On Cooperation or Competition

Some days can feel a bit strange to me. Ordinary situations can seem mean and combative. Maybe it’s because the winds are blowing more sharply and extreme weather conditions are worrisome. But I think it is somehow more than that. The general atmosphere seems to hold more push back and less invitation. Recently in the San Francisco Bay Area residents have all passed through a transit workers strike that set management against labor and held the entire region subject to huge traffic snarls. And we all have ideas about the government shutdown, something that only got back in business when one group of legislators was forced to back down.

Being dismissive...
Even one of the stories told about Jesus feels a little weird at times. Bible buffs will remember the story of the woman who came to Jesus weeping and carrying an expensive bottle of unguent. She knelt at his feet and began to wash them with the precious liquid, drying them with her hair. The story tells us that the disciples rebuked her for not selling the expensive liquid and giving the money to help the poor. Accordingly, Jesus told the disciples to stand down, as he said that they would always have the poor with them but that he would only be with them a little while. Normally I am charmed by this tale, but lately I mused, “Hmmm….was even Jesus being dismissive of those who needed help in favor of his own comforts?”

A redemptive quality to life...
Right now it seems harder to find more kindness than combativeness, more cooperation than competition. It’s as if working together belongs to another tribe. I believe there is a redemptive quality to life, a constant series of opportunities for us to bring our special good into any circumstance; even the stones on the ground need our time and attention at times. Mountain climbers tethered together must work closely for all to arrive at a safe destination. It does indeed take a village to raise a child …or anything else for that matter.

The big one was connection....
Competition is touted because it supposedly sparks creativity. Wouldn’t more people coming together around an idea work more creatively? What do people in “think tanks” do…think as a group together, I would suppose? In some recent studies when people were asked what was number one in importance to them, love was up there, of course, and stability, but the big one was connection. We need help sometimes, a kind word, a calm hand, friends to encourage us…connection, in other words, not competition.