The Scum Also Rises

I was looking at the blobs of cream in my non-homogenized Russian milk in my coffee and I got to thinking about society. Naturally we want our leaders to be the cream of our societal milk. The best and brightest bravely leading us into the new millennium. But looking at business, government, and our churches I would be blind if I did not notice the crap floating in our societal milk. 

When I think of this in the business world I think of Dilbert.

 

I think all of us identify with Dilbert. His boss is clueless and not too bright. His coworkers lazy and disingenuous. I chose this cartoon because it identifies a problem we all have. Doesn't anyone see the problems? Is anyone listening? It does not matter. We need to do what Dilbert does, do our work in our cubicle and hope for the best. To be gainfully employed we may need to be in the system, but we can avoid being of the system. 

Our government is the same—people being a part of the system and enforcing its edicts even if they make no sense. Banning lemonade stands, forbidding soldiers from farting, not allowing children to ride their bikes to school, yet having no seat belts in the commanded buses, or illegally arresting a mom for REFUSING to give her daughter drugs, all these kind of stories lead the rational to consider that government has become irrational. I am concerned that voting is to be a part of the system that is corrupt, and it will corrupt us as well. If I am given the cream to vote for, I will vote; but voting for floating crap? I will pass.  

Surely our churches are not corrupt and not a part of the system? I suppose it depends on the church. Ever notice the flag pole outside the church with the "Christian" flag and the American flag proudly waving? (BTW where did the "Christian" flag come from?) Which is on top? If your church has the American flag on top I suggest you run, not walk, to the exit. 

Here is how one blogger put it:

When the American flag is brought in leading that procession, with the Christian flag behind it, there is a problem. At a church I recently spoke at, the flagpole in front of the church had both flags flying, with the American flag on top. Problem, at least in terms of what the symbols are saying. 

Flag etiquette is clear that this is proper, but for Christians, it is symbolically blasphemous. In fact, when the flag is used in any way other than as a passive part of sanctuary decoration, symbolic contradictions almost always emerge. Pledges, salutes, and so forth are close to acts of “veneration.” (Those who criticize Catholics for bowing, etc. to statues might want to take pause and thing about the parallels.)

It is bad enough that in many churches the American flag is placed in a position of honor and worship in the sanctuary, even if that place is not in a symbolically superior position.  What message are we saying? Do we intend to say it?

I remember the two-week training session that I received when I was a member of a denomination. It was important that we "lay" speakers learn to conform to speak properly. The message that Saturday was given by Ron Dart, whom I have mentioned before and is in my links. He has probably influenced me more than any other teacher. 

There was a man there that we had all noticed, it was hard not to notice someone in stereotypical prophet garb—a staff, a robe and an impressive beard. He jumped up, pointed at the flag in the sanctuary and said "Ron, why does the Church worship the Eagle?" All of us trainees were shocked and stunned with inaction. But the founder of our denomination, well known for his patriotism, leaped up and escorted the gentleman out. None of us considered the "prophet's" question. It was a legitimate question. Why does the church worship the eagle? 

I have felt for years that I could filter out the scum from my milk and everything would be fine. Lately I have come to understand that while I can get most of the scum from the milk, to continue with my analogy I began with, the milk is still poisoned. Do you really want your milk to have unseen, but still present, scum? This is what will inevitably happen if you become a part of the system that God has set us here on the earth to fight. 

It would be nice if it was the cream that always rose to the top, but alas, the scum also rises.