January 06, 2016

Year in Review

My mother, bless her heart, was one who held onto grudges. When she passed away I sorted through her long-kept grievances which showed up in the form of hand written notes, divorce settlements and unrepaid loans papers. Her grudges were not mine to embrace, so I simply put them through the paper shredder. Unfortunately I get the same gnawing pain of holding someone else’s grudge when I read the local newspaper’s Year in Review of the top stories for 2015. Rather than reporting on the accomplishments and positive happenings in the community, reporters kept grudges alive by reminding us of past scandals, lawsuits and turmoil. In the church Paul says believers are to think and behave differently, “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification” (Ro 14:19 NIV).

1 comment:

Steve Corey said...

Gail;

-----The newspaper’s Year in Review bears one major difference from your mother’s grudge relics: it is disseminated for public consumption. From your perspective, I am sure this is reason to double up its due criticism. But from my perspective, I don’t think the paper is due criticism for rehashing the negative stories.
-----Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the other prophets warning Israel to return to God pointed out the idolatrous, selfish behavior of the people, calling them to take account of what they have been and repent. In those days a prophet was specially chosen by God to carry a particular message to God’s nation. Prophets are still with us, “And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets…” (I Cor 12:28,) “Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said,” (I Cor 14:29,) “And his gifts were that some should be…prophets…to equip the saints…for building up the body of Christ…” (Eph 4:11-12) In these days a prophet is not so specially chosen, nor so rare, and his message is not so particular, yet prophets are just as real, relevant, and true.
-----America lies on the brink of collapse in every way because it has had far too few people stepping forward in prophetic roles. Donald Trump is revealing that there is an abundance of corrective sentiment alive amongst the general population. Individually, we know there is corrective sentiment, because you have it, I have it, and many people we know have it. But that sentiment has not been focused and shaped into action because it takes prophets to do that.
-----Certainly every newspaper, TV talking head, and radio host recount the negative stories. Some even call for change. A scant few might occasionally call for a return to the Lord. But nearly none fully assess these stories. Nearly none call the general populace to account for collectively allowing scandals to exist, or at least to go unpunished. Nearly none rally people to demonstrate what they will do if the government does not submit to the Constitution and the law. The Egyptians saw Morsi nullify their constitution, and they threw up such a tremendous demonstration that the military did its job, dragging that enemy of the state into prison. The American people see an imposter acting as their current president breach their Constitution several times a year in addition to the breach of it that he is even called “President”, and they deny anything is wrong because the media is only willing to tell the ugly stories of the year without analyzing them for who causes the ugliness, unless the cause can be pinned upon moral and upright folks, or what makes the ugliness ugly, or how ugly the general population is for not stepping out in defiant protest until the ugly makers either repent or flee.
-----Contrast that to what is our reality. Everyone has thoroughly heard how and why abstinence before marriage, sanctity of life in the womb, heterosexuality, purity of the marriage bed, relevance of the Ten Commandments, etc. are social disruptions, and how and why rioting over the shooting of black criminals is justified, rioting over the earned wealth of hard working people is chic, and how and why not a sight or sound about God is allowable in the general public. These all get “full explanation” (that is, explanation which fully destroys the truth about them.)
-----”Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” (Ps 127:1) Unless what we communicate to one another recognizes the Lord, public perception is vain. “Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another; the LORD heeded and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who feared the LORD and thought on His name.” (Malachi 3:16) Now, go be heeded and heard and make some remembrance for the Lord to write.


Love you all,
Steve Corey