Well, good afternoon. The primary elections are over, at least until next time. I hope you voted, if you were eligible to do so. I don’t know who you may have voted for, and besides, it’s none of my business. The ballot is one of the most cherished parts of living in this society, and frankly is one of the last places where one’s private business truly is private.
It seems that we’re being tracked, traced,
and pumped for information pretty much with everything we do and everywhere we
go. If you have a rewards card with any
business, they are tracking your purchases.
If you have a smart TV, cable TV or streaming, you are being tracked in
what you are viewing. Your car, if it’s
a newer model, can and does track your maintenance and other aspects of
ownership and driving. If one of your
appliances connects to the Internet, your use of that appliance is being
tracked. And, of course, wherever you
click on social media or whatever you search for is being tracked and
traced. It’s pretty much ubiquitous.
But voting...the ballot...we know if
you voted. We know where you voted. We know which political party’s ballot you
voted on if the election is a primary.
But we don’t know HOW you voted…who you voted for…how you voted on bond
issues and other questions. That
information forever stays with you unless you choose to divulge it. And that’s an increasing rarity these days…the
privilege of privacy.
We’ll have another election in
November. This time, there will be only
one ballot because it is not a partisan primary election, but rather a general
election. Your vote will continue to be
a matter of privacy. Yes, we will know
whether or not you voted, but we will not know HOW you voted on this or that
race or this or that issue. Be informed. Don’t pay much attention to the mailers, the
TV ads, or the social media posts. Get
your information from trusted sources. Do
your own research.
You should know by now that if you’re
a citizen, you have an obligation to participate in elections. Not an obligation that comes from some law or
edict. But rather an obligation out of
thanksgiving for being able to live in such a society. Yes, even with all of our faults, prejudices,
and issues, we manage to make it work.
But it takes us all to participate as best we can…to give back rather
than continuing to just be on the receiving end.
OK, I’ll quit preaching here and go
on.
I was visiting with one of our deacons
who works with building and grounds. We had
just looked at a water leak and plumbing issue.
This has come in addition to several other items that need to be
repaired or replaced in and around the building. I said something about a 50 plus year old
building needing more attention, just like when we get older, we have a larger
stable of medical people…many of them specialists in some area. We do that because generally, more can go
wrong with an older body than a younger one.
As the body ages, it begins to have to cope with stiff joints, unstable
blood pressure, diminishing eyesight, and other maladies that often accompany
aging. It’s just a fact of life for
people as it also is for things…buildings, automobiles, and the like.
Of course, there comes a time when the
body can no longer cope…can no longer make the adjustments it needs to keep
going, and it expires…it dies.
Eventually, it’s the same with a building. Oh, it may be put on the historic
preservation list and be around 200 , 300, 500 or more years from now. But eventually, eventually, it will succumb to
the inevitable. The question for
buildings always seems to be, is it worth it to make the repair, or do we just
replace? The question for bodies may look
similar, but the thought process is much different, because we’re also looking
at the mind and soul of the individual as well as the physical body that houses
that soul. We believe every person has
inherent value and worth, unlike a building or automobile. And we need to take that into consideration
as we make sometimes very difficult or painful decisions.
Meanwhile, we employ people in various
vocations and specialties to help us navigate through those times when
something goes awry in body or mind. And
often, they can help. They can many
times enable the body to better cope with the problem. In some cases, they can either fix the
problem or at least put that problem or issue on the back burner, which allows
a better quality of life and living for awhile.
It is my hope and prayer that you are
living your life as fully and completely as possible, given your circumstance
and situation. May God continue to
embrace and bless you.
Blessings,
