The Talk of My Town


   "The Best Baked Beans come from Boston!"
   "Gillette -- The Best a Man can get!"
   "Clinically proven to be the best at removing stains!"

   Well.. there ya have it.  Have what?  The best!  I mean.. aren't they?
Are not these statements true?  They're just commercials... right?  Or are
they?  What do they have to say about life?  Life??  They're just commercials
man!!
   Ok.. so.. they're just commercials.. advertisements.. what have you.
But.. one thing I've learned.. is that you can tell a lot about a nation by
what its commercials say.  And according to our commercials... everything in
the U.S. is the best!  We have the best armed forces... best food.. best
cars.. best laws.. best pets.. best sports teams.. you name it!
   But wait a minute.  If you go from city to city.. you may find many
*different* opinions as to what truly *is* the best kind of.. well..
anything!  What flavor of ice cream is best.. what restaurant is the best..
what ballteam is best... you name it.  Probably everyone in this world has
their own idea as to what truly *are* the best things on the planet.  So how
can they all be true?  I mean.. is my dad *really* the best dad on the
planet..?  Is your peach pie really the best in the state?  Is she *really*
the best figure skater in the world?  Or are we enjoying this word 'best'
just a little too much?
   I think we all do this.. many times without even knowing it.  We all cling
to this, that, or what have you.. probably for many different reasons..
though I think the most prevalent is a desire *for* that which we, ourselves,
are identified with to truly *be* the best.  For if this "best" thing belongs
to us in some way, then we, truly.. somehow have a taste of this "being best"
for our very own.
   This hits home muchly for me.  I've had a lot struggles in my life..
wanting to be "best" in a way.  I haven't tried to think that I was in any
way better than anyone.. but.. I know that I have struggled to find that
*one* thing that I could stand out in.. to make myself truly secure that I
was.. truly.. worthwhile.  I mean.. if there was something I could do.. that
nobody else could do.. then I was *truly* worthwhile... right?  The only
thing is.. if I truly care about this planet.. and its need to grow and
adapt.. then I would *hope* that.. though I might achieve some standard of
greatness, it would be surpassed quickly as others grow beyond that.  And
then, ideally, those new standards would be surpassed.. and then those... on
ad infinitum.  So to truly be worthwhile.. may not be about being "the best".
   But.. as I have learned.. being "unique" is of *extreme* importance.  For
nobody wants to be a mere redundancy.. right?  Unfortunately.. our culture is
all too good at turning us into copies of its stars... or at least trying to.
We all *dream* of being in the spotlight... of being "in a dream" of bright
lights and big cities.. don't we?  I mean.. that's what really will matter..
right?  That's what truly means that "I've arrived"?
   Hogwash.  Unfortunately, with all the "good publicity" that stardom
receives, nobody truly understands or knows the real minds and hearts of
those who are *receiving* all that praise and publicity.  Oh they may be
singing from the tops of the roofs.. and dancing big parades down the
streets.. but.. are they really happy?  Do they *really* know what life is
all about?  Do they truly *feel* loved and fulfilled?  I'll hazard a guess..
that 99 times out of 100.. plus 1 for good measure... no.  Oh they may enjoy
a bit of fun for awhile.. but.. in the end.. they're not gonna find real life
in stardom.  How do I know..?  Cuz I've learned it.  I don't have to be some
guru to know the truth.. I only need to be open to it, and accept it when I
see it.  And trust me.. I've seen so many stars just go down the tubes.. I'm
not about to believe that this stardom provides.
   Oh yes.. I've never been a star.. so how could I truly know?  It's not
about the position you hold, but the position you behold.  And that's what
I've learned is so eye-opening... as long as you're willing to see, and not
stay blind.
   See.. I've looked at what it's like.. in my own life... to know a lot.. to
be uplifted as "gifted".. to be thought of as "something special".. but.. in
truth.. it was short-lived.  I may have enjoyed a bit of fame... but.. the
feelings from that fame.. only lasted so long.  And then.. in the end.. I
found myself trying to milk old memories totally dry.. trying to drink up
every last ounce of fulfillment I might find in them.  Oh I didn't die..
physically.. but.. you can bet I was dying inside.
   Though truth be told.. when you are a standout.. you do get one thing that
many "normal" people don't get as much -- compliments on your
stand-out-ing-ness.  This is one reason so many people want to "be the
best".. cuz those who are truly "one of a kind" are lifted up with such
grandeur that it seems that's what we all need.
   And in some ways.. it is.  We *all* need to have an inner knowledge.. not
just a mental idea.. but a true, intimate knowing that we are special.. at
least to somebody.  Oh we're *supposed* to be such to at least our families..
the ones who saw us grow up from a newborn babe... But.. so so often in
today's age.. our parents and siblings end up.. not lifting us up as
special.. but casting us down as "in the way" or "useless" or "unworthwhile".
Why..?  Well.. often cuz the parents and siblings don't *like* our
individuality.. and don't *like* how we stand out and.. *are* unique... cuz
it makes us harder to handle in an assembly-line fashion.  And in today's
world of "do more more more now now now".. we end up trying to assembly-line
everything, rather than deal with it individually.
   Ahh.. yes.. assembly-lining.  In today's world.. where everyone wants more
done yesterday.. the only way to handle things is to compartmentalize so that
you only have to think about so much at a time.  And since our brains are
quite limited in how much they can take in at once, but the ache in the
hearts of our bosses is so demanding.. we end up, often out of a desire to
follow after duty.. pressing our noses so tightly to the grindstone that we
clip off people's individuality and true personalities.. turning them into
mere numbers, so that we can handle all the "productivity" that we are all
but forced to create.
   But.. the main problem with this is how you define productivity.  It's oh
so easy to define productivity in terms of what can be measured -- such as
monetary profits, or more crop-yield.. But when it comes to what truly
matters most in life.. it's not so simple.  And because of this, people end
up measuring themselves, *and* each other, by standards they can, themselves,
measure with their eyes.. such as height, bust size, wallet size, and other
very superficial and unlasting notions.  But how do you know what is truly
worthwhile, or a worthwhile way of measuring ourselves up?
   I can tell you one thing.. it's *not* against others.. like we've been
trained to do since birth by so many people around us.  We all have been
taught.. by parents.. by teachers.. by business tycoon moguls.. that bigger
is better.. that more is more worthwhile.  After all.. if a person who's
making 30 products a day is inspired in such a way that they start making
35... isn't that better?
   Unfortunately.. that doesn't always work.  Like in fast food.  The people
who run these joints of extreme stress can tell you (if they've been in it
very long) that the average joe just doesn't last too long in this job.. so
the turnover rate is rather high.  And it's *because* of the stress that this
happens... because the speed that is so often demanded by the managers is
*SO* taxing on the human body and mind that, eventually, workers either run
out of steam, or become managers (the latter happening far less often).  Of
course.. since the world has a neverending supply of new recruits who are in
need of cash, managers are free to lose some of their employees, and train
new ones.
   So.. what about productivity in places like this?  You tell me.. what
looks more productive to a manager... having more burgers served..?  or
having their employees grow as people?  I'll bet you just about anything that
you didn't have to think too much about this.  Most fast food joints are
there for one purpose -- to serve the customer edible and somewhat tasty food
in seconds.  The managers often could hardly care less about the growth of
their employees as a whole.. they are far more concerned about profits than
true productivity.
   Yes.. that's right.. *TRUE* productivity.  True productivity is an
increase of the vitality and inner maturity of a person.. and is something
that many businesses are just *far too busy* to get involved in.  Businesses
are just *far too busy* to think about something so important.  All that
matters is that the business is flourishing.. and turning out big profits for
the managers and owner... not that the people under its roof are truly
growing and becoming something better while working for it.  And to best
accomplish such "productivity".. the managers can often drive their employees
so hard that they end up losing half their staff.. due to the pressure they
have placed on them, and their continued lack of true leadership for what
truly matters.
   So how do you define true productivity?  And where does this fit into this
essay?  You thought I forgot.. didn't you?  Well... maybe slightly.. but..
here goes:  Being 'the best' or turning out 'the most' will never compare
with living "as truly *is* best".. for the truly *best* reasons.  Many
businesses will tax its employees so hard that everyone loses sight of what
truly matters.  People all run after things they can assembly-line into their
own mouths.. or bellies.. or pocketbooks.. -- assembly-lining them at
ludicrous speeds.. so that their entire meaning is lost in their light-trails
behind them.  But in the end.. none of this matters.. for we're all going to
die.. and no longer *have* all the food we ate, or money we earned.  We all
shall eventually have to answer the question... Was our life worth it?
   Jesus gave us a pretty simple answer.. "What good is it if a man gains the
whole world, but loses his soul?"  So what is "the *TRUE* best"..?  It's
daring to stand for the truth, even if you get fired for it.  It's daring to
speak up for righteousness, even if you get killed for it.  It's daring to
give your entire life for the benefit that even your most hated foe might
find mercy in eternity.  It's all about love.  REAL love.  Not love as the
world defines it... not love as the Soap operas define it.. but love as the
original source of love defines it -- "God shows His own love toward us, in
that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  Jesus.. God's own
Word.. God had crucified.. not only to pave the way to eternity for us, but
to demonstrate to us what even one sin does to His Word -- being the power
that all good comes from.  God's own Word.. was utterly destroyed in His
presence of a fleshly, human body.. to demonstrate to us the utterly
horrendous nature of all sin.. and our inability to truly earn God's favor or
forgiveness.  God's own Word.. was utterly sacrificed.. for the benefit of
all who might believe that He *is* Who He claimed to be.. God's own perfect
Son.. who God loves so inexplicably.. yet whom He separated Himself from..
all so that we who believed Him could find the joy and peace that can only be
found in God's presence.  It's not something we can earn.. but it *is*
something we can lose.. or miss out on.  It is the most *real* thing you will
ever find.... ever.  And it is the only truly *BEST* thing.. that is worth
all that we have.  And what about being unique?  What about wanting to know
true fulfillment?  I can guarantee you.. Jesus has that covered too.  It's
all true -- you *are* unique!  you *are* worthwhile!  And you *can* know true
fulfillment.. but it will cost you all the lies in this world.  It will cost
you all that this world has given you.. so that you can embrace all that God
will bring in His eternity.  It will cost you.. you got it.. *your* best.
But I can guarantee you.. it *will* be worth it.  Just ask Jesus to show
you.. ask Him to show you the way home.  He's listening right now.. He's
wanting to hear from you.  All you need to do is invite Him into your life..
He's been knocking at your heart's door for years.  All because He wants to
give you.. His best.
   So let me ask you one final question.  Is He worth it?
shallowness