A RANT REVEALING MY ROAD RAGE

My road rage ranting has more to do with what is along the road rather than on it. I loathe seeing litter along our roadways. I do not know if it is true, but, to me, it appears that there is recently more trash than ever before along our streets and highways. My wife concurs as she shakes her head and says, "It looks like a third-world country." It’s worse. Third-world countries may not have the funds for an infrastructure of trash collection. We do. My wife and I might be correct about the increase of roadside trash; an article in today's paper (Thursday’s) noted that our county is spending more money than ever trying to keep up with litter collection along our roads. Trash along our roadways disturbs me, not just because litter is so unsightly, but because, I feel trash along our roadways increases in commensurate correspondence with the growing deterioration of the morality and values of America. I archaically hold to generalized axioms such as a cluttered desk indicates a cluttered mind. Thus, it’s not difficult for me to believe that trashed public places indicate the moral and spiritual uncleanliness of Americans, their homes, and their nation. My horrified revulsion at the sight of litter along our roadways is initially about aesthetics. Litter makes ugly. Litter along our roadways is like graffiti on our edifices. Secondly and more so, it’s about a chafing at folk’s irresponsibility. No one should have to be responsible for another's trash. A sign of a child's developing maturity is that he controls his bodily waste functions. He does not require another to change his diaper. Littering is a sign that the litterer isn't mature enough to take care of his waste. Worse is that the litterer does not consider that another will have to pick up after him. Selfish. This increase of litter in America comes during the greatest push ever for going green and saving the planet. I cannot believe that only those politically conservative litter. In fact, many conservatives are Christians who believe that God has mandated our stewarding the planet. No, many litterers are of the same political persuasion as folks who scream about climate change and the need to save the environment. Yet, these green grenadiers throw their trash right out there in the environment. Hypocrites! Yet, to be fair, I know that many who claim to be Christians and to hold the moral and spiritual high ground, also hypocritically litter. I was riding down the road once with a fellow minister who was castigating me for having a different theological view that he deemed more liberal than his. As he opined that I could not be spiritual and adhere to such a liberal position, he rolled down his window and threw out the wrapper from the candy bar he was munching. I may not be spiritual, but to me, his spiritual high ground went out the window with his candy wrapper. I know there are unspiritual, immoral, and hypocritical folks who don’t litter. Yet, I still believe that all this litter lining our roads is an indication that something is bad wrong with America’s mores. As we travel the roads haranguing about the trash, I enquire rhetorically of my wife, "Do these litterers treat their houses like this? Do they just throw their trash down on their living room floor?" If no, they are selfish narcissists who would never trash their own space but will another’s. They throw their fast-food wrappers out the window to keep their car clean while trashing the environment. Or, their littering does indicate the way they treat their own home. My wife concurs on this latter as she answers, “Yes, many of them live that way at home.” Whatever the case, I see the presence of litter as evidence of deep psychological, political, moral, and societal illness in America. People aren't "right" who litter. Something is deeply wrong. And, a country whose roads are so littered is not right. Not right politically. Not right morally. Not right spiritually. But I have ranted long enough about others. I must bring this home. I may be wrong spiritually/morally and not litter. But I cannot be right spiritually/morally and litter. One thing for sure, I do not want my heart and mind littered with what should not be there, with what trashes my life and soul. Two scriptures come to mind: First, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Pro 4:23). Second, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psa 51:10). Often during our ride-along-road-rants, my wife will say, “I just want to get out and start picking it all up.” That’s a noble but impractical solution. There’s far too much for one person to even make a start. Yet, I could start with my own heart. There are some things there that could be picked up and discarded correctly. I should probably start with my road rage against litter.

A RANT REVEALING MY ROAD RAGE

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