::inconveniences::

last night, my brother was returning home from a business trip in cleveland, ohio. he had been gone for only a few days, but the distance still wore on him, resulting in his ever-eager enthusiasm to return home. scheduled to arrive in minneapolis 800 that night, he was all but content. however, his plans were quickly thrust out of control when the short flight from cleveland to minneapolis was cancelled. instead, the airline booked him on a flight to atlanta, where he would catch a connection to minneapolis. a bit disgruntled, he accepted his defeat, and held onto his refined goal of arriving home 1130 that night. yet, again, control seemed to thwart him. the airline appeared to lose his confirmation and thus gave away his seat on the connecting flight back to minneapolis now resulting in an overnight stay at the airport and an early 600 flight the next morning. this, for him, was simply too much.

calling, calling, and calling he attempted to right this wrong done to him, even with the mindset of getting something for his troubles...a free ticket perhaps. because, this whole fiasco was the fault of non other than the airline, a glitch in the system, and some poor receptionist attempting to get through her shift. but, for his inconveniences, the airline must surely pay. he must be reimbursed for the hours waited and the growing irritation. it's only fair, right?

frustrating, i am sure of it. yet, to make this predicament one level short of a lawsuit seems to be outrageous. he did arrive home safe and sound this morning by 800, isn't that all we can ask of? apparently not. because, it appears that what counts as satisfactory service, is prompt, flawless performance in which we are encased within the comfort and ease of this type of lifestyle. if we are inconvenienced in the slightest, there must be something wrong with the entire system. for, anything short of perfection is simply unacceptable.

the system is broken. but, not the one of cancelled flights and computer glitches. no, the system i am referring to is the one we ourselves are the composers of. a system that deems our feeble complaints of a delayed flight home as a reasonable grievance, while six-hundred-forty million children around the world find themselves void of shelter this very second. a system that encourages our lawsuits and court cases, raking in the money, while eighty percent of humanity lives of less than ten dollars a day. a system where the little inconveniences thrown my way are given more attention than the starving, malnourished child downtown.

...ohh, how lost we are becoming in this all-consuming world. i can feel it overtaking. we are losing a part of our souls this very instant. because, the world and its discontentment is taking control. but, in this moment of clarity, i am reminded of how bountiful the harvest is. we are blessed beyond compare to any nation on this earth. we have been given so much, too much. so, with each passing frustration let us acknowledge our wealth. with each inconvenience let us remember our blessings. and, now with this, may we move forward in the blessing of others. let's upset the balance. and, let's fix the system.

"true compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. it comes to see that a system that produces beggars needs to be repaved."

shane claiborne - 'the irresistible revolution'