A Greater Purpose

MaxedOutMama wrote that she felt that Christmas mass services felt "like joy distilled...into purpose". Meanwhile, earlier this year, Peggy Noonan caused quite a storm with her editorial saying that the elites were out to lunch and "giving up".

Hmmmm.....

Ever feel like you're in a pressure cooker and the temperature just got turned up? That, to me, is 2005. So many majorly, desperately important decisions were made that it is almost impossible to comprehend them all. Some decisions have been driven by need, some by circumstances, but all big.

For example, we now have a new Supreme Court Chief Justice. Who is he and what will he be like? Another Judge, Judge Alito, is in the works. The liberals will fight this nomination. Hard. Another big decision.

Lot's happened to us that made the world react:
Tsunamis in Indonesia, earthquakes in Pakistan, floods in China and New Jersey, hurricanes blew through New Orleans, southeast Texas, various Carribean islands and the Yucatan peninsula.

Peaceful revolutions in multiple countries: the Orange revolution, Syria booted from Lebanon, and more.

Truly, looking at 2005, takes one's breath away. This year, Americans gave more money charitably than ever in history. We are a truly blessed nation and generous.

And still, the resources stretch is being felt as communities try to absorb a primarily welfare-dependent group of displaced flood victims. In addition, we watch huge American institutions like General Motors contemplate a future.

I wonder at a country with few plants making things and all industrialization, or a bunch of it, going overseas. What will all those guys with little more than high school educations do to support families? While the unions insist on shooting themselves in the foot as evidenced by the NY transit strike making them seem quaint old out-dated institutions, they used to be a vehicle to self-respect. No more.

Oil is sky-high and life is good in Houston. Business is building but subtly better than a few years ago. Have people learned to be more circumspect when good times roll?

Do people feel, like me, absolutely disgusted and tired of the insistence by Hollywood types to
poke fun at average, hard-working families headed by a strong, happily married couple? The latest condescension was Dukes of Hazzard. Yup, that movie captured the typical Red-Stater all right. Moonshine and shotguns and rebel flags sum up a typical day in most of Texas.

The ideological divide this country experiences won't go away soon. In some ways it is smaller than would appear at first glance, most people form pretty reasoned opinions in nuanced situations. But when pushed, people want a hard line drawn--let tough rules be bent. Throwing out all the rules breeds chaos. Society doesn't work well in gray zones.

2005: A year of decisions. France burning. Netherlands killing. Australia rioting. Poland holding. China practicing. Russia poaching. Canada roiling. Mexico sneaking. Germany electing. U.N. corrupting. Africa dying. South Korea cloning--or not.

The U.S. and Britain continue to fight an enemy akin to the Donkey Kong arcade game. Another head keeps popping up. That doesn't mean the fight is lost. On the contrary, strides are being made. But will they hold? We'll see.

2006 will be a year of more decisions. What is a city worth? What is a country worth? What is a life worth? What is a job worth? Are there any scientific limits?

Wisdom. We all need wisdom. Both personally and for our leaders. Since it seems in such short supply especially from self-indulgent leaders, prayer is always a safe answer.

May 2006 be filled with wise answers to tough questions.