The Myth Of Unintended Consequences!

We are experiencing the devastation and fallout of another myth: UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. In case you forgot, a myth is a widely held but false belief or idea. You’ve heard people say, maybe you’ve said it: “That not what I meant. I didn’t intend for it to happen like this.” It’s as if that statement absolves and forgives that person’s choice, actions or words. The slate is wiped clean. It creates the illusion that the damage caused by those UNINTENTIONAL CONSEQUENCES is lessened.

Let’s get it out in the open: “There is no such thing as unintended consequences! Never has been, is not now, nor will it ever be!” I have a deep seated suspicion that many disagree with my assertion. Well, guess what? Your disagreement doesn’t change the facts. Do you need proof that this is the truth? I refer you to Newton’s Third Law of Motion: “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Denying the reality of Newton’s Third Law of Motion doesn’t change the reality of this Law. “How does this apply to unintended consequences?” Glad you asked this question.

Every choice you make, every act, and every word spoken has a subsequent equal and opposite reaction. Good or bad, it happens. This is NOT affected by your intention. Unintended Consequences are nothing new. It goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden with Eve’s choice and Adam’s silence. I don’t think their intention was to get booted out of the Garden. They only intended to be a god. How did that work out for them? Allow me to show you a recent example.

COVID-19 PROTOCOLS! If these protocols had been followed, we would be seeing a decline in the number of cases. But, no! Social distancing? “What’s that?” Face masks and gloves? “You’re kidding right?” Stay at home and go out only for what is essential? “Well what I want to do IS essential!” Don’t panic buy and leave important supplies on the shelves for others? “You’re hilarious Preacherman! I’m taking care of me and to hell with everyone else.” Being out in public may expose you to the virus? “You’ve lost your mind. I’m invincible!”

Well, I could go on, but let me get to the point of the INTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF THIS WAVE OF SELFISH IGNORANCE HAPPENING HERE IN THE U.S. Bear in mind, with the exceptions of narcissists and sociopaths, this is not what these selfish, ignorant people intended; it is, though, the consequences–and because they made those decisions–THEY ARE THE INTENTIONAL CONSEQUENCES OF ALL THOSE WHO IGNORED AND VIOLATED THE PROTOCOLS! Here’s a few of those INTENTIONAL CONSEQUENCES:

• People have lost their jobs. Some employers and still paying their employees, but this can’t go on indefinitely. Others are NOT receiving a paycheck.
• Family and friends are unable to visit loved ones in a nursing home or skilled care facility. Imagine, if you even can, the loneliness of those residents.
• We have family in hospitals with other illnesses, but we can’t be there with them! I’m one of countless others in this situation. We can’t be there for them. A friend of ours, Krissy, shared with me that her grandfather is in ICU but she can’t be there for him and with him. It’s all because of all you who violated the Protocols. This is what you intended!
• People with autoimmune diseases and respiratory conditions cannot find disinfecting supplies. Those with autoimmune diseases and respiratory conditions are highly susceptible to other conditions. A common cold or “ordinary” flu can devolve into pneumonia and respiratory failure resulting in death. A part of me secretly wishes law enforcement could find these hoarders and charge them with at least manslaughter; preferably second degree murder.
• Families who have had a death in the family are restricted from the love, care and comfort of friends in a time they really need it. A couple of weeks ago I did a graveside service for a good friend. Only a limited number of people could gather in the parking lot, and only 10 at a time could go in for what we in the South call “a viewing”. At the cemetery it was only a limited number of family members who could be there. It broke my heart.
• Couples who planned that special wedding day have had to postpone or do something different, without friends and family. Weddings are a time of great and shared joy. But they can’t happen because of you who violated the Protocols.
• Children who live in an abusive home could look forward to being at school for a few hours of respite from their abusers. And now they are trapped with their abuser 24/7. This is what violators of the Protocols intended to happen.
• Spouses/significant others who are abused could look forward to going to work or their abuser going to work, but if they aren’t “essential workers” they are trapped with their abuser. This is the intent of those violating the Protocols.
• Violators of the Protocol who bring their children with them to the stores still open are abusing those children. They are intentionally exposing them to grave danger. In my book, they are child abusers. And we know what Jesus said about abusers of children!
• Medical personnel cannot hug their family members; some even staying away from their home to protect their loved ones. Numerous cases of COVID-19 have happened within the medical community. Violators have put at risk and added stress to the very ones who are trained, skilled and committed to taking care of you. That’s the equivalent of you cutting off your toe because you have an ingrown toenail.
• First responders–law enforcement personnel, fire and rescue personnel, EMTs and paramedics are risking their lives even more. Their jobs are to protect you and there were already enough dangers they face to protect you violators of the Protocols. Now they are facing even greater dangers and us family members are worried even more about them.

Well, I could go on; feel free to add other INTENTIONAL CONSEQUENCES in the comments section below. But the point is clear! Every decision, word, and action, as in Newton’s Third Law of Motion, has consequences. Your intentions are absolutely meaningless. Now, you can continue to expand the chaos. . .or. . . you can think things through beforehand. Your choices. . .your words. . . your actions carry with them CONSEQUENCES THAT ARE UNINFLUENCED BY YOUR INTENTIONS. Perhaps the death of this myth will be another consequence of this pandemic. And that would be more than good. . .that would be, as Tony the Tiger would say: GRRRREAT!

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Time To End P.C. And Send It Back To H-e-double toothpick, Where It Came From

When I say “P.C.” I’m not talking about Microsoft Windows 10 or any microprocessor platform. This late Sunday afternoon I’m about to go on a rant about Political Correctness, hereafter simply called PC. And here’s the reason why.

Before 3:00 a.m., I woke up to the sound of my wife Debbie falling. I jumped out of bed to check on her. She was incoherent and disoriented. I finally helped her to her chair in the living room. It reminded me of when she had double pneumonia and her oxygen level had dropped to 72 percent–critical. Her oxygen level was good but she wasn’t. I called 911 for an ambulance, and of course, I couldn’t go with her because of the COVID-19 protocols.

She is diagnosed with a serious urinary tract infection. Over the past 16 years I have been at her side through 7 stents, even more arteriograms, 1 heart attack, 5 days in a pulmonary intensive care unit, and a few other surgeries. And this evening she is alone in the hospital getting treatment and I cannot be there. And here’s why:

We have an over preponderance of idiots in this nation. These idiots have cleared shelves of hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol, and disinfectants; leaving the most vulnerable without necessary supplies. These idiots walk the aisles of Walmart, Sam’s, Costco, and grocery stores like nothing is going on. These idiots bring their children by the carload. These idiots have proven they do not care about anyone but themselves. By now the curve of COVID-19 cases should be going down. But. . . these idiots out there are making life difficult. I have a friend who told me this morning on Facebook that her grandfather is in ICU, alone and they can’t be with him. People have family members in skilled nursing facilities and unless their relative is dying, they can’t visit with them. And it is ALL BECAUSE OF THESE IDIOTS.

Some of you may think I am being way too harsh. The PC rules say I am being mean for simply telling the truth. “They say” you can draw more flies with honey than vinegar. Well, what has all this honey done but create a sticky mess with dead flies everywhere. And that’s exactly what PC has created in our culture! We are so afraid of “offending” someone that Idiots are given free-range against society. It’s time we started calling things as they really are and stop pretending that being nice will change people. If you know a COVID-19 Idiot, be they family, friend, coworker, neighbor, or stranger, do them, and the rest of us a favor: Call them out for being an idiot!

And if someone reading this is offended that I called them an idiot, then I apologize because I thought you knew you are an idiot! Yes I’m angry and for good cause. Now, do I love idiots? Absolutely! But they are still idiots and I will no longer contribute to their delusion they aren’t idiots! Now excuse me while I find something to calm me down!

IT’S BROKE! FIX IT!

Since everyone else is either saying something or writing something I thought I might as well put my two-cents worth into the fray. Due to the inability of the vast majority of Americans to stay home when they have symptoms of even the flu or even the common sense to wash their hands, the government has been forced to step in with this thing called quarantine and social distancing. Some states and municipalities have gone further than the Federal Guidelines and moved into total lock down.

Florida has even closed it’s borders to outsiders unless they have a Federal Certificate of being a necessary person. Of course native Floridians say it’s too little, too late because of the damn Yankees. In case you are wondering what that term means, I will explain. A Yankee is someone who goes down South but then goes back north. A damn Yankee is someone who goes down South and stays. A good friend of mine once said that we should round up all the damn Yankees, put them in cattle-cars and ship them back north. But in all fairness, there are a few damn Yankees who are good; few but nonetheless good. They have adapted to our Southern Culture. They have repented of and renounced their Yankee ways. If there was only a way for them to get rid of their accent you wouldn’t even know they were once a Yankee. I am digressing so I will get to the point.

Due to social distancing and quarantine, community has been broken, well except at Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club Costco and the local grocer. But the fact remains that what once was known as community is now broken. Not only in the sense of towns, cities and counties, but it has become illegal to assemble as the Community of Believers. And the very nature of The Kingdom of God requires being and living in Community. And many Churchians and Tenured Pew Sitters are bemoaning this current reality. And now the first penny of my two-cents worth.

The Community known as church, at least in the U.S., was already broken. Long before it was known as “church” the word used to describe this gathering was “kononia”. Kononia means a shared life, fellowship, and a sense of each contributing to the welfare of others. The U.S. church has been turned inward–and though it considered itself a “community”, it wasn’t the kononia community. It had already quarantined itself from a fresh movement of the Holy Spirit and had socially distanced itself from the very ones we are designed, called and commissioned to reach. This social isolation and quarantine only revealed what already existed–Real Kononia Community was broken. My first penny. Now, for the second penny of my two-cents worth.

Community, as it HAS BEEN defined SHOULD NOT BE fixed. If the COMMUNITY that HAD BEEN was the right kind of COMMUNITY, we would not be seeing the fear, panic, hoarding and complete disregard for their fellow human beings. There! I said it! Community BEFORE COVID-19 was defective, mean, ugly and it sucked at being Community. And not just outside the church. Many congregations who cherished their buildings and traditions in those buildings more than people in their community now have neither! And the social distancing now in place has been in practice by many congregations BEFORE COVID-19–and I pray it does not continue after the all-clear is given.

Truth Time! Can you handle it? We do not need community as it has been. My deepest prayer is that out of this calamity, there will be a Resurrection of Koinonia Community–This is Community as God designed it to be in the beginning. A Community unmarred by selfish desires and behavior. A Community that longs to be defined by the Creator rather than the created. A Community that reaches out to make sure no soul is left behind. A Community that celebrates together and that mourns together. A Community that isn’t defined by buildings and habits–but IS DEFINED by the heart that is completely surrendered to God.

Community is broken. May that community never be seen again. And may the Community of the Kingdom of God rise in its place. And it will happen if each of us heeds the words of this song: