I’m big on mottos and slogans and proverbs.
I can remember and learn more from one motto than a half-hour speech, or even a 10-minute one. A lot of advice can be stuffed into a few words by cutting through all of the fluff. I remember words of wisdom that I have heard through all of my life, but not from speeches. I was able to pick up a few choice words in the middle of them.
For instance, “It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.”
This is a dark time in the history of America. The more we talk about unity, the more we see hatred and violence displayed in television programs and in the movies. It’s in the news every day. It’s in the news because it happens. It happens because there seems to be a disconnect between words and actions. In fact, I see yard signs that say, “Hate Has No Home Here.” When I go past I often wonder if the people in that home go by the proverb, “A soft answer turneth away wrath,” or if they match each other scream for scream. Or, maybe, there’s a connection between what people see and what they do—like the violence in the movies. ,”
Or, maybe, people subscribe to the famous adage, “Someone else will do it,” or “Let someone else do it.”
Maybe we’re just too lazy to turn the channel when a program containing violence comes on TV, or”, maybe, we can’t resist the urge to spew vitriol right back to someone who spews vitriol on “anti-social” media.
Maybe we need to be tolerant of people who have a different viewpoint from our own and not shout the other person down. A co-worker once told me many years ago, “There’s room in this world for more than one opinion.” Maybe, we could actually have a rational conversation concerning the controversial topic. You could each exchange pertinent information. Each of you might learn something to educate and inform you—and even change your opinion for the better.
We may wonder how one person can make a difference. That leads me to an old maxim I heard many years ago. “I cannot do everything, but I CAN do SOMETHING. What I CAN do, I MUST do. What I MUST do, by the grace of GOD I will do.” If everyone did that, the world would be changed.
There’s another piece of advice that could change the world, too. The only thing is it’s not advice, it’s a command. Whether or not you believe they were divinely inspired, they are a good idea.
I am the Lord, thy God. Thou shalt not have other gods before me.
You shall not take the name of the Lord, thy God, in vain.
Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
Honor thy father and mother.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.
Trouble is a lot of people have never heard about these commandments and a lot of people haven’t obeyed. I wonder what would happen if they did.
Dorothy is the author of two books—“Miles and Miracles” and “Getting It All Together “. You can purchase a book or send a comment by emailing her at dorothybutzknight@gmail.com
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