The Strength in Meekness

We are currently on the road on the way from Seattle to Florida. Somewhere in the middle of mountains of eastern Oregon, I had the choice of about 2 radio stations; one real twangy country station and a religious station featuring an Hispanic preacher.

I will pause for a moment to inform any readers of my opinion on religion. Well...actually I think that Karl Marx got it right when he called it 'opium for the masses.' Okay, I am not religious; I am an atheist. For myself I see no evidence to support the existence of a 'higher power.' I like the idea of a 'community' and certainly like the feeling of 'belonging', but just can't buy all of the dogma.

That being said, on this occasion I opted to listen to the preacher. He was talking about forgiveness and meekness. I wish I could remember how he said it but the way he phrased it really opened my mind. I had always thought that a 'meek' person was a weak person. Listening to him (I didn't even catch the guy's name), he was saying that meekness = strength.

And now, thinking it over, he is right. At least in my case it would be. It is much easier for me to attack back when someone is mean or cross to me. The preacher's opinion was that if you are able to maintain your 'cool' (he didn't say that...I just can't remember the way he put it) and show the other person that you accept their opinion and ask for their forgiveness for whatever wrong they think you did to them that in the end, your are the person who has shown true strength.

This reminded me of a couple that I used to know. She was very meek, yet her opinion carried the most weight in their household. She might not have prevailed initially, but in the long run she was the winner.

I wonder if I have the strength to be meek?==============================================

Cute baby picture: