CONSPIRE

Most conspiracy theories are either desperate attempts to shore up one’s own agenda or some effort to explain what we cannot understand. Very few deserve any attention from rational people. Here are a few of my favorites.

The JFK assassination, Fake moon landing, Flat earth, Deep state, Vaccinations cause autism.

There are many more. But what interests me is the word conspire. It’s literal meaning is to breathe with. Scripture uses the same word for breath and Spirit. We are given the gift of breath. This gift is not just for us as individuals, but as a human race. So, why does it seem like so many people are having a hard time breathing? I think the short answer is ISM!

Racism: One race, (Our race)is superior and thus has the right to hold down or even destroy the other race.

Nationalism: Our country is the only one that matters. A shortened version of it in German is NAZI.

Liberalism and Conservatism: preconceived bias that keep us from rational analysis.

Trumpsim: This is not the same as conservatism. This is unquestioned and unexamined allegiance to one man

Any ISM that defines an economic system as perfect. This includes capitalism and socialism

Sexism: An excuse to objectify and suppress others because of gender.

All of these make it hard for us all to CON SPIRE; to breathe together; to share the Spirit of God among us.

There are things that make it easier for us to breathe together. They are things like:

Mutual respect, even for those who are not like us or those who disagree with us.

A willingness to listen and learn and maybe change the way we think.

Think in terms of all of us instead of just me or my group when it comes to the blessings that God provides.

Recognize that we are all children of God. We are all deserving of life and opportunity and respect.

I close with words from Paul to the Thessalonians.

“Be at peace among yourselves, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak. be patient with all. Do not repay evil for evil but always seek to do good to one another and to all.” I Thessalonians 5: 14, 15

If we could all just do that, we might all be able to breathe together. What a conspiracy that would be.