A long time ago a musician named Pete Seeger wrote a song entitled, “Which Side Are You On:”
The song depicted the conflict (often bloody) between the mine owners and the miners in Harlen County, Kentucky.
Most of the conflicts in human history are based on perceived differences, pitting what is basically one “tribe” against another. For generations the English and the French waged a long-term, on-going war for dominance in Europe. And, of course, the Romans wanted to rule Europe, and before that the Greeks, and before that….
In the States, we have had our share of wars as well, most notably the Revolutionary War, the “Indian wars,” and, of course, the “Civil War.” War is, in fact, so common that it is probably the “natural” state of affairs. In spite of the human desire to “study war no more,” war seems to be natural for us.
As Tennyson observed in the nineteenth century, Nature itself is “red in tooth and claw.” Conflict is the natural state of affairs. Consider for a moment how many earlier species have gone extinct. Nature is a world of strife, conflict. and violence. Humans are, of course, part of the natural world. I suspect that most of you reading this eat meat at least on occasion. Whether fish, fowl, or cattle. Everything that lives, eats something, and that “something” stayed alive by eating something else. Even
Most human conflict is based on perceived needs. What do humans actually need to survive? If it gets too cold, we die. If it gets too hot, we die. We need water, food, and breathable air. And then, of course, if the species is to survive, we need to reproduce. In many ways, life is a competition, a struggle for the survival of the “fittest.” And humans, of course, are just one of the species in the competition.
We’re not the biggest, we’re not the strongest, we’re not the fastest, but we are perhaps the smartest. That suggests that if we are to come up with a way to solve the various problems that influence us all, humans will need to be the ones to do it. Although it would be nice, it doesn’t have to be done all at once. If you’ve read much history, you already know what a long process it’s been.
Progress takes time when the choice is always the perceived lesser of two evils. We cannot choose not to sin. For that reason, it is the human obligation to consistently make the best choice(s) possible. To do that, we need to be acutely aware of the choices we are making. That requires something more than the flip of a coin….
Martin Luther said we are to sin boldly, with the implication being that we have no choice but to “sin.” For that reason, we need to be bold in deciding when and how to “sin.” Always do your best to choose the lesser of two evils….