February 26, 2013
Not of the World
Last weekend I, along
with 20 others, took a gun safety class that is required for a concealed
weapons permit. Our instructor was a crusty 87 year-old firearms expert who
owns a gun shop, firing range, and stays physically fit by doing 200 sit-ups a
day. At the beginning of the class the teacher was up-front in declaring that
he works hard at being politically incorrect. His intolerance, racial slurs and
pot shots at religion were startling. Finally one member of the class got tired
of the commentary and asked, “What does all
this have to do with gun safety?” Taking the question in stride the teacher
reminded us of his disclaimer, that he was not PC and that no one was required
to stay if they wanted to leave. Had the teacher been an entertainer most of us
would have left the theater, but the reality was that his class was reasonably
priced and we needed it in order to get a training certificate. This was one of
those instances where I had to remind myself that even though I am in the world,
I am not of the world. Jesus prayed to his Father on behalf of his disciples, “My prayer is not that you take them out of
the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” (John 17:15 NIV)
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----I can see precisely what this old man’s crustiness has to do with a gun safety course. The most basic cause of what’s ailing our society is a continuous “barking up the wrong tree”. We learn politeness and manners because the drive for self-defense is a most fundamental instinct of all animals, except maybe the dodo bird, which is now extinct. Being animals, this proclivity reaches up through our sub-conscious levels of character, personality, principles, and ambitions. We defend ourselves at all levels regarding all facets of what we are.
-----In the earlier days of this old gent’s youth, a few good fist fights could set the community order in such a manner where folks developed places and stayed pretty much in them. That sounds pretty crude to us today, but it is reality. Everything has its place. And it isn’t necessarily that anything should be punished when out of its place as much as it is that its place is where it is safe. It is a dangerous world. The rabbit does not burrow next to the coyote den. Nor is it that fist fighting is good, or any fighting for that matter. But in those days a whole decorum was promulgated which involved a responsibility to be tough enough to take upon the chin that which clarified your place of safety in a cruel world. This is one of the lessons God intended the rod to teach. Unfortunately, bullies wield rods, too. There is nothing fair about the world, which is also a lesson to be learned. But the greatest learning is humility. That’s the taking it on the chin part.
-----But we are over 125 years into the continuing growth of a very arrogant mindset. It thinks it can change human nature and make the world a warm, fuzzy, fluffy place of ice cream, lollipops, and whatever else delights the heart, where anywhere you want to be is your place, therefore it darned well behooves those already in that place to make room for you who cometh! Well, I’m really sorry the world doesn’t operate that way. It is a mean place. And it’s meanness is dangerous. Now that government has become the big bully, it punches and slaps its perceptions into the minds of the people so they will all cower into their appointed places. Then it divides us into categories, pitting one against another, using us like pawns to eliminate one another’s individuality.
-----But, remember? Even though we are the highest of created animals, we are yet animals. We defend. Threat makes us vicious. And the giant government hand stirs up more threat amongst us by trying to make utopia. I think this old man is saying, “Everybody will be what they are, so take the crap that’s where you must go to get what you need, then get on back to where you belong and stand strong. Maybe your pistol will then be less of a need.”
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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