The “fish” market in New York continues to offer lessons to anyone who is willing to observe, listen, and learn. The two by four blocks easily represents a microcosm of life anywhere condensed into a nutshell. The irony is that the market’s inverted cycle of life, starting in darkness and ending with the dawn, often distracts the casual observer so that the direct links to a normal day are often missed or misunderstood.
The fact that the time for a banker to pick up his or her morning coffee is the same house as the person coming off a hard “day” of pushing a hand-truck and now looking for the beer is confusing. The assumption that workers in the market are all drunks and low-life is no truer than the racial bias that everyone from any particular location likes the same type of music or food.
In the fish market there is a hierarchy of power and control. Those on the bottom take the signal and lead from those up the chain. You can fight the structure however change does not come easily or in a hurry. As one observes and listens to the stories, it is clear that the behavior of those at the top influences people all the way down. The observation that “when a leader listens to malicious gossip, all the workers get infected with evil,” (Proverbs 29.12) is proven fresh each day.
The question for you and I is one of our willingness to learn. We have Wisdom’s consul. We have amble evidence of what happens when gossip is given a hearing and takes on a life of its own. The lessons are on the table. Does anyone care to change his or her priorities, values, and actions?
Each day is a life on its own with a palate as clear and clean as we chose. God lays out an incredible range of paint – mercy, love, compassion are the primary colors with unconditional acceptance, equality, unlimited forgiveness as the early start for enhancing and shaping. What happens next is up to us.
