The clich? is a warning and the sad part of the words is that they are true far too often.
“Calloused climbers betray their very own friends; they’d stab their own grandmothers in the back.” (Proverbs 16.29)
The world is a very dangerous place, especially for those who remain true to their created purpose. It would be easy to complain, there are too many stories of victims on all sides, location, and ages. The trouble with this approach is that we are in no position to say that we are in the worse possible position. There are always other stories that top ours, especially when it comes to God’s own journey!
What strikes me is how people respond.
First, one fights and claws at the climber trying to prevent him or her from going by. The defensive actions tend to get more aggressive when the stakes or high or the person feels their personal position is threatened. Relationships in Hollywood are great examples of this, personal and professional.
Second, one defends moderately and then lets the person go on by only to strike out in revenge after the other person has won the lead. Revenge is a very caustic emotion; most people even considering it have no idea of how devastating it is to their souls. This is probably the most common response, either individually or in combination with the first response. We just cannot seem to help ourselves.
Third, ignore the climber and push own with our calling and mission. I was fortunate to meet someone in my professional life who was buried in corporate politics. Most were not of his own making, however he fought with the best! He seemed to lose as much as he won however he traveled with a mantra that was very unusual. He never seemed to even consider revenge; a battle lost was just that and it was always time to move on.
Life is difficult, extremely. We have a mission, given by God. Regardless of it’s color and texture our missions have common themes; love, mercy, and compassion!
