Guidepost Three: The Power of Reflection (Aka Episode 46)
A Whackadoodle discussion in which my student is determined to embarrass me by posting a video I created years ago, along with a reminder on the need to reflect.
“Oh no,” I said, shoving my hand over the screen. “Your big idea for this week’s guidepost is posting my old video about it?”
“Yep,” she said and kept working.
She had emailed me earlier to write, “Don’t worry about writing this week’s guidepost. I know what we should do.”
I took her at her word, and this is where it got me. A video I created eleven years ago, when YouTube was just beginning.
“But it’s ancient!” I protested. “The website I sent people to in the video doesn’t even exist any more. My last post there was to tell them where the website had moved. And the site I sent them to on that post? That website has now expired! Some dude wants me to pay a thousand dollars if I want the domain name back.”
“Still a good video,” she said clicking away. “Especially when you consider the tools you had to work with.” She stopped clicking, and looked up at me. “If I am not mistaken, this is the full chapter of guidepost three, as written in your first book with you as the narrator and editor. Am I wrong?”
“No, you are not wrong.” I said into my hands.
“So why don’t you want me to share it?”
“I don’t even know,” I confessed softly. “Maybe its because I misquoted Emerson, when I said he wrote, “What you are screams so loudly that I can’t hear a word your saying.” What he actually wrote was in his essay on Social Aims. It is so much better than my stupid misquote:”
Let us not look east and west for materials of conversation, but rest in presence and unity. A just feeling will fast enough supply fuel for discourse, if speaking be more grateful than silence. When people come to see us, we foolishly prattle, lest we be inhospitable. But things said for conversation are chalk eggs. Don’t say things. What you are stands over you the while, and thunders so that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary. A lady of my acquaintance said, “I don’t care so much for what they say as I do for what makes them say it.”
Source: Social Aims - The Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson (rwe.org)
“Good excuse, but wrong answer,” she said and went back to clicking. “It’s because you also posted, ‘Once you have audited this lesson for free, you might want to visit our new website, join our mailing list, visit our blog, or register for our online classroom.’ You had a vision that did not come true. Every one of those links leads to the same abandoned website and your abandoned dream.”
“Now who’s using the Power of Reflection,” I rolled my head then looked her in the eye. “But you have to admit that posting it,” I paused to find the right words. “Well, it’s a bit outdated.”
“Are you saying that what you said in it is no longer true?”
“No, of course not,” I assured her. “It’s just outdated. I was thinking that we would discuss something more contemporary.”
“Like what?”
“Well, what about the guy who made that outrageous speech at at CPAC. I mean, talk about how our words reflect our beliefs. That guy made a doozy of a statement, and the whole audience cheered.”
“Okay, first what guy? And second, what the heck is CPAC?”
“Oh, sorry, CPAC stands for the Conservative Political Action Conference, it’s a group that meets up every year to talk about how to get more conservatives into political office,” I paused to smile. “Ronald Reagan was their first key note speaker way back in the nineteen seventies.”
“Right,” she said impatiently. “A bunch of self proclaimed conservative in a room. So who was the guy, and what was his outrageous statement?”
“The guy is Jack Posobiec, and when it comes to the Power of Reflection, it does not matter so much who he is, but what he said in that speech of his, and what it says about the beliefs of the crowd that cheered his words.”
“So what did he say?”
“He said, ‘Welcome to the end of democracy! We’re here to overthrow it completely. We didn’t get all the way there on January 6th, but we will endeavor to get rid of it and replace it with this right here,’ then he held up a cross, and added. ‘That’s right, because all glory is not to government, all glory to God.’” I paused to let his words sink in before adding, “Just reflect on what that statement says about his beliefs. Just reflect on what it says about the crowd who cheered. Just reflect on what your own reaction to his statement says about you.”
“I don’t know,” she shrugged. “Sounds like he and that judge in Alabama might have a lot in common.”
“Now, who needs to explain what she’s talking about?”
“Oh,” she grinned sheepishly. “I was talking about Chief Justice Parker.” I stared at her, so she added with emphasis. “Even you must have heard about the ruling where he wrote that the people of Alabama have adopted the ‘theologically based view of the sanctity of life’ and said that ‘human life cannot be wrongfully destroyed without incurring the wrath of a holy God.’ He’s declared that embryos are children under Alabama law! I read about it in the ‘Letters from an American newsletter you turned me on to. He evidentially believes in something called the ‘Seven Mountain Mandate,’ which is some kind of belief that Christians must take over the “seven mountains” of American life: religion, family, education, media, entertainment, business…and government. He told this interviewer that “We’ve abandoned those Seven Mountains and they’ve been occupied by the other side.” God “is calling and equipping people to step back into these mountains right now.”
“I think that I might have already heard something about it; although, I admit that I had not heard about the Seven Mountain Mandate.” I said dryly. “So what do you think? Wouldn’t a discussion on either one of these topics be better for our newsletter on guidepost three?”
“I don’t know,” she wiggled uncomfortably. “I’m kind of politicked out lately. I still just want to post your video. It’s got some good stuff in it.”
“You just want to embarrass me.”
“No, I just want to share the video.”
“All the contact information in it is out dated,” I reminded her.
“So?” she insisted. “Anyone getting this newsletter has your newest contact information; and if you want, we can add some buttons.” And she immediately started doing so.
Looking up, she added, “So, should I hit publish?”
“Looks like an upside down Christmas tree,” I hedged.
“Should I publish?” she repeated, teeth gritting.
I knew she wouldn’t let up, so I finally relented. “Do what you think is best.”
And with a satisfied smile, she hit publish.