Pick 82 - Procrastination

My first find on the value of procrastination came when I started school. My teacher was a Catholic nun whom we called "Sister Janet" or "Sister".

Photo by Austrian National Library on Unsplash

Sister explained that she belonged to an order of Catholic nuns. It started in Germany a long time ago. She and the other nuns at my school were teachers but other members of her order were nurses. They worked in hospitals.

Preschool or Kindergarten was not an option in those days. Every member of my first grade class was a school newbie. So Sister Janet spent the first day laying out the rules for success in her class.

Her favorite saying was "Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today." At our tender age I doubt any member of my class knew what she meant. In our world of play and simple chores, tomorrow was a place our parents often talked about. Our world only existed in the here and now.

Everything was new and puzzling on that day. It was the first time any of us had to sit still at a desk while an adult talked.

Sit still and be quiet was rule #1 in Sister's class.

Do not speak out unless Sister asks you a question. That was rule #2.

Raise your hand if you had a question or wanted permission to go to the bathroom.

Do not leave your seats until dismissed by Sister at break time or the end of the day. A bell would ring to alert Sister, but we were to ignore the bell. Only Sister could give us permission to leave.

I can't speak for my classmates but the end of that day could not come soon enough. The second I heard that bell, I wanted to run out of that classroom. I would jump in my mom's waiting car and get home to play with my neighborhood friends.

The bell rang and Sister gave us each a book to "take home and bring back covered tomorrow." I took the book and met mom. 

 

I told Mom that I had to bring back the book tomorrow. I did not tell her the covered part.

At that time we could play outside until the streetlights came on. That is what I did. I would cover the book when I came back inside. That is when I learned the dangers of procrastination. I was too tired to cover the book. I went to bed believing I could cover it in the morning. That did not go as planned. Mom wanted to leave early. So I took the naked book, and we headed off to school. What happened next programmed me to avoid procrastination for the most of my life. In later life, I discovered there is value in procrastination.

Most people who write about procrastination write about how to cure it. But unless you had Sister Janet in First Grade, that may be difficult. As an adult, there are an infinite number of things you could be doing. No matter what you focus on, you're not working on everything else. So the question is not how to avoid procrastination, but how to procrastinate well. At times, I am the "absent-minded professor." I may forget to shave, or eat, or even look where I am going while thinking about a writing project. My mind is absent from the everyday world because it's hard at work on an important topic. That's the hidden value in procrastination. Putting off work on small stuff to work on big stuff.

With all due respect to Sister Janet, getting outside to play after school is bigger stuff for a 6-year-old than covering a book.

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Pick 81 - Divisiveness

Divisiveness in American Culture

Strike up a conversation that touches on religion or politics and the sparks of division fly out almost spontaneously. This is nothing new in American culture. It was present even before it found its way into the Declaration of Independence in 1776. 

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Many of the American Colonists were happy with the benefits accorded them by the Parliament and King George III. This included the right of Merchants to trade with other English colonies including those in Canada; protection from piracy at sea; protection from foreign invasion by enemies of England; and a reliable means of transportation between England and the Colonies for both people and merchandise. A hidden value that is often overlooked in the study of Colonial America is the role that divisiveness played in uniting the 13 Colonies against the rule of King George III.

Governance

In royal colonies, governors were appointed by the Crown to represent its interests. Before 1689, governors were the dominant political figures in the colonies. They possessed royal authority transmitted through their commissions and instructions. Among their powers was the right to summon and dissolve the elected assembly. Governors could also veto any bill proposed by the colonial legislature.

Gradually, the assembly successfully restricted the governor's power by asserting  control over budgets, including the salaries of the governor and other officials. A governor could find his salary withheld by an uncooperative legislature. Governors were often placed in an untenable position. Their official instructions from London demanded that they protect the Crown's power from usurpation by the assembly; at the same time, they were also ordered to collect more colonial funding for Britain's wars against France. In return for military funding, the assemblies often demanded more power.

 

To gain support for his agenda, the governor could reward supporters by appointing them to various offices such as attorney general, surveyor-general or as a local sheriff. These offices were sought after as sources of prestige and income. He could also reward supporters with land grants. As a result of this strategy, colonial politics was often divided between a governor's faction (the court party) and his opposition (the country party). So the seeds of divisiveness were sown on American soil long before it became politically acceptable.. 

Divisiveness Within the Councils

The executive branch included an advisory council to the governor that varied in size ranging from ten to thirty members. In royal colonies, the Crown appointed a mix of placemen (paid officeholders in the government) and members of the upper class within colonial society. Members served at the pleasure of the King. When there was an absentee governor or an interval between governors, the council ran the government.

 

The governor's council also functioned as the upper house of the colonial legislature. In most colonies, the council could introduce bills, pass resolutions, and consider and act upon petitions. In addition to being both an executive and legislative body, the council also had judicial authority. It was the final court of appeal within the colony. The combined roles promoted the divisiveness that arises when there were disagreements over legislation that affected wealth or status in the colony. 

Divisiveness Within the Assemblies

The lower house of a colonial legislature was a representative assembly. Members were elected annually by the propertied citizens of the towns or counties. Usually they met for a single, short session; but the council or governor could call a special session  when needed.

 

As in Britain, the right to vote was limited to men with real estate holdings sufficient to ensure they had a vested interest in the welfare of their communities".  Six colonies allowed alternatives to land ownership such as personal property or tax payment that extended voting rights to owners of urban property and prosperous farmers who rented their land. Groups excluded from voting included laborers, tenant farmers, unskilled workers and indentured servants and anyone who lacked a "stake in society"making them vulnerable to corruption.

 

Tax issues and budget decisions originated in the assembly. Part of the budget went toward the cost of raising and equipping the colonial militia. As the American Revolution drew near, this subject was a divisive topic between the provincial assemblies and their respective governors.The perennial division between the colonial governors and the assemblies are viewed, by some historians, as signs of a rising democratic spirit. However, those assemblies generally represented the privileged classes, and were protecting the colony against unreasonable executive encroachments. Legally, the crown governor's authority was unassailable. In resisting that authority, assemblies resorted to arguments based upon natural rights and the common welfare. This supported the notion that governments derived their authority from the consent of the governed. This belief became the tipping point when the Continental Congress met to consider the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Without a belief in consent of the governed, no British Citizen of that era could contemplate Independence because that would violate the Covenant between the king and his subjects--a covenant blessed by God. Fortunately most of those chosen to represent their respective Colony in this matter were more inclined toward the consent view than to the covenant view.

Reunification and Resolve

In May 1776, the Continental Congress called for the creation of new governments "where no government sufficient to the exigencies of their affairs have been hitherto established" and "that the exercise of every kind of authority under the ... Crown should be totally suppressed". The Declaration of Independence in July further encouraged the states to form new governments, and most states had adopted new constitutions by the end of 1776. By tradition and the political protocol of that era, the revolt against King George III should never have taken place. We can speculate that  the other colonies under English rule in the 18th Century, including Canada, Australia, and India, were not divided in their belief in the covenant so they never reached the tipping point at which they withdrew their consent to be governed by the Crown. And that is the hidden value we can find in the divisiveness that still agitates Americans. 

 

“Geography divides people only if the people allow it - faith divides people only if the people allow it - intellect divides people only if the people allow it - politics divides people only if the people allow it. So, unless the people allow it, nothing can tear our world apart. Unless you allow it, nothing can tear our society apart.”

― Abhijit Naskar, Aşkanjali: The Sufi Sermon 

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Pick 80 - Consent of the Governed

The phrase consent of the governed refers to the idea that a government's legitimacy and moral right to use state power is only justified and lawful when consented to by the people or society over which that political power is exercised. This idea is called popular sovereignty. The Declaration of Independence had stated this idea clearly when it said: "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."

In a democracy, people give implicit consent by accepting the laws and services of the government to which they pledge their allegiance. They also give enforcement authority to that government to deal with those who break the laws. This authority is, itself, derived from the consent of the majority and always expressed in writing that is open to oversight by the judicial branch of government. The role of the judicial branch is to ensure the enforcement of laws complies with the intent of the legislation that created the law. Each decision rendered sets a precedent for future cases. This turns a static set of laws written for one era into a dynamic set of laws that accommodates the changing values of those governed by the laws. It also ensures that the laws are applied equally to those governed by them.

Although the "consent of the governed" was applied in a unique way in those democracies that sprang up in the 18th Century, it is actually an ancient concept that influenced the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans, and the Israelites long before it found its way into the Declaration of Independence. The primary difference was in how "consent" was obtained.

• The Egyptians obtained consent by making it part of their religious dogma. Consent to be governed by the Pharaoh was the only path to eternal life. 
• The Greeks obtained consent through logic and rational choice. Greeks loved wisdom and gave their consent to men of wisdom.
• The Roman consent was aligned with an insatiable need for law and order. It also helped when a leader was able to conduct and win wars. Caesar and his linage were especially adept in this feature.
• The Israelites found it easy to give their consent to be governed by Prophets who spoke directly to God. However, in later years they reverted to being governed by kings to whom God delegated this authority. 

In the 20th Century, new methods of gaining the consent of the governed came into play. Coercion, fear, and violence were employed by unscrupulous totalitarian leaders to obtain and secure the consent of those they chose to govern. 
So today we who are fortunate enough to live in a democracy where our consent is given freely and protected in a written contract, We The People need to appreciate the hidden value of that phrase. We get to renew that consent annually on Election Day. Let's use it wisely.

Pick 79 - The Pandemic

The current global battle with CORVID-19 might be the last place to look for hidden value, but this dark cloud may have both a silver and a gold lining.

Masks that might have worked in the past

The silver lining comes in the form of knowledge about dangerous viral outbreaks that might have remained hidden if the outbreak had not occurred in one of the most heavily populated areas of the world. Although the initial response of local authorities was one of denial and cover-up, that changed rapidly once the Central Government stepped in and took charge. It emulated what might happen in an ant colony once the soldier ants realize that the Queen is in jeopardy. The entire colony is put on alert. Infected cells are isolated and all work activities halt until the danger is over.

Had the Central Government not alerted the World Health Organization and governments around the world, the resulting pandemic might have taken the lives of billions of people before it could be contained. Thanks to the cooperation among world leaders and scientists, we now have an arsenal of weapons to stem its rapid advance and may even find way to stop this invisible enemy in its tracks.

Beyond this silver lining, we also have a gold one. We have learned that the human race is not immune to extinction. CORVID-19 is a stealth weapon that humans neither control nor understand. It does not respond to divisive rhetoric or class status. It is not obligated to any special interest group nor does it bow to any earthly power. Our only defense against it is to practice the Golden Rule on a global scale.

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Pick 78 - Universal Product Codes

As you stand in line to check out gifts purchased in any Big Box store this Holiday Season please remember George Laurer. Had he not developed an efficient way for retailers to identify products and their prices at checkout, the lines you now face would be much longer. In fact, last-minute shopping would be a privilege available only to those who had the means to shop at stores frequented by the rich and famous--not folks with limited means like us.

 

Any of you who are old enough to remember what Holiday Shopping was like before Laurer's time  will recall dozens of clerks standing at cash registers waiting to serve customers on normal shopping days. Often, a clerk might enter the wrong price at the register or the purchase price was different from the advertised price. This resulted in an anxious phone call to Accounting to verify the price. Meanwhile, those waiting behind you threw irate glances your way. How could you not know that the ticket price did not match the advertised price?

George Laurer, the engineer whose barcode reader transformed the entire checkout process,  died on December 10, 2019 at the age of 94. He was an electrical engineer with IBM in North Carolina's Research Triangle Park in the early 1970s, when he spearheaded the development of the Universal Product Code, or barcode for a group of grocery stores. It utilized a patent submitted by Norman Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver in 1949 for a code patterned on concentric circles that looked like a bull's eye. The patent was issued in 1952. Silver died in 1963.

Woodland joined IBM in 1951 hoping to develop the bar code, but the technology wasn't accepted for more than two decades until lasers made it possible to read the code efficiently without error. 

Woodland moved to Raleigh in the early 1970's to join a team at IBM's Research Triangle Park, N.C., facility. The team, headed by Laurer,  developed a bar-code-reading laser scanner system in response to demand from grocers' desires to automate and speed checkout while also cutting handling and inventory management costs.

Woodland and Bernard Silver were students at what is now called Drexel University in Philadelphia when Silver overheard a grocery-store executive asking an engineering school dean to channel students into research on how product information could be captured at checkout.

Since he already had earned his mechanical engineering degree, Woodland dropped out of graduate school to work on the bar code idea. The only code he knew was the Morse Code he'd learned in the Boy Scouts.  One day, he drew Morse dots and dashes in the sand as he sat on the beach and absent-mindedly left his finger marks in the sand where they traced a series of parallel lines.

 

It was a moment of inspiration. Instead of dots and dashes he would use thick and thin bars.

According to GS1 US, the American affiliate of the global standard-setting UPC body, IBM promoted his rectangular barcode that led to a standard for universal product code technology. The first product sold using a UPC scan was a 67-cent package of Wrigley's chewing gum at a supermarket in Troy, Ohio, in June 1974. The value hidden in that one transaction has since mushroomed into 5 billion products worldwide every day.

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Pick 77 - Trash Talk

Twenty years from now historians are likely to recognize the 2016 Presidential Campaign as the first time Trash Talk was introduced into political campaigning. They will also report that the highly paid political pundits did not understand why even the most conservative voters accepted, even admired such behavior.  By the time campaign managers began to understand this phenomenon, it was too late to resist or emulate it. Had such disruption broken out in the Progressive camp, the Conservatives would have used it as an example of how low Democrat candidates were willing to go in their search for votes. But it broke out in the Conservative camp amid a stable of  16 upstanding, Bible toting, Constitution quoting Republicans.  Only The Donald and his entourage were able to see the hidden value is such behavior. This was not the first time in American political history that social or technical change set new standards for success in politics.

The 1906 mid-term elections saw the incursion of political speeches on radio. This skewed the expected outcomes of well-planned campaigns towards the candidate with the most commanding radio voice. 

According to Don Hewitt, the producer-director of the first-ever televised presidential debate, voters who watched the debate on TV the night of Sept. 26, 1960,  were certain  Sen. John F. Kennedy had won.  Those who heard the event on radio, were just as certain Vice President Richard M. Nixon was the clear winner. The televised debates did not enlighten voters, they entertained them.  This gave the most charismatic and likable characters a leg up on election day.

The use of insulting or boastful speech by a popular candidate left the Republican Party Establishment dumbfounded.  It is one thing to interrogate political opponents with complex policy questions or to catch them off guard with facts they cannot deny, but the use of  invective intended to demoralize, intimidate, or humiliate opponents was reserved for WWE Smackdown events.

Either Donald Trump was not aware of this unwritten prohibition, or he was the first politician to recognize that trash talk has become the new standard for any kind of verbal performance--including political debates. If so, we must credit him with finding the hidden value in trash talk and using it to his advantage. While Sarah Palin might have bordered on trash talk when she elevated Joe the Plumber to celebrity status, she never found the hidden value in it. If she had, Sen John McCain might have won a term as President and laid the ground work for Governor Palin to become the first female POTUS.  

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Pick 76 - Evil

 

Evil, in a general sense, is the opposite or absence of good. It is generally seen as taking multiple possible forms, such as the form of personal moral evil commonly associated with the word, or impersonal natural evil (as in the case of natural disasters or illnesses), and in religious thought, the form of the demonic or supernatural/eternal.

We have all met people who either believe in God, are Atheists, or just don't care. Each professes their view of how the world, as we know it, came to be. Some attribute it all to a Higher Power they call God. Others believe in the Big Bang and random chance. Many are too busy trying to survive to pay much attention to such questions.

Still, they all share one belief in common: they concede that evil exists and can touch every human life at will. So how is it that we empower evil through fear, jealousy, and self-hatred but are reluctant to empower good through faith and selfless love?

Perhaps that is the hidden value in evil. It drives us all to question our existence and ponder the origin of both evil and good in the world as we know it.

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Pick 75 - The Lottery

We now know the record-breaking $1.6 billion  Powerball Lottery was split three ways. As of this writing, only one of the three winners have come forward to claim their share. The other two are either waiting on advice from their Financial Advisors or perhaps they collapsed when they realized the enormous life changes this event would bring on. Regardless, this lesson is not about winning the Lottery but about the faith required to place one's hope in a $2 Lottery ticket.

Photo by Lance Grandahl on Unsplash

Likely many ticket buyers do not accept the advice embedded in the paper bills  they use to purchase the tickets. Nor do they realize that advice will be repeated millions of times over should they actually win the lottery and spend the cash. Yet the very act of buying the ticket implies that they trust in the power of the Lottery to somehow fix any problem they may have. And the only hope they have is a 1 in 300 million chance of winning. They fail to find the hidden value in playing the Lottery.

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Take a good look at the green side of the paper bill. Just below The United States of America ID and the bill's value are the words "In God We Trust"  It does not point us to the Federal Reserve or to the Federal Government for life changing hope. It refers us clearly and simply to the God of our understanding--a power greater than ourselves. Yes. That Higher Power can be Powerball, but a 1 in 300 million long shot does not give us much hope. Still the awesome thing about our country is that we are each free to place that trust and find our hope in any power, even Powerball. That is the hidden value in the Lottery.

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Pick 74 - Hugs

I was sitting in the lounge at our local YMCA, stroking my grey beard, when out of nowhere a child came up to my chair and gave me a hug. Without any fear or disrespect, he asked me if I had decided to hang out in the warm climate instead of heading back to my home in the North Pole. It took me a few seconds to realize that he had associated my Santa Claus facial look with that mysterious person who had left his favorite toy under the tree just a few days ago.

Photo by __ drz __ on Unsplash

I had grown the beard to play Santa Claus at the local volunteer fire department and thought this child might have been one of my little wish list presenters at the fire house. So I went back into character to answer his question. "No." I teased. "I am not the real Santa Claus. I am his cousin. He lets me help him out whenever he gets too busy to meet every good boy and girl before Christmas."
The little boy took that answer at face value but continued to ask me questions that had to be answered with great care if I did not want to betray his sincere belief in Santa. He was well-schooled in Santa's life. He knew all about the North Pole and Santa's workshop that was staffed by Elves.

That led him to the next question: Do you work in Santa's workshop during the rest of the year?
I replied, "No. Only Santa's elves are allowed to be in the workshop. I only take wishes from good kids like you and send them to Santa. The elves take care of the rest."

Next question: "Have you ever been at Santa's house in the North Pole?"
"No. There are no roads to get there and it is hidden from view so you can't fly there either. Santa's reindeer know how to find it and they take Santa on his magic slay anywhere in the world he wants to go--even when there is no snow."

Thankfully, the boy's mother came by to retrieve him because I was running out of ways to answer these questions in ways that would leave his admiration for Santa in tact. He gave me another hug and headed off with his mom and two older sisters. I can't help but think that  when his belief in Santa is shattered, he will still look back on this experience with fond memories. Not only did that kindly old gentleman share his belief in Santa Claus, but sent him away with a hug and the assurance that he now had a friend who actually knew the real Santa Claus.

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Pick 73 - Idioms

Idioms are expressions that cannot be understood from the meanings of their separate words but convey  a  hidden meaning to those who use them.  American English has a plethora of idioms. That makes it difficult for foreigners to learn colloquial or street talk even when they may have arrived here speaking "The King's English" 

Some American idioms are personal between friends or members of a group. Outsiders need not know the hidden meaning of these idioms because they apply only to those on the inside. Politicians are very adept at speaking with a forked tongue especially when handling a hot potato, or beating around the bush. They are well aware that their favorite project will cost the taxpayer an arm and a leg, yet they can kill two birds with one stone by simply sitting on the fence until their opponent lets the cat out of the bag. If their opponent cuts the mustard, then jumping on the bandwagon would ensure the best of all worlds.

If you are able to understand the previous paragraph, then you already grasp the hidden value in American idioms. But I would caution you not to count your chickens before they hatch. Elvis has not yet left the building. 

 

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Pick 72 - Santa Claus

Most Americans know that the Santa Claus legend began with a third century monk named Nicholas.  His renowned piety and kindness in a time of severe poverty and hopelessness elevated Nicholas to sainthood in the early Christian Church. He is alleged to have given away all of his inherited wealth as he wandered about  the countryside serving the poor and sick--especially the children. But what is especially noteworthy about his selfless lifestyle is that he gave away his wealth anonymously. He was a devout monk serving poor souls during the day and a philanthropic phantom at night. Apparently he was also a master of disguise posing as a beggar or itinerant journeyman when performing his philanthropic missions.

Photo by Srikanta H. U on Unsplash

Legend has it that he would be invited to stay with a family overnight. There he would learn of their most pressing needs. Before departing in the early morning, he would hide a gift--perhaps a gold coin--in a place where they were unlikely to find it until he was long gone.

 Although, like most legends, his character has been impinged by turning a humble monk into an icon of consumerism, Santa Claus still offers us a hidden value that has nothing to do with presents or false joviality. That value lies in the faith, hope, and love that belief in Santa Claus brings to little children. When you think about it, the Americanized version of Santa Claus gives us a practical lesson on First Amendment rights. 
 
Some children inherit their belief in Santa Claus from parents or grandparents who promote the "better be good or Santa will not leave any presents" legend. Other children are led to believe that Santa is the Grand Distributor of Wish List entries. A small number of children are taught to be Santa's helpers. They forgo their own wish lists and become Angels of love to those less fortunate.

Regardless of what American children come to believe about Santa, the cardinal rule among parents, grandparents, older siblings, and anyone else who works with children during the Holiday Season is never to disparage a child's innocent belief in Santa Claus. 

As young children mature they begin to realize the improbability of Santa coming down the chimney, or delivering gifts around the world using nothing but a sleigh pulled by reindeer. In most cases, it is their peers who enlighten them or reinforce their innocent beliefs. But in all cases the cardinal rule, like the First Amendment, ensures that they are allowed to believe or not believe in Santa Claus as their personal wisdom dictates. That is the hidden value Santa Claus offers to 21st Century America.   
  

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Pick 71 - Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is the foster child of the American Dream. I say this because most of the critical thinkers who came our way during the latter 20th Century were considered pariahs or mavericks. The establishment ridiculed Bill Gates when he started to envision a personal computer on everyone's desktop back in the early 80's.

 

 I recall one CEO of a mainframe computer company laughing Gates out of his office when this idea was presented. The aspersion went something like this: "Who in the world would want to have a computer on his desk at home and what in the world would he do with it?' Gates was not the only Critical Thinker to be ridiculed this way.

By the late 70s, technology had evolved to the point that  hobbyists and electronics buffs could purchase unassembled PCs or “microcomputers” and program them for fun. Still that CEO was correct. The early PCs may have clicked with hobbyists, but they served no useful purpose for the average American. They could do mathematical calculations and play simple games, but those tasks would not pay the rent nor could a talented programmer make enough money to purchase one.

If those early pioneers of  the Personal Computer evolution had listened to the Business Establishment, Americans would likely be purchasing their personal computers, software, and useful applications from China or Japan. Thanks to the outside-the-box thinking of Gates, Jobs, and a host of game-ware developers,  hundreds of American-spawned companies sell personal computers, accessories and sophisticated software and games.   It is nearly impossible to imagine modern life without them. And that could have been said even before the Internet came along.

Nowadays however, we seem to have grown a new crop of stay-in-the-box thinkers. Not only is critical thinking being devalued. Most of our youthful thinkers seem content to outsource it. Ask a Millennial to provide answers to intriguing economic or social questions these days and the common response is to refer to Siri or manually text the question to Google. Whatever answer comes back is taken at face value without fact checking or respectfully disputing the answer. The very thought of marching to a different drummer is met with fear and consternation.

Apparently the value in critical thinking has become so hidden that, like the American Dream, it does not seem worth pursuing anymore.

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Pick 70 - Who Am I to Judge

Recently Pope Francis issued a statement that seemed on the surface to approve of homosexuality.
“If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge.” However, any Christian who is familiar with the famous scene in John 8: 3–7 would understand exactly what Pope Francis was saying.
 Jesus had returned to the temple area to resume teaching the people. The scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman they claim was caught in adultery. Being in the court area, they told him that Mosaic Law commanded that the woman be stoned to death for her sins. Trying to catch Him up in His words, they asked Jesus what He thought should be done with her.

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  Jesus did not respond right away, but stooped down to begin writing in the dirt with His finger. After a moment, He straightened up and said: “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” One by one they walked away until only Jesus was left with the woman. His message to the Pharisees was simple yet piercing.  Only those who are faultless have the right to pass judgment upon others implying that no one is faultless; only God can judge a person.

But the story does not end there. Jesus was faultless and had every right and maybe an obligation to pass judgement on her. He reminds her that she is still a sinner and deserves the judgement prescribed by The Law but offers the mercy that comes with repentance and a desire to avoid sinning again.

Hidden within Pope Francis' use of the phrase "who am I to judge" is a valuable lesson. Both Catholics and even non-Christians revere Pope Francis as a Holy Man of great integrity. For him to say "who am I to judge?" is almost rhetorical. If anyone can pass judgement on homosexuals and other sinners, it would be him. Yet he does not claim that right. Could he have been thinking about
the message in Matthew 7:1-2 Judge not, that ye be not judged.² For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again?
   

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Pick 69 - The Wall

We have been hearing a lot lately about walls. Some walls are figurative like the great divide between Liberal and Conservative members of Congress. Each side of the Isle seems to have at least one issue that is so important to them that they have erected an imaginary wall around it. Compromise on that issue, they say, would betray their constituents. Likewise, the opposition would like nothing better than for the trumpets to sound and that wall to come tumbling down.

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Other walls are quite literal. It is not  unusual to build a wall for security purposes. Israel already has walls along the frontiers with Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. Most nations have walls to protect their borders:

• The United States is building a wall to keep out illegal Mexican immigrants.
• Spain built a wall, with European Union funding, to separate its enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla from Morocco to prevent poor people from sub-Saharan Africa from entering Europe.
• India constructed a 460-mile wall in Kashmir to halt infiltrations supported by Pakistan.
• Saudi Arabia built a 60-mile wall along an undefined border zone with Yemen to halt arms smuggling of weaponry and announced plans in 2006 to build a 500-mile wall along its border with Iraq.
• Turkey built a wall in the southern province of Alexandretta, which was formerly in Syria and is an area that Syria claims as its own.
• In Cyprus, the UN sponsored a security wall reinforcing the island’s de facto partition.
• British-built barriers separate Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods in Belfast

It does not matter whether the wall is built with bricks n' mortar or barbed wire n' chain link fence. It serves the same purpose; keep something in or keep something out. Only the builder's perspective determines the purpose.

November 9th, 2014 marked the silver anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Historians tell us that President Ronald Reagan challenged Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "Tear down this wall" during his June 1987 speech near the Wall. That afternoon, Reagan said,

We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace. There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

 On Nov. 9, 1989, jubilant East and West Berliners began tearing down the Berlin Wall, a symbol of the Iron Curtain for 28 years.

When President Clinton visited in 1994, he told the crowd of Berliners, "You have proven that no Wall can forever contain the mighty power of freedom."

The hidden value in walls is not that they keep people or ideas in or out. The hidden value lies in the hope that one day the wall will come tumbling down.

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