Prelude to conversation…

Good people make every attempt to live by the laws of the country in which they are citizens…or make every attempt to change the laws. Good people play fair with others. Good people strive to live in such a way that their selfishness, their self interest, their bias, their prejudice, their position, their privilege does not get in the way of their having a positive relationship with all people… with every person. Good people do not lie, cheat or steal. Good people attempt to be kind to everyone. Good people are concerned about pollution, world hunger, injustice, corruption, COVID 19 and other things which plague people in our world. Good people also attempt to do something about these things. Good people forgive others. In the book of Genesis, in the Bible, God says of people… “very good”. In the Psalms, the Psalmist says of people that God has made us “only slightly less than divine”. People can be good. In fact, I think most people are good…most of the time. Most people are good people…most of the time. Unfortunately most good people, like most people, sometimes act selfishly, out of self interest, from their own bias and prejudice, using their position and privilege to take advantage of others, to do others harm, or to, without thinking, improve their lives at the expense of others. We fall short of goodness. All people fall short of goodness…sometimes. Doctors, nurses, lawyers, teachers, first responders, basketball players, pastors, students, parents, politicians, everybody… are good people who often fall short of goodness. When a football player or a movie star falls short of goodness…it does not mean that all football players or all movie stars are not good people. It simply means that this person has fallen short of goodness. Since good people forgive others… it would be a difficult… but a good thing to forgive them. Of course forgiving them does not mean there are no consequences. Good people accept the consequences of their having fallen short of goodness. Good people make sure there are appropriate consequences to falling short. And then we move on…hoping that next time we can be better… that we can have learned from our falling short.

Most people are good people…most of the time.

May it be so… in our living
Rev. Ted Anderson