"All problems become smaller if you don't dodge them, but confront them. Touch a thistle timidly, and it pricks you; grasp it boldly, and its spines crumble."
-- William Halsey, Jr. (1882-1959), Fleet Admiral (WWII)
Interesting how the mind works, huh? I'll bet you thought this post was going to be about some little condescending know-it-all. Well, aren't both, the thistle and the other little "son of a gun" potentially painful to be around? Like most of us, you probably went for the more colorful slang, at least until the thistle came to mind. Personally, I've been "intimate" with the defensive needles on that puppy, and I can attest to the vulgar obscenities which rocketed forth from my pie hole. Having been subjected to Catholic school, I think my choice of words would have rendered a cathedral full of nuns comatose and made many a navy man smile with pride.
I'm sure this is probably what happened in 1263 when a barefoot Norseman stepped on a thistle and cried out in pain, alerting the Scot encampment to the impending invasion which would become known as the Battle of Largs. This cry of pain was most certainly followed by a stream of expletives worthy of many a Norseman (re: navy men). The passive, humble, thistle thus became the symbol of all Scotland.
Interesting how the mind works, yes?
When I consider Jesus Christ as he is nailed to the cross, I can't help but think how that must have hurt. Would any of us have been able to endure, in silence, what that pain must be like? Did Jesus endure in silence or did he satisfy the soldiers by screaming out in agony with His own stream of expletives? Would we think less of Him if He gave in to the pain? After all, He was just a man, human, like any one of us... only not.
Thinking about it gives me pause to reflect on my own frailties.
By the way, I have to throw a "yellow flag" on Halsey. He may have been one hell of a naval fighting man, but I don't think he ever grasped a thistle boldly without it pricking him. Just saying.
Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint.
It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.
We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.
Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.
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