City Mouse, Country Mouse

Do you remember Aesop's story of The City Mouse and the Country Mouse? You may know that Aesop was a slave and storyteller who lived in ancient Greece more than 2500 years ago. It's amazing that his tales are still being told, and elaborated upon, so many years later. 

In a nutshell, this story is about a country mouse who invites his city cousin to visit him in the country. The country mouse offers simple, country food to his visitor, who turns up his nose at the humble provisions. The city mouse, in turn, invites his poor country cousin to visit him in the city, where the country mouse is amazed at the abundance and variety of food to be found there. However, as the two cousins sit down to eat, their lavish meal is interrupted by a murderous cat. After the country mouse flees to the safety of his own home, the tale ends with a moral, as all of Aesop's fables do: It's better to live happily with little and be content, rather than live with abundance or a lot of something, but in fear all your life.

As 2020, with all of its complex challenges, has come to an end, and the New Year is beginning with a new presidential administration, I have been comparing our nation's polarization to this uncomplicated, little story. 

Over the last couple of decades, our nation has become divided on so many issues, with each side insisting that its way is the only right way of approaching things. This is nothing new. Throughout the ages, wars have started over much less. In my lifetime, I remember the Cold War of the sixties, when countries all over the world lived in fear that Russia would drop an atomic bomb on the US, or vice versa. I remember the civil rights and hippie movements of the sixties and early seventies, when sit-ins and marches were common, as people protested racial segregation and the Vietnam War, among other issues. Some of those protests inevitably led to violence and bloodshed, often with the police involved, just as we have witnessed several times this past year.  

But one thing has changed significantly in the last few decades: the media has expanded exponentially. We no longer get to tune in our radios and TVs at a particular time, two or three times a day, at most, to hear an unbiased synopsis of the day's news. We don't have to buy a newspaper to "read all about it." Instead, we have instant news right at our fingertips, on our phones, laptops, and TV news channels, any time of the day or night. We are bombarded with every negative event happening anywhere in the world, minute by minute, and every possible opinion about anything and everything that someone, somewhere, has determined to be newsworthy. It takes a considerable amount of research to determine which news reports, if any, are accurate and truly unbiased. 

And, anyone who has an opinion, good or bad, can respond online, somewhat anonymously, and often forcefully, spewing words of hatred into situations that only become more volatile as people argue online with adversaries they have never met. 

Help, O Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing! The faithful have vanished from the earth!   

Neighbors lie to each other, speaking with flattering lips and deceitful hearts...They say, “We will lie to our hearts’ content. Our lips are our own—who can stop us?”

The Lord replies, “I have seen violence done to the helpless, and I have heard the groans of the poor. Now I will rise up to rescue them, as they have longed for me to do.”

The Lord’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over. Therefore, Lord, we know you will protect the oppressed, preserving them forever from this lying generation, even though the wicked strut about, and evil is praised throughout the land. Psalm 12 NLT

I think that much of our nation's division can be explained by the innate differences between city and rural culture, as illustrated in Aesop's fable of the two mice. Cities, by definition, are made up of a large number of people, crowded together in a relatively small area, where they live and work. Rural areas include smaller cities and towns, and often vast expanses of open land, where people live farther apart, even in town, and where much of the economy is based on agriculture and ag-related industry.

Most American cities include significant retail and business centers, and unlimited access to medical care, entertainment, restaurants, and other amenities, while most rural areas have fewer retail sites, business opportunities, medical facilities, and entertainment options. City dwellers are forced to share limited outdoor space, while rural residents have a great appreciation for their readily accessible, wide open spaces. Because of their inflated populations, cities must deal with much more crime than what is typically found in lightly-populated, rural areas. City people have easy access to public transportation, while rural people must rely on their personal vehicles when they travel, sometimes hundreds of miles, to find the services they need. You could also say that city residents live under more restrictions than rural inhabitants, who are mostly free from traffic jams and cramped, studio apartment living, even though they lack some basic conveniences that are normally found only in cities.

Basic values and religious beliefs can vary greatly between urban and rural citizens, as well. It seems to me that city people are more likely to expect local, state, and national governments to provide assistance programs, mainly because the huge number of people makes it impossible for everyone's needs to be met by their friends and neighbors, who may not even realize an aquaintance has an urgent need. On the other hand, rural people often know their neighbors well, and rely on each other to help out in times of crisis, with most seeking government assistance only for a limited time, while they work through some personal struggles, or during widespread, unexpected catastrophes. Even then, it is common for rural individuals, service organizations, businesses, and churches to come together to offer assistance as soon as they hear of someone's desperate situation. Of necessity, many rural residents have learned to rely on God for what they need, and they often find that he answers their prayers through the actions of the people around them.

The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you. Psalm 9:9-10

Through all of the past year's chaos, I have come to the conclusion that most city people and most rural people truly want what's best for our country. I believe that most Americans are more alike than different in their thinking; they merely have different perspectives about what "best" really means for the nation, as a whole, and different ideas about the most efficient and cost-effective ways to achieve their goals.

Sure, there are quite a few extremists on either end of the spectrum who are unwilling to concede that anyone else might have a legitimate point of view, and who believe that violence is an excellent way to show their superiority to anyone who challenges their way of thinking. Spewing hatred just makes things worse for everyone, though, and rarely accomplishes anything good. 

The wicked are too proud to seek God. They seem to think that God is dead. Yet they succeed in everything they do. They do not see your punishment awaiting them...They think, “Nothing bad will ever happen to us! We will be free of trouble forever!”

Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them. Psalm 10:4-6, 17-18

I think that most Americans are longing for compromise, and greater unity, in our country. That doesn't mean that the majority rules, or that people must give up their strongly held beliefs for the good of the nation. It doesn't mean, either, that all laws need to apply to all areas of the country; as regions differ significantly in how things work, the laws must be individualized to meet the needs of the people, wherever they live. Because of our country's great diversity, one size does not fit all!

History has shown us, over and over, how people have been able to work together to accomplish a common goal, even when their core values and perspectives are not the same. Compromise involves a lot of give and take, with each side offering concessions in exchange for something they want in return. Compromise also requires people to treat each other with much mutual respect; if little children can learn to speak nicely to each other, forgive when necessary, and continue to play together, I am convinced that American citizens and government officials can retrain themselves to be respectful.

So, where do we start? Maybe we need an urban/rural exchange program, where decision makers from all parts of the country are encouraged to live in each others' communities for at least several weeks. I say that "tongue in cheek," skeptical that it will ever happen, but knowing it is sometimes necessary to walk in someone else's shoes in order to understand their viewpoint. At the very least, I think we can urge officials to treat each other respectfully, seeking understanding and compromise rather than domination. None of us really want to live in a country ruled by a raging group of despots from any political persuasion... or do we? 

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 1 Timothy 2: 1-2

Many people say, “Who will show us better times?” Let your face smile on us, Lord...In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe. Psalm 4:6, 8