The Truth Will Set You Free
For a variety of reasons today has been one of those days. You know the ones -- when you think about your life and what it means. Am I doing enough? Does my life count? What really matters?
One of the reasons I've been thinking about those things is that it's the end of another school year. Seniors will be graduating on Saturday, which always produces a mixed bag of emotions. Between school and community events, I think I've spent more time with some of them in the last four years than their parents have. I'm always so proud of the students from our school because, on the whole, they are great kids, and they are sincerely headed out into the world to be productive citizens.
I'm always selfishly sad to see them go because I will miss them, but mostly I'm just full of joy. After all, they are the reason I do what I do every day; it isn't really about money or any other reward I could get. I show up in my classroom for them. I'm using my most precious resource, literally the days of my life, to invest in a future that I'll probably never see. I won't know how things turn out for them in the end. Will good writing skills get her that corner office? Will being able to understand poetry make him a better dad? I'll never really know; I have to have faith that my hard work will, one day, bear fruit in the lives of my students.
One of the other reasons I've been reflective today is that I read a book. Christopher Morley did say, "The real purpose of books is to trap the mind into doing its own thinking." I got trapped. The book I read is called How Do You Kill 11 Million People?, and I'm sure you can probably guess why I picked it up at the library. What a title! It is also quite slim. It couldn't fail the 50 page test because there aren't even fifty pages there. It should probably really be called an essay or pamphlet.
I found a Youtube video that summarizes Andy Andrews' thesis in brief. Here it is --
Be warned there are some disturbing Holocaust images.
Here's the thing. Normally I'm a bit skeptical about alarmists or people who seem a little bit too radical, but I found myself agreeing with Andrews, wholesale. I've taught about the Holocaust for nine years, multiple times each year, and I've always explained to my students about learning from history. Of course THE major lesson I always bring out when we talk about the Holocaust is that we can't let ourselves dehumanize others, and that lesson is obviously still the central one. However after I read Andrews' book, I started to wonder if I'd missed another, nearly as important, lesson.
When we read Elie Wiesel's Night, students always ask, "Why did they just go along with everything? Why didn't they fight back? How come no one stopped it?" I've always felt like the answer to those questions were complicated. I've spent serious time talking with them about apathy, peer pressure, racism, and nationalism.
Maybe, just maybe, I was wrong. I've revised my thoughts about the reasons for atrocities (We're not just talking about the Holocaust here).
Here's what happens -- Leaders lie and every day people believe them until it becomes too late to do anything.
Andrews is subtly suggesting that lying leaders are a universal sign of disaster. Let's face it -- this is a problem we've got.
I, for one, am tired of being asked to swallow lies and play shell games for the sake of political expediency. My life at this very minute isn't horrible. In fact, I consider myself abundantly blessed. The reason I care about the real direction we're heading as a culture, society, country, and world is because it's my job. I spend all day investing in tomorrow, in building up what will be.
Good intentions aren't good enough for me. I want good direction because the right kind of action in the present changes the future outcome. Come on, people. It's common sense.
I don't want to talk about what we want to do for the next generation. I want to do what's best for the next generation. There's a big difference between those two things, and the future is at stake.
So in practical terms, what should our direction look like?
Let me share a concrete example.
You probably already know how crazy I am about Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He found himself in the middle of the situation Andrews outlines in his book, and he took action, although many around him didn't. They just sang louder. He used all his resources to actively subvert the Nazis, even giving up his life in the end. He wrote, spoke, and argued with his fellow country men and women about the direction the Nazis were taking them all. Some people listened. (He was a part of one of the plots to end Hitler's life.) Sadly it wasn't enough.
What does that mean for us? What action is required of us?
First, I believe that all of us must begin living as virtuously as we can. Even if you are are not a person of faith, I hope you will be able to admit to yourself that telling the truth is a good thing -- along with protecting the weak, valuing our children, and handling our money ethically.
Second, we need a return to real community. Local decisions need to be made about local issues. We have to realize that if our neighbors are in need, it's our problem too. All of us need to care about our children and our elderly.
Last, and maybe most importantly, we have to start holding our leaders to the highest standards. Meaningful votes need to be cast. Politicians on both sides of the aisle need to know, genuinely, that we constituents will not vote for liars or embezzlers.
We need our integrity back from the least of us to the greatest.
Just sayin'.
One of the reasons I've been thinking about those things is that it's the end of another school year. Seniors will be graduating on Saturday, which always produces a mixed bag of emotions. Between school and community events, I think I've spent more time with some of them in the last four years than their parents have. I'm always so proud of the students from our school because, on the whole, they are great kids, and they are sincerely headed out into the world to be productive citizens.
I'm always selfishly sad to see them go because I will miss them, but mostly I'm just full of joy. After all, they are the reason I do what I do every day; it isn't really about money or any other reward I could get. I show up in my classroom for them. I'm using my most precious resource, literally the days of my life, to invest in a future that I'll probably never see. I won't know how things turn out for them in the end. Will good writing skills get her that corner office? Will being able to understand poetry make him a better dad? I'll never really know; I have to have faith that my hard work will, one day, bear fruit in the lives of my students.
One of the other reasons I've been reflective today is that I read a book. Christopher Morley did say, "The real purpose of books is to trap the mind into doing its own thinking." I got trapped. The book I read is called How Do You Kill 11 Million People?, and I'm sure you can probably guess why I picked it up at the library. What a title! It is also quite slim. It couldn't fail the 50 page test because there aren't even fifty pages there. It should probably really be called an essay or pamphlet.
I found a Youtube video that summarizes Andy Andrews' thesis in brief. Here it is --
Be warned there are some disturbing Holocaust images.
Here's the thing. Normally I'm a bit skeptical about alarmists or people who seem a little bit too radical, but I found myself agreeing with Andrews, wholesale. I've taught about the Holocaust for nine years, multiple times each year, and I've always explained to my students about learning from history. Of course THE major lesson I always bring out when we talk about the Holocaust is that we can't let ourselves dehumanize others, and that lesson is obviously still the central one. However after I read Andrews' book, I started to wonder if I'd missed another, nearly as important, lesson.
When we read Elie Wiesel's Night, students always ask, "Why did they just go along with everything? Why didn't they fight back? How come no one stopped it?" I've always felt like the answer to those questions were complicated. I've spent serious time talking with them about apathy, peer pressure, racism, and nationalism.
Maybe, just maybe, I was wrong. I've revised my thoughts about the reasons for atrocities (We're not just talking about the Holocaust here).
Here's what happens -- Leaders lie and every day people believe them until it becomes too late to do anything.
Andrews is subtly suggesting that lying leaders are a universal sign of disaster. Let's face it -- this is a problem we've got.
I, for one, am tired of being asked to swallow lies and play shell games for the sake of political expediency. My life at this very minute isn't horrible. In fact, I consider myself abundantly blessed. The reason I care about the real direction we're heading as a culture, society, country, and world is because it's my job. I spend all day investing in tomorrow, in building up what will be.
Good intentions aren't good enough for me. I want good direction because the right kind of action in the present changes the future outcome. Come on, people. It's common sense.
I don't want to talk about what we want to do for the next generation. I want to do what's best for the next generation. There's a big difference between those two things, and the future is at stake.
So in practical terms, what should our direction look like?
Let me share a concrete example.
You probably already know how crazy I am about Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He found himself in the middle of the situation Andrews outlines in his book, and he took action, although many around him didn't. They just sang louder. He used all his resources to actively subvert the Nazis, even giving up his life in the end. He wrote, spoke, and argued with his fellow country men and women about the direction the Nazis were taking them all. Some people listened. (He was a part of one of the plots to end Hitler's life.) Sadly it wasn't enough.
What does that mean for us? What action is required of us?
First, I believe that all of us must begin living as virtuously as we can. Even if you are are not a person of faith, I hope you will be able to admit to yourself that telling the truth is a good thing -- along with protecting the weak, valuing our children, and handling our money ethically.
Second, we need a return to real community. Local decisions need to be made about local issues. We have to realize that if our neighbors are in need, it's our problem too. All of us need to care about our children and our elderly.
Last, and maybe most importantly, we have to start holding our leaders to the highest standards. Meaningful votes need to be cast. Politicians on both sides of the aisle need to know, genuinely, that we constituents will not vote for liars or embezzlers.
We need our integrity back from the least of us to the greatest.
Just sayin'.
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