So I'm listening to the news at lunchtime today when I hear about the recent uprisings in Greece. Without being there firsthand, I need to take the reporter's word that his commentary is the correct interpretation of the events on the ground. He states that the people are/have been humiliated by an EU ruling that requires Greece to sell off €50B in government infrastructure to support the ongoing repayment of €300B in debt. The protesters refuse to pay for a problem that someone else has caused. Apparently the protesters are in no way linked to the financial issues the country faces.
For me, it's not the financial issues that mattered in this news report. It's the humiliation. I don't have to look at a mirror too long to understand just how flawed I am. In fact, it's so bad that all I can do is laugh at myself and not take myself too seriously. In view of my self evaluation I feel like I don't have anything to hide. I have no face to save. I have nothing to be proud of in an intrinsic sense. There is nothing innately good about me that someone could actually point to and humiliate me. Chances are whatever they say they are probably right - if not in whole then at least in part, and I can learn something from those comments. For me, I think if I'm humiliated about anything I've probably taken an unrealistic view of that thing in the first place.
There is a passage in the Bible that talks about unity among Christian people with respect to lawsuits they bring against each other. It reads, "Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?" While the context doesn't apply to the specifics of my life, I have decided to use this to shape my personal view of morality. As I am such a flawed person, I'm grateful to have been given so much. Not materialistically, but talent, drive, ambition, intelligence, and with experience, wisdom. I've received a pink slip. I've had my taxes raised. I've financially supported some pretty stupid causes. On and on it goes. If someone else gains by stepping on me, you know, so what. My experience proves to me that I'll gain both wisdom as well as strength from the situation. In the end I'll become a better person for having some perceived wrong done to me. So for the sake of others, and in hopes that they will also learn from the situation, I'll choose to be wronged or cheated. If nothing else I can sleep well at night.
There is so much to say about this, that a small post cannot do the subject justice. Perhaps I'll pick it up in a future post.