Surprised by Friendliness

A couple of weeks ago I went for my walk and was surprised by a very unusual display of friendliness.  Something happened that I have not encountered in at least fifteen years.  As I was walking, a police car approached on the same road, with two police officers: one was driving; the other, in the right front seat, seemed to be taking notes or examining something.  As they drew near I looked at them and made eye contact and the one on the passenger side waved to me.

Wow!  I have not encountered this in well over a decade!

In times past, I nearly always waved to the police.  I counted the police officers as public servants, as my friends who devoted their lives to me and the rest of the community, serving to help keep us all safe.  Twenty years ago I would not have thought it a wonderful surprise to have a police officer wave to me, especially not in response to my initial show of friendship and confidence.  But that was many years ago.

Since then I have stopped waving.  After about a decade of waving with no friendly response whatsoever from any of the officers to whom I waved, sometimes even encountering a scowl instead of the friendly smile and wave that I expected in return, I gave up waving.

In fact, I have actually become afraid of waving to them.  Whereas I previously looked to the police with trust, I now fear them.  I many times in the past ten years have called 911 to report people on the busy expressways who were in need of assistance.  Since such busy expressways are not appropriate places for a person without flashing lights and the authority to redirect traffic to attempt such things, I have called for those properly equipped.  But after a number of years of attempting to be of service as a good and caring citizen, I became aware that I was drawing attention to myself.  I was making myself known to those who track such things.

An example is when a fellow had an extension ladder fall off his truck and block portions of the expressway.  I wanted to stop and help clean it up, but knew that I would increase the danger by blocking the road with my vehicle and by adding another person to the scene.  So I called 911.  The response of the dispatcher made it clear that I was adding to the file that was being kept on me.

911 keeps track of every word.  911 asks for identification of the caller, and for the phone number, and many other bits of information that have nothing whatsoever to do with the incident.  It makes me cringe even to think of the number of times that I am listed as a person who involves himself in things.  Today this is a red flag.  In times past such people were counted as good citizens.

The fear of red flags kept on me does not keep me from caring and from becoming involved in helping others.  However, it does make me much more leery of the police and others who are keeping track of me.

So it was a delight when this police officer waved to me.

Yet it also left me wondering what this really means.

It is saddening to me to realize that our nation and society have become such that even an act of kindness or a show of friendliness, especially from someone working for the government, has come to be cause for suspicion.  It makes me sad to know that my perspective has been thus affected.  It makes me even more sad to acknowledge that such a change in perspective is largely justified.

Nevertheless, it is still a joy to report this instance of what at least I perceived as a kindly show of friendliness from one whom I have become conditioned not to expect to demonstrate such.  It was a joy to see this police officer wave to me.

And yes, I did wave in return.  I did so sheepishly and leerily, but also with a glimmer of hope.

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Green Or Else

At 2 meter opponents arrested in Naperville: 'A society of violating one another' the article reports that two residents of Naperville were arrested for saying “No” to the forced invasion of their property to forcibly install spy equipment known as Smart Meters.  Two ladies were arrested for crying out against this rape.

The Tribune video can be viewed here.

At the end of the video interview City Manager Doug Krieger says: “Uh, we absolutely are not bullies.  I...I believe that we bent over backwards to accommodate them.”

Apparently arresting women in their own yards is accommodating them.  Apparently forcibly installing electronic equipment in people’s homes against their protests is accommodating them.

A clear message is being sent to the citizenry. “Shut up and let us do whatever we choose to do to you, Or ELSE!”

Wow!

“Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?”

The Star Spangled Banner Lyrics - By Francis Scott Key 1814


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Naperville Community Television, Channel 17 reports further on these arrests and includes this video:




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More is available at
Stop Smart Meters! .

A few still cry out in the name of liberty, expecting to be protected by the Constitution.  But the Constitution has no power in a land where people elect officials who do not honor it and who appoint judges who overturn it.  And where the rights of the helpless and those who have no voice nor vote are allowed to be trampled, the power-hungry become voracious.

The Old Testament prophets cried out with strong warnings concerning the wolves who feed on the widows and fatherless, the poor and the homeless, the downtrodden and the wandering foreigners.  When the people abide in the way of the Lord, the widows and orphans receive care and help, and the poor and homeless are clothed and fed, and the downtrodden and wandering strangers are lifted up by those whose love flows from their own knowledge of being loved.  This never is enacted by government programs, but always through those made merciful through receiving the Lord’s limitless mercies.

Sadly, the saints have always been outnumbered in this world.  Yet throughout history their lives have made a difference for many and God’s grace has shown even in the shadow of the powerful and uncaring.

Green or Else has come upon the land.  It is no longer a future threat.  But God’s grace is greater and will most surely carry those who trust Him through every dark time until the fullness of the glory of His coming leaves no more shadows.

     Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them,
     Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?   Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
     A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.
     And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.   And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give   it   you.   Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.   These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.   At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:   For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.
     I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.  (John 16:19-28)

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