In this, the second Friday in Philly, the Creator of the Table of Harrier Days is having us consider our individuality and what that individuality might be saying about all of Mankind.  Certainly Harry wants us to look at his heart (Ira.21) and see where he is coming from and perhaps urge us on to see something other than what his followers saw.

WHERE WE FIND MOST PEOPLE – AND OURSELVES
First we come upon Money as a living being (Psong.16) and through the ICR to Wil.19.15 we read that we all are indeed part of this tree of man.  So Money and Man are linked.  To understand one is to understand the other.  And, of course, the Psong points to the dream that we all have of Money and that is to have enough to live in comfort forever.  Modest isn't it?

This dream is universal.  From the wealthy to the poor.  I’ve seen men near tears reporting that they are “ruined” by this recent disaster at the World Trade Center when their stock portfolio fell from $10mm to just over $1mm in the course of a week and that their living expenses will be difficult to meet at $50k per month.  I’ve also seen lines as long as a quarter-mile where the working poor wait to purchase their shot at a large, multi-state lottery.  Each one believing that they will be the one that Money chooses to have enough to live in comfort forever.

So, the goal is indeed universal.  Forever comfortable.  Nicholas has just documented it for us here in the Psongs.
 

THE REAL LOOK AT EVERYBODY
Then we are turned to Jokes (Psay.5J).  But Jokes about what?  Or, rather, I should say, Who?  Why, they're about all the people of planet earth.  Wrapped into neat little packages at which we all can laugh and with which we can all nod in agreement.  But the ICR has told us that we are all part of the tree of Man, so how can we escape the Joke?  And, if Man and Money are linked and Man is indeed a Joke, than Money cannot be far behind.  Or, is this pointing at another point altogether?

Let’s look at our next reading in Kensingtonians (Kens.25).  Here we view this tree of Man from their eyes.  How they really love America while hating everyone in it.  Is this a contradiction?  How can both be true?  Do the Jokes really convey hatred?  Or do they speak of a greater understanding of who someone is and how they are different from ourselves?  A difference you have no desire to see done away with, but one that lets you know who everybody is and what they can all bring to the party.  A love-hate relationship – one neighborhood at a time.

The ICR further reminds us of Dave the Dad’s thoughts on the subject – that he wasn’t smart enough to hate America (Rat.3.8-11).  The Kensingtonians don’t hate America either; they love it (Kens.25.1).  If you can see all the people of America – if you’re smart enough to even get all the jokes – then you might not be smart enough to hate America either.  Strange.
 

CONFUSION MAKES ME FEEL BETTER
Now to the Tower of Babble (Lies.7).  In preparing the website for the readings this week, I noticed that there is an ICR reference from Main.30 back to this chapter.  Main.30.12-16 has the CEO creating this babble in his own enterprise so that he can stay above it all, collect his Money, and keep his subordinates in a constant state of terror.  Is there a link here between the Divine of Lies.7 and the CEO?  Could the CEO be using a tactic that the Almighty had used in days gone by to keep his subordinates in a constant state of terror?  Is terror somehow necessary for progress?  What could you possibly learn from terror brought about by confusion?  The confusion of thinking people are different from yourself to the point of hating them, when it really is just a matter of differences in language.

We all are brothers.  That is certainly what these readings this week seem to be pointing towards, is it not?  That hatreds are based on foolish misunderstandings that can be overcome with effort and discipline.  Once you understand what the Mainliner is doing, would you stay under his leadership?  Or would you move on?  The Kensingtonians know how to deal with the Mainliner – and it usually involves a baseball bat.

THE HARD CASE
Now, it is in this context that the Creator of the Table of Harrier Days brings us to Harry’s 2nd Friday in Philly.  We see Harry taking the Followers through the neighborhoods and pointing to the one side of the contradiction, that there isn’t any brotherly love in the City of Brotherly love -- only neighborhoods, and the people who lived in these neighborhoods do not love the people who live in other neighborhoods, because those people are different (Wil.53.5-7).  Now, of course, the Followers only look at the one side of the contradiction while the Table of Harrier Days clearly demonstrates the duality of the differences and the love of the whole held by its members.

We must certainly ask what Harry’s role in the Table of Harrier Days has been.  Doesn’t it seem clear that he must have been actively involved in the creation of both the Table and an ICR that directs us to see the whole of love-hate, difference-sameness, one-many?  By why does Harry doom his so-called followers to see only the hate while at the same time – through the Table – urging us to see the love.

Of course, those of you familiar with the work that has been done on the ICR map from Wil.25.5, “There isn’t any god,” will recognize that this particular section of Willie is part of the ICR branch that divides Chemicals (Wil.16.19-20) and God’s Creation (Psay.5Z.10-11).  It displays itself as a choice that has been set before the serious reader.  Of course, the 'Chemicals' explanation is terminal and the 'God’s Creation' explanation goes off to spin itself around all the members of the community that we know to be Mankind.  But Mankind is really only about Money, right? Right?

And now we come to Harry’s words, as reported by Ira (Ira.21), where the exact quotation from Harry seems to represent a complete contradiction of all that I have said.  But, I would urge you to spend some time this afternoon in the ICR related to these words.  I’ll only point out one reference to “faceless faces” (r. Kens.12.21-26) which declares that gangs are not individuals; that the gang pulls man down from the heights to the level of an animal; “because animals are not individuals, and they have no faces.”

Perhaps the flag waving unanimity seen in the Most Chosen Nation these past two weeks is a sign that we have not yet descended all the way to the animal level.  That there is still time to view the contradictions of the whole without splintering into gangs of faceless animals.  That Billy Penn’s vision is really a hard case that won’t die easily (p. Forg.14.6-10 from Ira.21.35).  Is it possible that we can still heed Harry’s warning here and change our view of the differences between us?  Not as dividing us; but as parts of our individuality which must be preserved if we are not to descend to the animalistic goal of material comfort in the here and now?  Harry’s asking more of us than that, it seems to me.

It is only in the context provided to us by the Table that Harry’s statement, “The heart of Philadelphia is really just like mine,” (Ira.21.17) makes sense.  Harry is the hard case that will not go down easily.  He will not give up when that seems like the logical thing to do.  As the subheading of the page says, “Harry's heart goes out to Philadelphia.”  Harry’s heart is breaking over the city’s current course – that is why he is tired when he completes this speech (Ira.21.41).

This is, in fact, what Fred speaks about in our final reading today (Cen.8-9).  He reminds us of the fear and dread that have been with Man since the beginning (“Day One”).  This is certainly one answer to the question of why Harry allowed these words be published in the first place.  He wants his intentions to be crystal clear – his way as presented by his Followers is not his way at all.  He is the hard case; the one that won’t go away easily.  The way of the Followers doesn’t address any of the problems Man has in being Man.  Another course must be found.  And Harry has a lot to say about that new course, as we have seen this morning.

So there.