The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe - 37: Man of Faith

Episode Date: January 14, 2017

A showdown between a pious governor a righteous crowd - what could possibly go wrong? 

This is the way I heard it. The new governor looked down from the podium and considered his legacy. He wanted to be remembered as a great leader, tough but fair, a man of faith who lived by the courage of his convictions. But right now, that legacy was in question. Hundreds of angry protesters were occupying the Capitol, and it was clear they were not going home anytime soon. What to do?

Send in the troops and risk a PR disaster? were given to the demands of an unruly mob. The trouble had begun five days earlier when the governor hung several large banners in the town square. Each banner featured a commandment, the most important commandment of them all, in his opinion. It was a risky move. As a politician, the governor understood the danger

of publicly declaring his faith. But, as a leader, he wanted the people to understand that his devotion to a higher power was sincere. At first, the governor was relieved by the reaction. A few non-believers shouted insults toward the Capitol, but not much else. On the second day, though, the protesters returned in greater numbers and demanded the banners come down. Naturally, the governor refused.

That kind of weakness was out of the question. However, the governor was a reasonable man and addressed the protest. directly. From the podium high above the Capitol steps, he spoke to the angry mob about his faith and encouraged them to follow his example. For it is in his name, said the governor, and by his grace that peace and prosperity will come to this untamed land. The protesters were not convinced. They didn't share the governor's faith, and they did not disperse. Soon they were joined by others, and then by others after that. And now, after five days of simmering discontent, the prospect of danger was both clear and present. The young governor had to make a decision.

He had to show the people who was really in charge. Behind the Capitol, the troops awaited orders. The governor figured the rabble would likely scatter at the first sight of his militia, but he knew many would resist, and he knew that many would die. But he also knew that history would remember him as a governor who was tough but fair, a man of faith who stood by the courage of his convictions. The governor gave the order, and the soldiers marched toward the mob, weapons trained on hundreds of protesters. But then a curious thing happened. The protesters didn't skisks. scatter, nor did they resist. They simply sat down. Before sit-ins were even a thing, the exhausted men dropped to their knees right there in the dirt, linked their arms together, and dared the

governor's men to kill them where they sat. The soldiers raised their weapons and waited for the final command. The governor stared down from his vantage point, high above the unfolding drama. He gazed across the square at the offending banner that had caused all the trouble hanging limp in the breezless afternoon. He thought again about his legacy. And then the governor blinked. He called off his soldiers and removed the offending banners. Later, in the quietude of the capital, his advisors congratulated him for diffusing a deadly situation with no bloodshed. They called him prudent and merciful. Maybe he'd be remembered today for those same qualities were it not for another protest a few years later, a protest where the

governor would once again appease another angry mob and assure his legacy once and for all. By then, of course, no one was really surprised because the citizens knew, exactly what kind of man their governor was, a man who would tear down the banners that proclaimed his devotion to a higher power, the same banners that broadcast the most important commandment of all. Hail Caesar. After all, if the people could get their governor

to betray his own emperor, who knows what else they could get this guy to do? this governor of Judea, this man, they called Pontius Pilot. Anyway, that's the way I heard it. If you're a maintenance supervisor at a manufacturing facility and your machinery isn't working right, Granger knows you need to understand what's wrong as soon as possible. So when a conveyor motor falters, Granger offers diagnostic tools like calibration kits and multimeters to help you identify and fix the problem.

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