Next I turned my attention to all the outrageous violence
that takes place on this planet—the tears of the victims, no one to comfort
them; the iron grip of oppressors, no one to rescue the victims from them. Ecclesiastes 4:1 (TMSG)
The “frog in the kettle” is
not a new concept. I’ve never put the
theory to a test. It seems somehow quite
cruel, placing a perfectly innocent toad in a saucepan of tepid water to make
him feel comfortable (at first), only to slowly turn the heat up and watch him
adjust his body temperature while he cooks; he’s content to do this – until
it’s too late! Cruelty aside – crock-pot
frog is not my idea of Sunday dinner or fun!
But, perhaps we’re looking
at it from the wrong side of the stove.
Have you ever considered what it is like to BE the frog? No? Maybe there’s a reason for that. Is the temperature just right for you;
everything going quite well?
Whatever your life has been
like recently – or in the long haul – remember there are plenty of ways to get
cooked without noticing it – until it’s too late.
The Roman Emperor, Nero,
had to sign his first death warrant as a very young man. Historians report that the significance of
that event almost overwhelmed him with grief.
He was affected for months afterward.
Years later Nero had become so accustomed to death by the simple stroke
of his hand he could sign the death warrants of his own mother and brother
without flinching…frog sauté. Nero’s conscience
was cooked!
We “get used to” a lot of
things; like good Marines, we adjust, we adapt, we overcome.
What is it to which we are
becoming accustomed?
·
More murders per hour of TV watching?
·
More and stronger profanity on the silver screens?
·
More and increasingly explicit acts of sex to view right in
our living rooms?
·
More comfortable with the government program that “takes care
of me”?
It does seem that the
issues which come to mind when we talk “frog in the kettle” are almost entirely
negative – harmful, taking life from us by degrees.
From Saucepan to Microwave
Life moves exponentially
faster today – we seem to be able to dispatch our frogs better than ever! Psychologists call it “desensitization”. We lose our ability to feel the pain – so
we’re not bothered by what used to bother us – as much! We’ve moved
from the saucepan slow-cooker to the microwave express!
What Bothers You?
Here’s what bothers me;
every time I hear myself saying: but
I’m just one person, and besides you can’t save ‘em all.
When I do a self-check and find
myself bailing-out on an issue because the tepid water in my saucepan is so
warm, fuzzy and happy that I’ve become complacent about the way anyone else is
being treated, I want to scream – Russell….SAY something!
We are not “islands unto ourselves”.
Created to be in community and fellowship
with God and each other, the ripples my neighbor’s stone makes when it hits my pond
is a cry for justice, righteousness, or even simply human touch. As the body of Christ, believers are not to sit
by as our culture’s microwave cooks our neighbor. When my neighbor hurts, I have to ask myself, why don’t
I hurt?
Today
Jesus is always waiting for us to take a “first step”. Years ago I asked a young man named Dennis why
he had responded to the invitation to accept Christ. Dennis told me, I’ve wanted to be a Christian for
awhile; I finally got up enough nerve to put one foot in the aisle, and I guess
Jesus picked up the other one and helped me walk.
I think Jesus does the same stuff today, but not if you’re too comfortable
on that microwave turntable.
What will it take for you to move one foot out on the aisle of serving
Him today?
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