Thursday; April 28

I am fascinated by tornadoes. I spent a lot of my life in the Midwest, so this time of year everyone kept at least one eye on the horizon. In fact, I have a picture of one of the most powerful tornadoes to ever hit the Wichita Falls, Texas in my office. I have always been a weather nut, but when people start to mention tornadoes, it gets my attention. Now, I need to be clear about something – I have never actually been in a tornado, so maybe that is why I find them so fascinating. I saw a small one a few years back, but there really wasn’t any immediate danger, so I still find them interesting. Those people who have experienced tornadoes don’t share my fascination with them – in fact, they may not even be able to discuss them without reliving the terror they experienced.

The reason I share this perspective on tornados is a parallel I see in our society today. Have you noticed how eager we are to talk about people in crisis? We all have opinions about addictions – or homelessness – or hunger – or crime; but is it because we have experienced it or just because we like to talk about it? It is easy to take on the role of an expert through mere observation, but often our expertise is little more than Monday morning quarterbacking. Sure, it’s okay to have opinions, but let’s temper our tenacity by understanding that’s what they are – opinions. Additionally, let’s also be sensitive to the people who have experienced these things. Let’s not be guilty of ignoring their plight or dismissing their pain in our efforts to conduct intellectual exercises.

We should be thankful for our good fortune. We should also remember that others may not have been so lucky. Not only do they have expert opinions, they may have personal scars as well.

Think About It!

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