“Living Together In A World Falling Apart”. At first blush, you might think what an appropo title for such a time like these. That being true, we’ve never in our lifetime had such a time like these. There were other times when the title if you will, because that is what it is, (not to be confused with the greeting “what it is?” back in the day) it is a title. Probably the best times I can recall were the late 60’s, 68 to be exact, when it sure looked like the wheels were coming off the bus. Who can forget the 1968 Democratic Convention held here in Chicago. The Chicago Police Rioted, yes, you read that right. They bludgeoned and bloodied the hippies and protesters and anyone who happened to be in the streets of Chicago.
Then too, there were the assassinations of Martin Luther King, and the 3 miles of riotous destruction on the west side of Chicago. Not the south side? No, the prevailing gangs at the time came together and said we’re not going to burn our neighborhoods down. Riots were prevalent around the country, including Kansas City and St. Louis, Mo. They too, mobilized and headed to Springfield, Mo. to further their destructive response, but like on the South side of Chicago they were met on Highway 44 by locals of Springfield and turned back. The original Nimbys, Not In My Back Yard.
In June of 68, while running for President of the United States, Robert Kennedy, brother to John F Kennedy was shot and killed while campaigning in California. The same Robert Kennedy who gave an impassioned speech in Indianapolis thwarting yet another riot back in April. I could go on and on about demonstrations against the VietNam War, the shooting of Governor George Wallace, College Campuses ablaze in flames of their own riots. And yes it sure did seem like the world, our world, here in America, was falling apart.
And now, here we stand amidst such confusion with dire predictions of more calamity the likes of which we have no idea. I, whether I want to admit it, have a target on my back, or chest. Like Tom Hanks, I have Diabetes 2, one of the diseases that the Cyrus is most destructive on. I also have COPD, another disease that affects breathing and the lungs. I also have Heart Failure. I know I always liken my situation to having 4 of the 7 leading causes of death, bur #4 doesn’t come to mind at the moment. Those 3 are enough.
Ironically, the original book, “Living Together In A World Falling Apart” had no such background for its story. The book was about living in Christian Communes dotted around America. The Authors lived at Reba Place Fellowship in Evanston, Illinois. The very same Reba Place Fellowship I would come to in 1978 on the day of my release from prison. Dave Jackson would go on to write Dial 911 about how christians responded to crime in a way other than dialing 911. He would include a Chapter, titled Broken Chains, that would describe my troubled life up to that point of my life. And now you have the rest of the story. But the story never ends.