the advancing evil army. They were told that the fence was to keep the enemy out, but the enemy was the one who put up the fence to keep them in.

Many of them couldn't get to their jobs, but they were told they'd soon have jobs.  Finally, after befriending them, they were told to get on the train to avoid the quickly advancing army. 

A fence was put up, they were told, to protect them from the advancing evil army. They were told that the fence was to keep the enemy out, but the enemy was the one who put up the fence ...to keep them in.

    A fence was put up, they were told, to protect them from the advancing evil army.  They were told that the fence was to keep the enemy out, but the enemy was the one who put up the fence ...to keep them in.  Many of them couldn't get to their jobs, but they were told they'd soon have jobs.  Finally, after befriending them, they were told to get on the train to avoid the quickly advancing army. 

It makes me cringe to think of the horrors of that deceit.

There are many levels of deception, though the lower levels don't often get our attention ...and many scoff at those who try to sound the alarm.

I not saying that the ones who pretend to be friends are always deceitful ...perhaps just sadly, unknowing.

But we all need to wake up and become wise enough so that we are not used as pawns of the enemy. 

I see how capitalism, in some respects, has become even more hated than communism. But though I see the reasoning, I in no way agree with it ...because it is based on unwise and often ungrateful reasoning, with no clue and no experience of what it was like for those who have had to live under communism. I know that there have always been those who capitalize unfairly ...but there are those who also capitalize on the anti-capitalism sentiment, and they know they only have to deceive a few, and those angry few will help deceive many.

In a democracy (or our republic), the majority may not be equipped to lead when they are not even sure how they've been led themselves; but as long as the government doesn't take away our rights, or attempt to break our constitution (or Constitution), there is still some hope.

If I had a neighbor that I liked really well, and I thought he was a great family man, would I begin to think something wasn't quite right if he was keeping constant company with questionable people ...radicals, or fringe organizations?

I don't like to be a pawn.  I don't like being used.  We must all be wise.

I remember, after working for years with pre-teens and teenagers, within the Department of Mental Health, the pendulum began to swing so far ---that a wave of tolerance and permissiveness, in my opinion, was becoming very detrimental to the well-being of those who I was attempting to help.

I argued this case, and they listened to what I said. 

My analogy is that the administration where I worked could be compared to the federal government trying to decide whether the states should be allowed to make decisions for themselves. In the case I'm citing, they decided to trust the judgment of myself and my co-workers.

What happened then, was that some of my co-workers abused that ...taking advantage of the situation, and making it worse.

I don't believe that administration should have had exclusive control, nor that our federal government should run the states. But there should be some standards (not sub-standards) that are common to all states, within the confines of our Constitution ...because just like individuals and communities of individuals, states can get carried away too.

But what is really wrong, is the state of our standing with God.

Bitterness and anger are a result of refusing to acknowledge our guilt over wrongdoing ...and even if we feel we are not wrong, it would be wrong to harbor unforgiveness.

We can't possibly get it right ...without God.   This is the point I'm focusing on here, because I believe it is the most crucial and critical point.

What is our focus?

"Ask not what your country can do for you, rather ask what you can do for your country."  ---J. F. Kennedy.

In the eighteenth Chapter of the First Book of Samuel ...we find that the King's daughter loves David.

The Bible shows that the King suffered from extreme jealousy and resentment ...to repeated and increasing episodes of violent anger. 

When the King could not control the evil thoughts, he plotted to kill David.

The King's daughter, Michal, was now David's wife ...and when she found out about the plot to kill her husband, she snuck him out a window to help him escape.

The King chased after David to kill him ...and David had to flee for his life. The King didn't let go of his anger, and pursued David for years.

Meanwhile, the King gives away his daughter, David's wife, Michal, to another man ...and the man loves Michal.

While on the run, David marries two other women. By the time the King dies, David had other wives also, totally six sons born of different wives.

This is in the Second Book of Samuel, as David orders for Michal to be returned to him, her current husband weeping at her departure.  Go figure, but it does appear that over these difficult years Michal had gone from truly loving David, to being not that fond of him at this point ...seemingly embittered with disappointment, and of course, the evil influence by her father over the years couldn't have helped much.  

After this, David greatly errors ...and invites a soldier's wife in with him. But as sins done in secret often reveal themselves, a child is conceived.

David tries to mask the sin, by calling for the soldier back from the war to be with his wife ...but the soldier apparently misses the whole point of war, which is to preserve that which is good, such as the relationships that God has created ...particularly that which is established between husband and wife.  David sees he can't mask the sin, seeing this fanatic dedication to war (while lacking dedication to love) ...the soldier is sent to the front lines.  (I don't know, this is just how I see it.) 

Nathan, a prophet of God, tells David a story of a very rich man who was to entertain a guest ...but took not of his own vast flock, but instead took a poor man's only lamb.

David was so angry that he said the rich man who had done this ...shall die. 

The prophet told David, "You are that man!"

How did David reach the point of such anger, that he couldn't see that --- what he despised was actually himself?

And how do we, in the same way, get so furious about things that seemingly we have no true justification for, that we are blinded from that which resides within us?
 

David had a very rough life ....having begun as a happy shepherd, he was thrust into a position that would rob him of much of that simplicity he had known as a boy.

For sure, he'd become frustrated ...an understatement, considering he was running to save his life.  Being frustrated, it increases the chances of making mistakes ...and when our burden is perceived as so great we feel we can't endure, then the mistake doesn't often lead to correct the mistake, but it instead just adds to the burden and to our chances of making more mistakes. 

The more mistakes that are made, the more we deceive ourselves and distance ourselves from possible correction ...and that is distancing ourselves from God, because it is He who is our avenue for correction.

Not acknowledging the error, builds a defense to support the error, solidifying a stance against correction ...the correction God may desire for us.  And if we don't enable our emotions the advantage of turning to God, we only benefit from that which is not of God, which is no benefit at all.  

The more we buy into this hindrance, the more adept we become with that mindset ...and sooner or later, we no longer see that which should be so obvious.

The path of guilt or bitterness may originate at different points along the way, and it may take slightly different paths in getting there ...but it arrives at the same place. That place is anger.

What we do with that anger, and how long we hold on to it depends on so many things. 

God knew David loved him ...and He provided the path of restoration through David's own exposure of his great anger. Not everyone will turn around like David did. Some will only get angrier when their anger exposes itself.

But it's difficult for those who don't have a relationship with God, or don't even acknowledge His existence ...because it's near impossible to fix anything with something you don't use. I see so much of this ...but I'm surprised not by the fact it exists, it exists in me. But though I can get angry, I try not to let it define me.

I guess it would be more difficult to not allow it to ...if I were being chased throughout like a fugitive, running for my life.

Living in the country that I live in ...I seldom see situations where people's lives are in direct danger ...and if we can be more grateful for what we have, knowing what people often face in other nations, then I think we could get a better handle on this bitterness.

If I want something, I often think of what I have that others may wish they had.  It may help if we consider what other nations are lacking ...like drinking water, a morsel of food.  Do we want more for ourselves, or do we wish those others could have more?  

Bitterness is a process ...and some of us are marketing it quite well, with a fancy wrapper and great slogans, but when we taste it, it is just bitter.

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