Tuesday, April 9, 2019
I am writing these things to warn you
about those who want to lead you astray. But you have received
the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you
what is true. For the Spirit teaches you
everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in
fellowship with Christ. And
now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns,
you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame. 1 John 2:26-28
I’m fairly
certain former V.P. Joe Biden never saw it coming. The (now) candidate Biden has been the center
of loose accusations that he “made some people uncomfortable with his
inappropriate behavior”. Now, I’m not a
big fan of the Democratic Party’s approach to certain things, but I do believe
it’s time to cut Joe a break. He’s only
a few years older than I, and therefore we share the same decade’s cultural
expectations. In those days if you didn’t
hug, or have a warm heart (identified by touching an arm or shoulder to say I’m sorry you’re going through this…or I’m so glad that happened for you), well,
you were considered aloof, snooty, or just plain uncaring. From my observation point, Biden is anything
but that.
Now, with
my opinion (this is a blog, after-all)…with my personal opinion aside, let me
acknowledge that those women making the accusations are unequivocal markers
that the world has changed since Joe Biden and Russell Brownworth were little
boys, or college students. And we both
NEED to acknowledge that and give it due diligence that we take care to be like
the Apostle Paul advised: Abstain from all appearance of evil.
1 Thessalonians 5:22(KJV)
This is
not to say I’m going to cease trying to comfort someone who has just lost a
husband, or a child, or another loved one; I just have to learn to ask
first: Would it be alright to give you a
hug? In 1975 the hug was
“expected” – now it can be suspect of sexual harassment.
The world
has changed; some of the change has been for the better, some not so much. On the better side is an awareness of
personal space, behavior, and the hurt that can be caused by
inappropriateness. On the lesser scale
is a reality that it’s hard for a man who was raised without those expectations
to get used to the fact that most women won’t even look at you on the street,
and you can almost feel the hostility.
Change is a two-edged sword!
And yet
those with an activist mindset will tell you any change is better than no
change. It’s easy to see where that
comes from. When you’re stuck in a
culture that demeans you, dehumanizes your worth and place on this planet, and
keeps you under the oppressive thumb, activism may be the only legal resort to
getting some relief. It’s kind of a
Patrick Henry philosophy: Give me change
or give me a prison sentence; either way I’m gonna have some change!
On the
other end of that spectrum are those for whom “change” is a four-letter word
(so to speak). But, that attitude: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,
it can only take you so far; sooner or later change will come whether you like
it or don’t.
And so, for
those who make change their god, because nothing seems to favor them, or work
for them, or suit their desires, be certain you’re going to effect a change
that is approved by the One who said, I am the Lord; I change not.[i] When you run afoul of the One who gave you
breath just because you have decided change is in order, it IS
going to be His will that’s done…and that can be a change that
hurts!
When you’re
working on change, or hearing about changes, take time to run that beam of
light back up to the source; consider the effects of what the change is, and
how it matches up with God’s revealed truth in Scripture. It might save you from a heap of regret. Change is NOT God.
You chew on that as you hit the
Rocky Road; have a blessed day.
