9. “Speak is the word”
What qualified as a human action? Virtually anything that involved acting, from getting out of bed and brushing one’s teeth to sitting down at a corporate board table and voting for this or that. Anything that was not primarily an expression. In a sense. all actions expressed something, but expression was more speech-related. Expression could also be physical. Body language.
Eve wanted to speak of actions and expressions and Adam agreed that most human action did fit one category more than the other. So expressions and actions stood.
There were shades of each. Some actions amounted to clicking on a poll item. It might be an action but not as much as creating the poll was.
An expression could lead to action.
Go! Stop!
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From Eve — A Semiotic novel. VOLUME TWO. VOLUME ONE is published and available here.
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The purpose of today’s dialog was to describe actions that worked for good.
“Voting, clearly,” Adam said.
“When is voting not a good action?”
“When you can predict a clear evil. Like knowing your vote favors exclusion or even violence.” Adam answered. “But that’s too easy,” he added. “What if the choice is unpredictable? Isn’t there an argument for participation in democracy regardless?”
“It comes down to practice,” Eve said. “A person who has cultivated conscious consideration will reflect on tolerance, helpfulness and democracy.”
“So, a voter is considering A or B. Tolerance says either one. Maybe helpfulness says, A is more helping, Democracy says, we should vote. I then consider freedom, sacred choice. I consider love. I consider justice. Finally, I consider non-idolatry. I make contact with my higher self. I hear back: ‘Adam. You are in conflict about who to vote for and there is no clear answer. Go to the polls. Take all you have considered with you. You will know when you vote.”
“Fine,” Eve said. “This is why practice is the way to get this done.”
“Got it,” Adam said. “One way or another, terms, specific words, create the fabric of society.”
“We need to see and understand where the stumbling blocks of inherited understanding are. Violence, Unfairness.”
“And how to speak about it.”
Eve grew more pensive. She touched her chin.
“We are stupid,” she exclaimed. “We think, if we get it right, everyone and their brother and sister will flock to us. We need to trust. Our faith is in words that are frail and slippery, misused and strangled.”
“So,” Adam said.
“What?” Eve said.
“So faith.”
Eve laughed. “Give me some. Quick.”
She did not look as though she thought it was funny.
On Sunday they drove into Nashville and entered a church downhill from the State Capitol. Afterward, Adam said, “What was the keyword this morning?”
“What was it?”
“Speak.”
“I’m speaking.”
“No,” Adam said. “Speak was the word. We need to understand what speak means.”
“I don’t get it. I mean, I get it but what are you talking about?”
“Some people called out as the minister was talking. Among the words they said was the “speak!” They were was encouraging the reverend to speak on from his heart. To speak the true and beautiful word.”
“It’s unspeakable,” Eve said.
“Correct. That’s why this is bigger than what we do or don’t do.”
“Not so simple,” Eve said in a more peremptory tone.
“No,” Adam said. “That’s why we’re here.”
