Negotiating With the World
As much as we would like to think of ourselves as independent, free-thinking individuals, we find ourselves in a severely restricted environment that I will refer to as the world for today’s purposes. Certain aspects of life are non-negotiable such as age, physiological limitations, intelligence quotient, etc. Other self-imposed restrictions govern our behaviors, including personal standards and ethics that our conscience won’t allow being violated. Still, other restrictions come when we agree to obey laws and rules as citizens of nations or members of groups, churches, and institutions.
After reading that list, you may wonder if we are free or independent in any manner or circumstance of life. The only thing we have that is unrestricted is our thoughts and imagination. However, we are responsible for controlling our thoughts so that we don’t become lost in a utopian fantasy world and unable to function, as we must, in the world. This is where we have to negotiate with reality to maintain as much freedom of thought, expression, and action as possible.
In the reading for the week, the children of Israel were able to return to Jerusalem after 70 years in captivity in Babylon. We read that Cyrus, king of Persia, was moved upon by the spirit of the Lord and proclaimed in writing that a temple be built to the God of Israel. What is not mentioned in the story is what caused the spirit of the Lord to move upon Cyrus, which brings me to my first speculation on the matter.
I can imagine that the children of Israel, who were able to remember the Lord and pass the knowledge of him and the traditions of their people to generations born and raised in Babylon, prayed earnestly for a time when they would be allowed to return to Jerusalem and worship as the Mosaic law required. I believe that prayer is a form of negotiation. If you want to see a change in the world, pray for it.
However, I do not believe that it was prayer alone that led to the release of Israel. I imagine that the integrity of the people who feared God had to play a part in the decree of king Cyrus. There had to be people close to the king who respected that integrity and advised him in the matter. Personal integrity makes negotiation possible because it builds a sense of trust between the parties involved in the dialog.
It is evident to me that preparation played an important role as well. What I mean by that is that the logistical needs to return and build the temple were well documented and executed. They reviewed inventories of the house of the Lord that were taken from Jerusalem at the time of Nebuchadnezzar and sent the sacred artifacts with those who returned. You can’t go into a negotiation unprepared. If your negotiations are successful, you need to know the next steps of the process and present them as part of the desired outcome.
While negotiation seldom leads to one side getting everything they want, it does not hurt to push the limits of the agreement. In the case of Israel returning to Jerusalem, once established, they began to fortify the city, which caused the neighboring territories to complain to the king that there would be an insurrection and rebellion. They did not want the Israelites to become too strong. Letters were sent, and Israel found itself having to convince the king that they were in compliance with Cyrus’ decree. Fortunately, it was all in writing. The lesson is to get it in writing.
I will leave it to you to decide how you have to negotiate with the world, and I believe that it needs to happen on an individual level first. Your prayers, integrity, preparation, knowledge, and commitments made in writing will lead to your success. The same principles apply as you expand your negotiations to family, community, state, and nation. I hope we can avoid the bondage that comes from giving away God-given rights and responsibilities, but that won’t happen unless we learn how to negotiate with the world.