The Naked Emperor and the Aftermath

Yet, today, in the aftermath of yet another few days resulting from perceived “open mouth, insert both feet up to the anus,” I am re-examining that story whole-heartedly.

Don’t get me wrong. I believe in integrity. Daniel and Joseph are some of my favorite characters in Bible stories. They both suffered for choosing to live to a higher standard than their peers and the rest of their society.

The emperor Hans Christian Andersen wrote about was kind and dignified. He kept going like nothing was wrong and hid his embarrassment.

But what if he would have been ruthless?

The whole town could have been wiped out. The Russian csar permitted the pogroms. Whole families of Jews who believed differently were killed. If they didn’t die, they lost their lands and had to move. The Hutu political elite in Rwanda killed Tutsis and Hutus who did not want Tutsis killed. The US government packed up whole tribes and resettled them for the convenience of US citizens without any consideration for how the tribal members felt; the Trail of Tears is a good case in point.

So… I don’t face this level of injustice. More than likely, none of us do if we’re writing on this platform.

Maybe that’s the point of the story: When we see something wrong, if we say something, we stop injustice in its tracks before it gets too far or too large (as the situation with the emperor’s clothes and the swindlers did). Previous generations have, and now we hold the torch.

We must decide when and how to use that fire wisely.

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