Mallard in a Minefield
I drove by the duck on the way to the library. “What’s he doing, sitting in the middle of the road?” I wondered, then I looked just past him and saw the other mallard laying mangled and dead on the side of the road.
I understood his paralysis. Stop and sit where you are, even if it’s a dangerous place, when you feel blindsided by life.
I feel that way right now. Afraid to move, to say anything. This week North Carolina voted on a controversial constitutional amendment. I did my research, cut through the propaganda on both sides as best I could, carefully considered the issue, and then voted my beliefs.
Being a lifelong non-confrontationist (I really hate to argue), my spirit feels battered and bruised from the flying shrapnel. Facebook is a battlefield laid with landmines. Normally quiet, gentle and loving people spout rhetoric and attack the other side. There seems no middle ground, no respect for each other, no room for disagreement. The other side is considered stupid. People I love, respect, and cherish stand fiercely on both sides of the issue. I respect both sides. I am perceived as wimpy by many for my lack of guts to “stand up and declare what is right”.
So like the duck in the road, I stop and hesitate in the middle of the minefield. If I try to explain my convictions I fear I will end up like the mangled mallard on the side of the road. But eventually I know I must move out of harms way, I just pray I can make it quietly to the side of the road, off the battlefield and back into my pond.
Another reason I'm glad I'm not on Facebook. (A friend of mine is also avoiding it for the same reason.) I read enough stupid stuff in the news yesterday to know to stay out of all of it.
Great analogy. I post on Facebook, but nothing controversial. It is sad when we can't respect one another's beliefs.
Thanks Sheila;
You are so right that people these days seem to have no idea how to respectfully disagree. Enemies are made for no good reason and moreover, many good Christian folks simply make their faith in Christ look like a joke because of their approach to difficult and sometimes multi-faceted issues.
The Bible clearly teaches to that we are not to quarrel, and that we are to be kind and compassionate to one another. Eph. 4:32, 1 Thes. 5:15, 2 Tim. 2:24 and so many more examples of how we should treat others with kindness and respect- even our enemies and those we don't see eye to eye with.
It's no wonder most people won't go to church.
Sheila: I guess I haven't missed much on Facebook these days, although I do go occaisionally to visit with classmates.
I hope you are healed from this trying time and that your friends will pull together and not stay divided. Hopefully they will see that people are more important than politics.
Why do politics do this to people anyway? It's such a contentious subject.
Just make sure you don't quack up.
I do my very best not to get all confrontational on Facebook. I really do not like Facebook spats. A lot of "FUs" followed by more "FUs, you moron."
I'd rather write fart jokes.
I keep away from confrontation too– and I'm with you, taking a stand does not mean we lose respect for others.