By Dr. Kevin Elko: Dichotomy Because life exists in dichotomies, we can function better by understanding what that term means. Dichotomies—good and evil, destruction and construction, discouragement and encouragement—one opposite always invites the opportunity for the other. One of the biggest dichotomies is chaos and opportunity. When chaos happens, the first important question is, do you respond as if it is opposition or opportunity? The answer to this question divides people. For example, there are some who Katrina blew away and there are others – although few – that Katrina blew to a better life. Opposition or opportunity? When a tornado hit my adopted home town of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the tornado took lives and destroyed homes. It caused horrific chaos. But it created an opportunity for members of The Crimson Tide football team to build homes for people and to be a blessing. It was a chance to be kind, to have faith and to believe again, and many in that great state and, in fact, across the country did wonderful things. When Moses came down from the mountain after being face to face with God, he radiated The Holy Spirit and then went to talk to The Israelites, who were naked, dancing and worshipping a golden calf. Completely chaotic, things grew even more chaotic when Moses went to the leader in charge, asking how the calf had been raised to such a state and was told, "We threw gold in the fire and the calf popped out!" The Israelites went from chaos to crazy, with those he thought to be dependable now hallucinating and being the most chaotic! Moses cried out, "Who is on the Lord’s side?" Many naked people were probably looking for their clothes at this point and missed the opportunity. But Levi said, "I am." Levi found opportunity. Let’s look at this opportunity; until this moment, Levi was cursed. At his father’s death bed, he was denounced with his brother Simeon because their sister Dinah was raped by the men of Shechem and Levi went down after he converted these men, convinced them to circumcise themselves (that is some strong sales skills there) and then killed them (a man does not feel much like fighting after he has just circumcised himself; I’m not speaking from experience but rather imagination). So his father cursed Levi and labeled him a trickster. But with one "I am," the curse ended. There was opportunity in chaos; no chaos, no opportunity. That one choice—and grabbing that chance and his boldness--caused Levi to inherit and begin the priesthood of Israel. Rudolph Giuliani built his legacy on chaos. Specifically, after 9/11 he went home, stayed up all night, read "The Autobiography of Winston Churchill" (who built his legacy on chaos), and followed that blueprint to initiate the recovery of New York. He seized the opportunity. Ronald Reagan said, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." Martin Luther King, Jr., said, "I have a dream." These leaders did not see the event as opposition but welcomed chaos as a chance to make things better: no chaos, no opportunity. The next time you feel chaos and uncertainty, just whisper to yourself, "Opportunity, opportunity." Let’s look at one more dichotomy, the grandest of all. When I travel through airports, I always see a dichotomy: the arrival gate and the departure gate. During times of war, one sees families gather at both gates, usually a few feet from each other, and there are tears and hugging at both gates. Of course, the tears represent grieving and worry at the departure gate and joy and celebration at the arrival gate. My mother, Dolores "Toots" Elko, just left us all at the departure gate; she has gone to be with the Lord. Although my family and I are here standing at the departure gate and there is much internal chaos and grieving, I am also thinking, "Opportunity, opportunity." For her, there are the tears and hugs she deserves at her arrival gate. She was prisoner to her body but now she has an Independence Day. If there is an all-encompassing sadness (for me) at the one side of the dichotomy and if I am forgetting the other side, I am simply remiss. Things always present in twos. Sadness is one side of the dichotomy, but to grasp the entire picture, there is much, much more! Mom, you believed in me before anyone else did, including me. You laughed longer, loved stronger, danced often and believed deeper, more than anyone else I have ever known. I want you to enjoy your reunion completely at your arrival gate, which is hard for me to see here from your departure gate; but, nonetheless, it is happening. I, your son, just have one last favor to ask of you, Mom, please. Someday, when I show up at that arrival gate, please be the first to meet me, so we can hug and dance down those halls of heaven. It’s not "goodbye," Mom, but "I’ll be seeing you." I think I am finally seeing life from both sides now.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Jul 2013 11:54:05 +0000
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