Irony occurs in life so often that it is, in itself, sometimes ironic. Ahh the irony of irony!
I watched a report on the television which told of the many, many protesters who were amassing in Pittsburgh, in order to protest the big G-20 meeting that is being held there this week. The G-20 is a group that is represented by 20 industrialized nations around the world. They get together to discuss world commerce and the things which affect it and agree upon certain procedures, approaches, etc. for how to cooperate with one another and empower one another to be more effective in their goals to strengthen worldwide business and trade.
The report showed the outside of the convention center where these meetings are to be held and revealed that already, before the meetings officially begin, that there are these numerous protesters already amassing. One group even unfurled a gigantic flag from a bridge and repelled down and hung off the flag. Police arrested them, I’m still not sure how they got to them, because I saw the pictures and they were hanging down about 50 feet from the road surface of the bridge. Anyway, as it turns out, there are people that are coming from all over the USA and even other countries to protest this gathering, predominantly on the basis that these countries are proliferating pollution and Global Warming through their practices and especially by their continued use of fossil fuels.
Okay, but, and here’s the irony to me: How did they all get to Pittsburgh? My guess is that most, even those who are from Pennsylvania, didn’t walk. My guess is that some flew on jets that literally burn tons of fossil fuels, drove cars, even hybrids, that burn those fuels. Yes trains, planes and automobiles. Some, no doubt are staying in hotels, where the electricity for those amenities is made by burning fossil fuels. Some of these folks were college students. They go to school each day trying to get a degree in some area to land a decent job in the future. Are they all going to get jobs for firms that don’t contribute to capitalism and use fuel? Do they all live in dorms, homes or apartments without televisions, microwaves, electric rangers, clothes dryers or video games? Do they, or any of us, think things through enough to live our convictions, rather than just argue their justification?
I am not against being conservative in our use of resources, or being actively kind to the Earth. That is not what this is about, however. My point today is that it is easy to become critical of one another when we feel strongly about things. It is more difficult, and a lot less ironic, to learn how to discuss, listen and cooperate with one another in order to make the world a better place.
Instead of protests against what others are doing, maybe we could live our convictions for God more completely and thereby change the world. Blessings!

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