Afterthoughts on “Lake Divide”

The entry “Lake Divide” splits the world into a city of pretense and a city of truth. And actually these cities are not compromisers.  Neither will concede to being a little bit of both.  What we find, however, is that mankind is a great traveler inhabiting both cities from time to time.  And you might find mankind at its best on both sides.  When I die and if some hodgepodge of people should attend my funeral, do I want the unvarnished truth spoken about my life?  No, I would hope that a dash of pretense keeps things dignified—a bowdlerized edition will do nicely.  We have a “respect for the dead” in this sense without for sure knowing why, we just know that it’s right—in the midst of pretense an unfathomable truth emerges.  We look at this checkered life and from our deepest being know that, for our fleeting time on earth, it was good to have been their companion.  There are many such examples where pretense is kinder than truth.  Somehow we know that pretense in the name of encouragement and charitable forgiveness is pleasing to the Lord.  There is a Lake Divide all right, but mankind journeys across the lake in pursuit of the stars.

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