David Weber’s Wise Words

By Glenda | May 4, 2010

This message was forwarded to me by Carol Henderson in Fort Worth.  David Weber is a minister in Jacksboro, Tx.  I have shortened it slightly (forgive me David) but I think you will find it to be very worthy of your time to read.

I am old enough to remember, as an eighth grader, being fearful in a way I have not felt since then, for our country/our world during the Cuban missile crisis. There were those several days when we all had to come to terms with the very real possibilities of nuclear war. Of course, it was impossible to know what “coming to terms with nuclear war” could mean, which added to the emptiness and very real fears we young ones were easily able to perceive on the faces and in the conversations of our elders.

I have not felt that way since then, until now. Now I am one of the old ones, but I feel much like I did during those crisis days of almost 50 years ago. We are witnessing an environmental disaster on a scale right now that is unprecedented. Some are still mistakenly- very mistakenly- calling what is happening off the coast of Louisiana an “oil spill.” No, the Exxon Valez was an oil spill. What is happening right now- this second- is a gusher of oil; 5000 feet below the surface of the ocean. I do not want to describe it further right now; that is for others more technically informed than me, to do. What I can do is this, and I am asking as many of you that agree to join me:

As prone as I am to indict, blame, curse, or find extraordinary fault with others- and I’m as good at it as anyone- I am suspending that impulse (that skill) for the duration of this crisis. This is a disaster that will affect every person on earth in some very large way if it goes on for as long as some persons think it might. It will affect Republicans and Democrats, Christians, Muslims, Communists, Tea Partiers, Right wingers, Left wingers, political Know-nothings, the smart, the not-so-smart, the rich, the poor, young, old, theist, and atheist. Pick a category- pick any category of human beings; when it comes to the planet we share, every category of persons is as fragile as the next. (And this is to say nothing of the other billions of sentient and absolutely innocent victims of this catastrophe- the animals. I am saying nothing about them here, because my heart is always on the verge of breaking over how we treat our fellow planetary beings.)

We must- MUST!- refrain from blaming, fighting, arguing, or going to metaphorical or real war over this and choose to do whatever we can to solve the problem and reduce the chances of its ever happening again.

…I will NOT breathe a syllable of blame, anger, or suspicion at anyone or any entity over this gusher which is- literally- exploding from a human-created hell.

Yes, I’ll pray for the right people with the right ideas to step forward, be found, and act without ego and with great altruism. Yes, I’ll hope, and cooperate however I can with money, my back, and my absolute pledge to wean myself from as much oil use as possible in the future. Yes, I’ll do whatever I can to help without demanding that the next guy help, too. There’s no time to wait for anything that is fair and balanced in our response to this.

Because- bottom line- with every plastic bag I use, with every gallon of gas I burn, with each box or can of food I buy that has had to be trucked from somewhere else, I am guilty of causing this crisis, too. I am.

Let’s let up on each other. Let’s cooperate, because we must. Let’s focus our anger on long term solutions after the (we pray, we hope) short term crisis is passed. Let’s forgive, encourage, and- when necessary- turn the other cheek. Because we must. There is no option this time..

We must.

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