Harder Than Anything...

On my Facebook page today was a post by a friend who had posted a message.  The writer of the message was talking about all of the bad-mouthing and trash-talking that goes on in politics today, with special reference to the President of the United States.  The writer’s point was that for the Christian, we are told to “Fear God; honor the king,” and pray for our leaders and those in authority.  Bad-mouthing and name calling is not part of the equation, in the writer’s view.

Of course, the post had commenters, some of whom were trying to worm out of the respect part of it by saying they should respect the office but not the man.  Others were struggling with coming up with any respect at all.

I seldom do, but couldn’t resist a comment myself.  I’ve repeated my comments below for you.  And before you look at it, I want you to know that I struggle with this respect and honor thing as much as you do.  I find it extremely difficult to love my neighbor as I love myself.  And I find it very difficult to understand how God can forgive some people, but I am “more worthy” of forgiveness than they (not true, by the way).

My comments reflect my view of God’s Word…not how I always deal with such things in my life.  I fall short of the Word of God…just like you.  But that doesn’t make the Word of God any less true or any less the standard.

Comments:  We respect the office (of President) because he's there by God's design. We respect the man because he's a human being and is "our neighbor" whom we are to love as we love ourselves.

We have to separate ourselves from the petty bickering. We have to stop cold the notion that we can harbor resentment, malice, and grudges against another human, whoever it is and whatever they believe or have done. We have to forgive as readily as Christ forgives us...immediately, completely, and assuredly.

To respect someone does NOT mean we agree with them, or even like them. But it IS part of loving them...as we love ourselves. To respect someone means that we honor that person as a creation of the Almighty God, and in need of (or having been saved by) the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ.

There are no ifs, ands, or buts. There are no sidesteps. There are no alternate versions. Hard? Yeah. Harder than anything else we might do in our lifetimes. But if we're going to appeal to the blood of Jesus and the grace of God for ourselves, we've no choice.

Fracking and Our World View

There are a considerable number of earthquakes happening in the neck of the woods just to the south and west of where we live.  Used to be there were none…then the oil drilling started, and so did the quakes.  Some folks are just sure the quakes are caused by fracking…a type of drilling for minerals.  Others say there isn’t any direct evidence.  Still others say that fracking doesn’t cause it…the disposal of waste water (which comes as a result of drilling and fracking) causes it.  Who says what depends on which side of the environmental/oil fence one happens to be on, it seems.

I suspect that all of them are partly right — and partly wrong.  And I suspect that they have nuanced their talking points to just what they want to say, telling the truth but not telling the whole truth.  They aren’t alone in this screwing around of the English language.  Politicians have been doing it for centuries.  Preachers too.  And lawyers…well, you can make up your own mind about them.

What is so fearful about telling the entire truthful story?  Why is it so difficult to admit that one’s preconceived ideas and notions may not be entirely on the level?  What is so hard about making a change in how one perceives things when confronted with evidence to the contrary about one’s perception?

We all are guilty.  We all like to think that the way we perceive things (our world view) is the correct one.  Of course we do.  Because no one has a world view that is contrary to how one perceives the world.  That would be not only illogical, but self-defeating.

No, that’s not the issue.  The issue is how one changes one’s world view when confronted with evidence to the contrary of that view.  Some of us ignore the evidence…we say it isn’t there, or it really isn’t evidence.  Others of us see the evidence, but say that it is incorrect (according to one’s world view).  Still others will twist the evidence to the point that it conforms to their world view.  And a very few will take the time to logically examine the evidence, examine one’s world view, and make any changes to that world view that the evidence calls for.

As Christians, that is our challenge in taking the message of and about Jesus Christ to the world.  That message has to have the power within it to overcome the world view and perceptions of the person it comes to, and provoke a complete change of heart and mind.  It’s a tall order for any message.  No wonder the Bible talks of God’s work in a person to prepare him for the message.  No wonder it talks of the message being the power of God.  No wonder it says that the message is sharper than any sword.  These things have to be in order for the message to penetrate and effect the change that it calls for.

We are fearfully and wonderfully made, the Good Book says.  And so we are.  One of the things which enables us to live and work in this existence is the stubbornness and stamina that we develop as a result of forming and defending our world view.  But when that view is clearly contrary to what we know to be true, we need to be man enough (pardons to the ladies) to admit our error and go in another direction.  That’s harder than it might seem, but it’s possible and is done countless numbers of times each day.

Get your world view out from time to time and dust it off.  Take a good, honest look at it.  Check it against the evidence.  And wise up and make the changes where they need to be made.  You’ll be a better man (or woman) for having done so.