Possession is Nine-Tenths of the Law…

On the playground toys are a hot commodity, who owns what and “if I it is in my possession I own it” seems to be modus operandi. We endeavor to teach our children to share and want them to grow up to be good citizens and yet in our societies we have and can see exploitation and possession as a means to an end. What are the implications of living the lessons that we teach our children to abide by? How does the golden rule inform us of how to ethically live with our neighbor’s best interests at heart? On this Indigenous Peoples Day we have an opportunity to look at history as a perfect example of possession being nine-tenths of the law and how we are still living in this paradigm in contemporary times. Who are the bullies on the playground and what are we willing to do to speak the truth, in love, to power? Rev. Dr. Marjorie Matty uses the analogy of the playground to highlight the inequality and injustice that exists in the world and asks the question, “Are we really trying to be good sharers or are we just hoping to take as many toys as we can when no one is looking?”