Negotiations

In two-sided negotiations, the party that knows the truth has an advantage.  He or she may not ultimately prevail, but they do have the upper hand.  The outcome is certain when both know that one side has the truth while the other struggling to know which facts to hold onto.  As I walk the streets of Hong Kong, watching people buy, sell, and negotiate, their body language tells a story.  Short story and long, simple narratives and complex, each entertaining theatre.
 
I wonder if the tourist knows how great their disadvantage is.  Do they realize they have no idea of the truth, whatever form it might take?  Can they appreciate how disadvantaged they are in the negotiations?  Is there any comprehension of the stakes in the game they are playing?  For many, it is appears that ignorance is charge.  For others, bliss seems to have taken residence.  Even when there is hard work, perseverance, and intense emotions, I cannot imagine many tourists wining the game.
 
Truth matters.  Truth makes a difference.  Truth has, embedded within it, power.  When it is present, there is a change in the outcome of the events at hand.
 
I find myself caught in a reflection of the gods I build.  In my heart, in my soul, and even in the fibers of my body, I know they are not full of truth.  There is a lie, a twist of facts, or a simple presumption in my creations.  Each has a flaw.  Each does not fully represent truth. 
 
When I turn to God defined by love, compassion, mercy, grace, and community, I can hear the words; “I am God, the only God there is.  Besides me there are no real gods.  I'm the one who armed you for this work, though you don't even know me, so that everyone, from east to west, will know that I have no god-rivals.  I am God, the only God there is.”  (Isaiah 45.5, 6)  I realize I do not need to negotiate.  You and I have everything within our reach.  Today is for living, not negotiating.