Where's the Rub?

Okay, let’s play for a bit, shall we? We all know what or who rubs us the wrong way, don’t we? We are well aware of the friction we feel in certain environments or among certain people, aren’t we? We can name what sparks our passion and sets us up for verbal sparring, can’t we? So, let’s play with the letters R, U, and B and imagine what they might stand for, for us personally. Go ahead! Grab a tablet – paper or electronic – and start scratching out where the rubs are in your life!

Removing Urban Blight. Rejecting Unsightly Bling. Resisting Unprofessional Bullying. Getting the hang of it? Refusing Unnecessary Bartering. Relaying Ultimate Boundaries. Got those creative juices flowing? Righting Upset Baskets. Rousing Unmoving Bedmates. Recognizing Unruly Behaviors. Revitalizing Unmotivated Bicyclists. Reaching Unseen Barriers. We could do this all day, couldn’t we?

Seriously, we are aware that escalating friction between factions can lead to damaging fractures. Much in the way we rub sticks together to start a fire, we know that returning anger with anger, hatred with hatred, venom with venom can be dangerous for the safety and well-being of humans. Even though it may seem to be accepted and sometimes expected, it doesn’t mean that rubbing open wounds with bitter salt is the best way to accomplish desired outcomes.

There are some people who seem to thrive, to come alive in the thick of conflict. As a wise preacher once said of humans who are wired like that, “If certain people aren’t in a fight, they’ll pick one.” Some may feel that others are too complacent and need to be stirred up. Others might believe that the only way for their voices to be heard is to shout. And of course, it could be argued that a pearl is formed only with the irritation of sand. Okay. That’s a worthy point to consider given that the friction happens within the oyster. That’s where the rub is. We can be our own worst enemies, can’t we?

When confidence craters into arrogance or poise erodes into pride, the rub within a person has the potential to leak poison into the environment. Another wise preacher wrote “Pride is not accidentally but essentially competitive; I can go up only if someone else or some other group of people go down. Some people can’t live without enemies; they need to tell them who they are.” [William Sloan Coffin, The Heart Is a Little to the Left]. Steering clear of the pollution of poison isn’t always easy, is it? Responding Urgently Because… we sense the rub and resist its tug.