Rotary Presentation - Election Day - 2024 “Reconciliation in Times of Division” Michael Roberts Did you hear the one about the pastor who was about to walk into a Bar. The person in front of him turned around and gave him some good advice. She said, “Duck.” Get it - walk into a bar ---. I hope I don’t have to duck today.
And here is my favorite joke of all time. It is a kids joke - maybe PG rated. What did the fish say when it ran into a concrete wall? “Dam.” I hope that, after today, I don’t feel like I have run into a concrete wall. Now one more. Did you hear the one about the pastor who was asked to speak to a civic club on election day with the topic of reconciliation in times of division? I hope that you will not go home thinking that what you heard today was just a big joke. I am going to try to avoid too much controversy, so I’m going to focus on a couple of things that should keep me from having to duck - two things, children and math.
My wife and I are raising two grandchildren. They are 10 and 8 and we’ve had them for 6 years now. (This is the beginning of a math problem). We are a family now. After raising 3 children, and doing our time, so to speak, this is not what we thought we would be doing at this point in our lives, but we are, and it is good. We go to bed most nights able to say, “that was okay. We made it. It was a good day.” What I want to reflect upon for a moment is how different these two children are. They are just 2 years apart, but so different in the way they see the world. One is a math whiz...He thinks in terms of numbers and equations...And it is remarkable how quickly he can do all of this in his head. And he is precise. He’ll get upset if we tell him that we will pick him up at 5:30 and we show up at 5:27. He will point this out, maybe even to the second. The other child knows that 2 +2 = 4. She can pass the test. But one day she proudly informed us that 2 +2 = fish. You see, if you take two 2’s and put them back-to-back, it looks like a fish. I was amazed. And this way of seeing the world led to 3+3 = 8 (two 3’s back-to-back = 8). (two 7’s = triangle). Now, I can imagine that these two children will grow up and have different political views and theological views. How could they not? And yet, I can also imagine them still loving one another and working together to create a reality that is better than either could have created on their own. And the question becomes, What do I need to do now to help make this happen? How can I cultivate that kind of cooperation? And that is a challenge, especially when I have to spend a lot of time saying, “Just stop touching each other” or “stop fighting” or “just get along.” And I find myself saying things like that when they are acting like what? Children! And yes, sometimes when they are acting like children I don’t always exhibit great maturity. I’ll admit that. Let’s think a little more about 2+2. Sometimes 2+2 does equal 4. Sometimes it doesn’t. In terms of a group of people working on a project or a goal, if these two people view these two with suspicion, and maybe even use words like evil just because they have some different ideas, and then if this is countered by these two with mistrust and dismissal, then 2+2 can equal 0 - nothing. Or if these two are successful in running these two off...then the plus-sign turns into a sign of division, and 2 divided by 2=1. These two have then successfully created a little world that is limited to one perspective, where unity is defined as uniformity.
And now compare that equation to what can happen when people come together in a spirit of respect and a desire to learn and grow and find solutions better than any could ever come up with on our own. And here I just have to use a biblical metaphor. Jesus talked about seeds falling on good soil and increasing thirty, sixty, or a hundred-fold. You see, there are times when 2+2 can equal 30,60,100. What kind of good soil or good environment is needed to yield such positive results? I can’t get around describing it as love, and I must turn to the definition in the scriptures where we read that love is patient and kind. It is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way. That is a good word for us today. We are called to a humility that does not insist on its own way. In this good soil, with these values planted here (heart), and cultivated and honored in the community, then 2 +2 can expand exponentially. The fruit can become as numerous as the stars.
For this to happen it does require a healthy understanding of the word “party,” as in political party or theological party. The word “party” is built upon the word “part.” One of the most destructive things we can do is to use power in an attempt to turn a part into the whole. Have you heard the term, “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.” That’s the better goal. And if you want to know what this looks like, look in the mirror. You are greater than the sum of your parts. And this can be true of a community as well, and perhaps a nation. The Apostle Paul uses a simple illustration for this. He uses the human body and how the many parts are created to work in harmony for a higher purpose. He says, “the eye cannot say to the ear, you should be an eye, or the hand doesn’t say to the foot, I have no need of you.” When we start thinking like that, then 2+2 can never add up to even 4. It can add up to division and disease, to hurt and harm. History is full of communities falling apart in that way. So now I want to shift metaphors a bit, with one that still involves numbers. I want to reflect upon the metaphor of the middle lane. I have used this metaphor often to talk about how we need a strong middle lane. If we are to move forward, we need a lane that respects and includes those who want to move a little faster (over here) and a lane that honors and includes those who want to move a little slower (over here). And as we work together, sometimes we might need to move this way or that way, but always to stay connected to the middle lane that gives us the best perspective on the whole.
Now all metaphors breakdown at some point, and since I’ve moved to Jonesboro I have discovered that there is not a middle lane anywhere to be found - at least not in the way I’m describing. We have middle lanes, but their purpose is to make a place where we must turn either left or right, and meeting in the middle lane is dangerous, to be avoided. So, this metaphor doesn’t work as well here. But hopefully the concept does work. I would love help coming up with another metaphor. Maybe a good one is the table. Here, in this club, we get to experience eating with others. Doing what we do here every week is a good way to cultivate good soil. It is a good thing for us to put ourselves into place where we spend time with others, and perhaps others who are not just like us. That enriches the soil of the souls.
So, how you might complete this sentence. I want to be in a community that... Here are a couple of mine. I want to be in a community that rejoices in a child who is able to see how 2+2 = fish. I want to be in a community where groups of people are not turned into issues or problems as a way to promote agendas of exclusion. Here’s one more. I want to be in a community where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. How might you complete the sentence, I want to be in a community that... As you ponder this, I really do hope that this thought will help you get through this day and will give us all some math problems to work on together, into the future. Thank you for letting me share today.
Rotary Presentation - Election Day - 2024
“Reconciliation in Times of Division”
Michael Roberts
Did you hear the one about the pastor who was about to walk into a Bar. The person in front of him turned around and gave him some good advice. She said, “Duck.” Get it - walk into a bar ---. I hope I don’t have to duck today.
And here is my favorite joke of all time. It is a kids joke - maybe PG rated. What did the fish say when it ran into a concrete wall? “Dam.” I hope that, after today, I don’t feel like I have run into a concrete wall.
Now one more. Did you hear the one about the pastor who was asked to speak to a civic club on election day with the topic of reconciliation in times of division? I hope that you will not go home thinking that what you heard today was just a big joke.
I am going to try to avoid too much controversy, so I’m going to focus on a couple of things that should keep me from having to duck - two things, children and math.
My wife and I are raising two grandchildren. They are 10 and 8 and we’ve had them for 6 years now. (This is the beginning of a math problem). We are a family now. After raising 3 children, and doing our time, so to speak, this is not what we thought we would be doing at this point in our lives, but we are, and it is good. We go to bed most nights able to say, “that was okay. We made it. It was a good day.”
What I want to reflect upon for a moment is how different these two children are. They are just 2 years apart, but so different in the way they see the world. One is a math whiz...He thinks in terms of numbers and equations...And it is remarkable how quickly he can do all of this in his head. And he is precise. He’ll get upset if we tell him that we will pick him up at 5:30 and we show up at 5:27. He will point this out, maybe even to the second.
The other child knows that 2 +2 = 4. She can pass the test. But one day she proudly informed us that 2 +2 = fish. You see, if you take two 2’s and put them back-to-back, it looks like a fish. I was amazed. And this way of seeing the world led to 3+3 = 8 (two 3’s back-to-back = 8). (two 7’s = triangle).
Now, I can imagine that these two children will grow up and have different political views and theological views. How could they not? And yet, I can also imagine them still loving one another and working together to create a reality that is better than either could have created on their own. And the question becomes, What do I need to do now to help make this happen? How can I cultivate that kind of cooperation? And that is a challenge, especially when I have to spend a lot of time saying, “Just stop touching each other” or “stop fighting” or “just get along.” And I find myself saying things like that when they are acting like what? Children! And yes, sometimes when they are acting like children I don’t always exhibit great maturity. I’ll admit that.
Let’s think a little more about 2+2. Sometimes 2+2 does equal 4. Sometimes it doesn’t. In terms of a group of people working on a project or a goal, if these two people view these two with suspicion, and maybe even use words like evil just because they have some different ideas, and then if this is countered by these two with mistrust and dismissal, then 2+2 can equal 0 - nothing. Or if these two are successful in running these two off...then the plus-sign turns into a sign of division, and 2 divided by 2=1. These two have then successfully created a little world that is limited to one perspective, where unity is defined as uniformity.
And now compare that equation to what can happen when people come together in a spirit of respect and a desire to learn and grow and find solutions better than any could ever come up with on our own. And here I just have to use a biblical metaphor.
Jesus talked about seeds falling on good soil and increasing thirty, sixty, or a hundred-fold. You see, there are times when 2+2 can equal 30,60,100. What kind of good soil or good environment is needed to yield such positive results? I can’t get around describing it as love, and I must turn to the definition in the scriptures where we read that love is patient and kind. It is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way. That is a good word for us today. We are called to a humility that does not insist on its own way. In this good soil, with these values planted here (heart), and cultivated and honored in the community, then 2 +2 can expand exponentially. The fruit can become as numerous as the stars.
For this to happen it does require a healthy understanding of the word “party,” as in political party or theological party. The word “party” is built upon the word “part.” One of the most destructive things we can do is to use power in an attempt to turn a part into the whole.
Have you heard the term, “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.” That’s the better goal. And if you want to know what this looks like, look in the mirror. You are greater than the sum of your parts. And this can be true of a community as well, and perhaps a nation. The Apostle Paul uses a simple illustration for this. He uses the human body and how the many parts are created to work in harmony for a higher purpose. He says, “the eye cannot say to the ear, you should be an eye, or the hand doesn’t say to the foot, I have no need of you.” When we start thinking like that, then 2+2 can never add up to even 4. It can add up to division and disease, to hurt and harm. History is full of communities falling apart in that way.
So now I want to shift metaphors a bit, with one that still involves numbers. I want to reflect upon the metaphor of the middle lane. I have used this metaphor often to talk about how we need a strong middle lane. If we are to move forward, we need a lane that respects and includes those who want to move a little faster (over here) and a lane that honors and includes those who want to move a little slower (over here). And as we work together, sometimes we might need to move this way or that way, but always to stay connected to the middle lane that gives us the best perspective on the whole.
Now all metaphors breakdown at some point, and since I’ve moved to Jonesboro I have discovered that there is not a middle lane anywhere to be found - at least not in the way I’m describing. We have middle lanes, but their purpose is to make a place where we must turn either left or right, and meeting in the middle lane is dangerous, to be avoided. So, this metaphor doesn’t work as well here. But hopefully the concept does work. I would love help coming up with another metaphor. Maybe a good one is the table. Here, in this club, we get to experience eating with others. Doing what we do here every week is a good way to cultivate good soil. It is a good thing for us to put ourselves into place where we spend time with others, and perhaps others who are not just like us. That enriches the soil of the souls.
So, how you might complete this sentence. I want to be in a community that... Here are a couple of mine. I want to be in a community that rejoices in a child who is able to see how 2+2 = fish. I want to be in a community where groups of people are not turned into issues or problems as a way to promote agendas of exclusion. Here’s one more. I want to be in a community where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. How might you complete the sentence, I want to be in a community that... As you ponder this, I really do hope that this thought will help you get through this day and will give us all some math problems to work on together, into the future. Thank you for letting me share today.