Today’s Scripture
Reading (November 5, 2017): Matthew 21
In the 1970’s, it seemed that the Metric System was poised to take over
the world. Most of the world had already at least started the change from the
various local systems of measurement to a universal
Metric System. The argument was that a comprehensive
form of measurement would aid in trade
and cross-border economics. By the 1970’s,
the idea was already centuries old. In North America, Mexico had begun the
process in 1852. The United States had followed suit in 1866 but made no move toward the acceptance of the new system of
measurement. Canada, a nation of the British Commonwealth, waited until after
the United Kingdom began their shift from British Imperial form of measurement to the Metric System in 1965. So
Canada started her journey toward change in 1973. President Gerald Ford finally
signed the “Metric Conversion Act of 1975” into law on December 23, 1975, indicating that the process of changing
to the Metric System was to begin in the United States. In 1982, the Act was abolished by President Ronald Reagan having made very
little impact on the people of the country.
So what happened? The simple answer is fear. There is evidence that as the world becomes more of a global
community, a reliance on one system of measurement makes sense. The reality is
that the anti-metric community of nations is small. It consists of the United
States, Myanmar (who is making strides
toward changing to the Metric System), and Liberia. The United States reliance
on the imperial system of measurement caused the loss of the Mars Climate
Orbiter in 1998. While the specs for the Orbiter were ordered in the Metric units, Lockheed Martin provided their
data according to the Imperial system of measurement. The result was the
unintended crash of the Orbiter on the Martian surface. But, traditionally, fear
has reigned creating failure in any discussions toward a change from Imperial
System to the Metric System in the United States.
Dean Krakel,
director of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma, argued that the “Metric
is definitely Communist. One monetary
system, one language, one weight and measurement system, one world — all
Communist.” Bob Greene, a syndicated columnist, followed Krakel’s evaluation of
the Metric System by founding WAM! (We
Ain’t Metric) agreeing that it was all an Arab plot “with some Frenchies and
Limeys thrown in.” In politics, fear
often seems to rule the day.
So it probably
shouldn’t be surprising that the first emotion experienced by those plotting
against Jesus was one of fear. They knew the negative response of the people to
the execution of John the Baptist, and were not looking forward to the reaction of the people should they arrest and
execute Jesus. Before the arrest, they knew that they needed to build an
argument against Jesus that would sway the people. They needed to find an
inside man who would help them out with their plan. Fear meant that they needed to arrest and try Jesus during the night when no one was around. And then, in the
final stages, create fear in the people so that their plan could take place.
The driving force of this Passover movement had to be fear – because nothing
shapes our politics more than the act of being afraid.
Tomorrow’s Scripture
Reading: Mark 11
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