Fridays with Mac: United

Your scribe was hopping into the shower before a meeting recently and shouted at the music-producing device Alexa, “Play Billy Joel.” Wouldn’t you know it? The first song was Joel’s 1989 ballad, “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” It speaks to the fact that the world has always had issues. The song refrain says constantly, “It’s always been churning since the world’s been turning.”

It’s a fact. The world continues to turn and, obviously, it’s really churning. Turbulence abounds. A divisive American election. Two major world conflicts threatening to escalate into global warfare unseen in almost eight decades. Lots of hotspots.

I was walking the neighborhood recently and ran into a fellow resident. “Mac, I’ve been sitting here eating my lunch for about 20 minutes,” said the sports-crazy financial professional. “I’ve seen three different episodes with people just screaming ‘F Bombs’ at one another. People are stressed out.”

Amen buddy.

This 66-year-old dude writes often about a Friday morning group gathering weekly to encourage one another to grow spiritually and follow the teachings of a Jewish dude who preached living with a certain spirit. One commencing with love and ending with self control knowing against such things there is no law. A few attendees have close ties to law enforcement.

Trust me, our nation’s protectors of law and order are on high alert leading up to November 5th. Local, regional, state and federal agencies are preparing for the worst considering the vitriol and, already, two attempts on one presidential candidate.

How did our nation become so divided? There are many reasons for the dark cloud over the United States of America. The real question becomes, who’s willing to step forward and lead the country from the present darkness to a brighter future? I say often these days, “It’s embarrassing the country we’re turning over to our children and grandchildren.” America is underachieving.

Our facilitator led a discussion on exactly that topic. We discussed verses from the Old Testament, Isaiah, where we’re instructed to believe a higher power will give us treasures hidden in darkness - secret riches.

We were asked this question, “How do you manage the dark seasons of life?”

Wow. Immediately my mind zipped through moments in the darkness of uncertainty, self doubt and fear. Life is a roller coaster of unexpected twists and turns discombobulating our plans. For me, four major ones: A rare and incurable bone marrow disorder and its destruction of my kidneys necessitating a kidney transplant; industry upheaval eliminating a beloved sports broadcasting career, divorces dissolving marriages and, long ago, injuries ending a promising athletic career.

Darkness? Yes. Riches? Abundant. New life from an angel in my midst, Cathie Hitchcock. A calling to serve the vulnerable, amazing wife and healthy children. The light of my world from the darkness of divorce. It struck me powerfully, profound blessings come from times of trial. And that’s just me. We all have our stories.

The spiritual foundation to A Stronger Cord’s work with displaced men centers on the, my opinion, truth that humans were meant to connect with one another. In Ecclesiastes it says, “One will be overpowered, two can defend themselves but a cord of three strands is not easily broken.”

ASC’s work involves encouraging displaced guys to embrace building relationships with character-driven dudes. Our volunteer Comeback Coaches emphasize, “You can’t go back to unreliable friends and negative behaviors. They will drag you down.”

During the spiritual discussion among half a dozen men, Victor Frankl’s name came up. The author of “Man’s Search for Meaning” knows a thing or two about finding light in the darkness. The Holocaust survivor believed, “When we’re no longer able to change a situation, we’re challenged to change ourselves.”

As America careens toward the election and the, anticipated, chaotic reaction? The good ol’ USA needs Democrats, Republicans and Independents to build a stronger cord to one another. Let’s believe we can change the strife-ridden situation currently so pervasive. Billy Joel’s lyrics included this, given the present tension, poignant thought: “No, we didn’t start it but tried to fight it.”

Let’s fight it together. United in spirit for a better tomorrow.