Friday, October 20, 2006
THE SHADOW IS LARGER THAN THE MAN
The e-mail the other day contained a beautiful picture taken from a helicopter flying low across the rolling sands of the desert. Below were the dark forms of a number of camels, traversing those dunes and valleys. That was at first glance. A closer look revealed the very small, light brown camels which were casting the extended dark shadow replicas of their forms. It seemed an eerie sight, somewhat surrealistic.
Men (and women) cast shadows. A shadow may be miniscule or it may be long and magnified many times, as in the case of the desert camels and the leaders of prominent nations. Further, those shadows may be dark and ominous, or they may be the welcome shade of rest and respite.
Many years ago, it was spoken that an institution is but the lengthened shadow of a man, implying that past leadership of that college or university had cast a larger, longer shadow that became the institution. It would probably be more accurate to speak of the institution as the shadow silhouette of many men and women, leaders and builders, who have contributed their life essence to its development.
It may also be true that internationally, a country's image and reputation may be symbolized as the lengthened shadow of one man and his administration, representing it on the world's stage.
As I looked at the picture of the broad and lengthy shadows cast by the the small and insignificant camels, I could not help but see an analogy of this picture in the world view of today.
We have a president, a small and insignificant man in terms of personal qualities and intellectual stature, who has cast a dark shadow over the entire world. Althugh that shadow may be shared by the vice president, secretary of defense, and others around him, there is little doubt that he has cast an ominous pall over all of us. He has chosen a doomsday course. This man's world policies and actions, based upon falsehoods and misconceptions and then fanning the fears and flames of hatred, have made America and the world less safe.
What America needs now, and what the world needs, is for a leader to emerge from the political morass that passes for democracy in this country. This leader needs to be one who will cast a different kind of shadow over the world -- the cool shade of peace and respite.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."
Dr. Edwin E. Vineyard, AKA The Militant Moderate
Men (and women) cast shadows. A shadow may be miniscule or it may be long and magnified many times, as in the case of the desert camels and the leaders of prominent nations. Further, those shadows may be dark and ominous, or they may be the welcome shade of rest and respite.
Many years ago, it was spoken that an institution is but the lengthened shadow of a man, implying that past leadership of that college or university had cast a larger, longer shadow that became the institution. It would probably be more accurate to speak of the institution as the shadow silhouette of many men and women, leaders and builders, who have contributed their life essence to its development.
It may also be true that internationally, a country's image and reputation may be symbolized as the lengthened shadow of one man and his administration, representing it on the world's stage.
As I looked at the picture of the broad and lengthy shadows cast by the the small and insignificant camels, I could not help but see an analogy of this picture in the world view of today.
We have a president, a small and insignificant man in terms of personal qualities and intellectual stature, who has cast a dark shadow over the entire world. Althugh that shadow may be shared by the vice president, secretary of defense, and others around him, there is little doubt that he has cast an ominous pall over all of us. He has chosen a doomsday course. This man's world policies and actions, based upon falsehoods and misconceptions and then fanning the fears and flames of hatred, have made America and the world less safe.
What America needs now, and what the world needs, is for a leader to emerge from the political morass that passes for democracy in this country. This leader needs to be one who will cast a different kind of shadow over the world -- the cool shade of peace and respite.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."
Dr. Edwin E. Vineyard, AKA The Militant Moderate
