A lot counting has been going on over the past few days as this country elected its 46th President. Democracy is built upon counting the ballots of its citizens and the whole notion that each vote counts. The race for the White House became a cliffhanger and a nailbiter over the past few days while five states seemed to take their everloving time in the counting process. In the political struggle leading up to the election some of the rhetoric became dicy and desperate. Forget that old campaign vision of a “kinder and gentler” democracy where all voters are respected and considerate to each other. It’s dog eat dog in the fight to the finish.
Adages abound when it comes to understanding what counts the most in these circumstances and in life itself: “It’s not who wins or loses, but how you play the game.” “It’s not who finished first; it’s how you run the race.” We live under the illusion that the one who ends up with the most stuff before death, wins. If it’s the thought that really counts — God forbid — then perish the thoughts that have led us to think the way we do in this current culture.
Speaking of dog-eat-dog, one of the finest preachers of our time is Fred Craddock, and his story about a greyhound dog teaches us all a new trick when it comes to seeing what might count after all. Here’s how he tells it…
“I was in a home not long ago where they had adopted a dog that had been a racer. It was a big old greyhound, spotted hound, lying there in the den. One of the kids in the family, just a toddler, was pulling on its tail, and a little older kid had his head over on that dog’s stomach, used it for a pillow. That dog just seemed so happy and I said to the dog, ‘uh, are you still racing any?’
‘No, no, no, I don’t race anymore.’
I said, ‘do you miss the glitter and excitement of the track?’
He said, ‘No, no.’
I said, ‘well, what’s the matter? You got too old?’
‘No, no, I still had some race in me.’
‘Well, did you not win?’
He said, ‘I won over a million dollars for my owner.’
‘Then what was it, bad treatment?’
‘Oh no, they treated us royally when we were racing.’
I said, ‘Then what? Did you get crippled?’
He said, ‘No, no, no.’
I said, ‘Then what?’
And he said, ‘I quit.’
I said, ‘why did you quit?’
And he said, ‘I discovered that what I was chasing was not really a rabbit. And I quit.’ He looked at me and said, ‘All that running, running, running, running, and what I was chasing was not even real.’”
Could we learn a new trick or two from such an old and wise dog? Maybe what we’ve been chasing recently is just not the real thing but a figment of someone’s false imagination as to what makes this a great nation after all. “Touched by the better angels of our nature”, can we be counted on to do what’s right by honoring both the process and the President-elect in order to heal all our hurts and become that “sweet land of liberty” once again?
I am hopeful. If nothing else, I’m am elated to have a woman VP. The white she wore for her acceptance speech spoke for women who gave us the vote 100 years ago. She broke other barriers as a black and Asian woman, I am not unaware of the divisions that exist and the challenges ahead.
I love this, Dudley. That dog….I hope we’re all able to recognize the wisdom in “I quit!” sometime in our lives. Thanks for this wisdom.
Reminds me of Craddock’s story about trying to buy a used car that would not take you where you wanted to go but would only take you where you should go.