When things work opposite

When things work counter to what I deem normative I’m uncomfortable. I’ve lived in a perpetual state of frustration over everything from internal and external hypocrisy to the injustice of forcing children to take up arms in warfare. I sometimes still mutter to myself that humans betray their own intelligence by acting counter-intuitively when it comes to the so-called slam dunk decisions in life. Somehow or another I developed this hypersensitivity to lying, stealing, murdering, cheating, lacking compassion etc. I mean, it’s bad my “brothas” and “sistas” and it fuels a judgmental disposition that gets me in trouble…a lot.

But here’s the question I’ve been asking myself, “When things work opposite to what you you expect or know people are capable of, what should be my response?” These are those moments I like, the ones where it’s like you turn to yourself and say,”I’m glad you asked me the question.” It’s one thing to rehearse the musings that produce flammable thinking and make you angry all day. That’s what I’m prone to do. But the question mentioned earlier puts me on the spot and forces me to think resolutely about what I should do. My answer to myself is that I have a responsibility to the no-brainers. For Norman, there are so many great truths that God has revealed and I’ve been obstinate on more than one occasion. I know that when I’ve heeded the lessons afforded me by basketball and other walks of life, it’s been because of intentional relationship with God in all of its various struggles.

In the Ancient Near Eastern biblical collection known as the Psalms, up to a third of the songs are representations of human frustration. Dudes are crying out to God and likely because things are working “opposite”. What I’m getting is that there are polarizing norms in our world and they are unacceptable. I must never forget that. But it’s not proactive to bludgeon the world upside the head and diminish the importance of making sure that I, myself, don’t become one who works opposite thus becoming the very thing I hate.