Meditating on Dick Cheney
Excellent program on PBS last night, Cheney’s Law.
It was about the belief on the part of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney that the president could do as he liked, even if Congress and the Supreme Court said he couldn’t. Assuming the report was accurate and truthful (which I know may be a big assumption) the report really made me angry. The controlling, manipulative, and secretive behavior it described were absolutely appalling in my mind.
In the middle of my anger, a friend’s voice popped into my head. He would have asked me, “Did you pray for them?” Damn, I really wanted to despise these people, not pray for them. But, the Gospel is pretty clear about that. So, I stopped and prayed. I could feel more interior freedom afterwards. Must have been God at work.
Then I realized that at the highest office in our government, we had leaders behaving like street people and addicts. The cynical side of me said, “Duh!” Is this new information? Then I realized I needed to pray for myself, about my cynicism. Hmmm. Freedom returned again.
Then I realized that I too have those capacities for manipulation, secrecy, and control, and have used them in the past - sometimes knowingly and sometimes not. Time to pray again.
What I was left with was a sense of compassion for all of us - feeling God’s compassion for the street people, myself, and Dick Cheney, in our brokenness. And, I was drawn to this Biblical passage for meditation. “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross.” Philippians 2: 3-7
Every Wednesday night when I sit with a group of persons in recovery and who have been homeless because of it, I feel that invitation to be emptied. It is one of the few places I know where that emptying can take place. It is humbling. I hope and pray that we can all open ourselve to that emptying. It is life giving.
How is it you open yourself to emptying?
Peace
October 18th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
I was pleased to hear your response to your inclination to hate Bush and Cheney over this matter. There is enough hatred in the world now.
I agree that power is a big motivator for politicians. The right mobilizes the business people and others that pay for government and encourage smaller government and defense. The left mobilizes people that like to build government bigger receive entitlement programs and services. Both have their merits, but both are due some criticism. But, I think both like the power of being in charge.
October 18th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
I appreciate your comments Rob. There is definitely enough hate in the world right now. It is so easy to get caught up into it.
Wouldn’t the world be a wonderful place if we could all learn to let go of power and focus on serving one another?
Thanks for taking the time to comment. Please come back often and regularly.