And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.  Romans 12:2

Vince Lombardi said  “Fatigue makes cowards of us all”.  Growing up I was a Packer fan only because of Vince Lombardi and the cast of characters he assembled.  I made posters of Lombardi sayings and stuck them on my bedroom wall to remind me everyday that I should work towards something.  That if I work at something long enough and hard enough that success will follow and I realized later; that is the basis of the American dream.  It was a good dream then and is a good dream now.  The American individual has brought so much good to this world and brought so much in the way of advancement and possibilities for people that life is taken for granted.  We have grown weary as a people and that weariness causes us to let slide principles and allows us to grow inactive.  That fatigue leads us to follow the path of least resistance; to follow the well traveled road.  We lose sight of our values because to follow them is to struggle so it is easier to compromise and give in believing that it wiser to do so.  The weariness comes from compromise.

I know this because I am tired.  I have been tired many times during my life and each time I took a step back.  It was not a step back for self examination it was a step back from the absolutes that are in control whether we like them or not.  Many times I have turned my back on my values and every time it was to my own detriment.  I have allowed the world to enter in and allow me to deviate from what I know to be true and right.  Like a child I was drawn to instant gratification and the sense of entitlement even while knowing that these are two pillars made of sand.  Every time I returned from these excursions into the world I would find that there was that much more ground to make up .   The world would have you believe that living in a black/white absolute world is what is so tiresome when actually it is living in the worlds preference of gray that is wearisome.  That is not to say that there isn’t any gray area but it is not as the world would have you believe; a big swath of life with little judgement and carefree indecisive happiness.  The larger the gray area the more complicated and less satisfying the life.  The gray area should be only a small thin band that is entered into only when a person is evolving or devolving in some cases; not an area to reside for life.  The world would have you believe that it is more “sophisticated” and “open minded” to live in a world with no absolutes.  It is a lie.  The most closed minded people I know are those who have taken up permanent residence in that lie.  Why would they choose a harder life?

It is argued that the gray area allows for a fairer world.  An example given was a company policy concerning time off and two different employees the first being an employee who is a real asset and works well with coworkers but due to a personal issue has taken two days more than allowed; the second employee has also taken two more days than allowed but she is one who creates dissension, when asked to do anything extra either refuses or does a half assed job.   Do you treat both equally?  It was pointed out, wrongly, that in a absolute world they would both be treated the same as per the rules.  It is only in the absolute that the individuals would be treated as they truly are – individuals.  Only in the world of non absolutes are right and wrong mixed and held equally accountable.  In an effort to eradicate judgement our society has been conditioned to believe that to judge is wrong and so rules were set that takes the options out.  It is easier to and more importantly in a legal sense to not be responsible in choosing between right and wrong; better to let a rule do that for you.  In a truly oxymoronic sense rules that are considered absolutes are not but they enlarge and support the gray area of non thinking.

Within our society there has been a steady pace in widening the non absolute world.  The driving force behind it has been the explosion of the legal profession.   The ranks of lawyers has grown to obscene proportions and with it the lack of absolutes.  Let me make it clear that I do not believe that all lawyers are bad; I have a niece who is a lawyer and she is very nice.  But I do believe that if 98 out of every 100 lawyers were to disappear our society would see a dramatic improvement in relationships. The term and concept of monopoly has been vilified in our society except when it comes to the legal profession.  What a nice scam they have going for them.  They dominate the legislatures and pass law after law that ultimately require the use of a lawyer.  The people who have great angst over an oil executive heading our energy department do not see a problem with the predominance of lawyers making laws.  Is there any wonder that we are a people burdened with legalities?  A nation or society over burdened with legalities is just as bad as one without law.

For the most part we are conditioned by the world to accept the role of being a serf.  Especially in the Western world where political correctness dominates the educational system, the political system and the corporate world.  Political correctness is rooted in the gray area.   It is a tool that is used to shape society to a universal worldly mold where individuality and common sense is eradicated.  Who benefits from such a change ?  Who benefitted from the society built on serfdom?  The very same people!  Academics, Political leaders and Corporate managers.  The old adage that the more things change the more they stay the same is proven time after time.  Could it be that the worldly spirit never dies with people no matter how wrong it has proven to be?

I am tired.  Mentally and physically tired.  I want to just throw up my hands and give it up but I can’t do it.  As tired as I feel I have noticed that I have grown stronger Spiritually.  My faith has grown stronger and I grow more positive as to the outcome but that does not mean that I can or will just surrender to the world.  I have been a coward many times in my life all the result of surrendering to that gray area and it is no guarantee that I will not falter, I am human, but my growing awareness of conformity to worldly standards decreases the prospects of faltering.