I see a pattern in my
community where certain individuals steer organizations and boards to do something
other than their assigned mission. The library board wants to offer classes in
leadership and Civics 101; the recreation district wants to teach the community
how to be civil to one another; and the city wants to work on economic
development and tourism rather than maintain streets. While these may all be worthy endeavors, they lead the
organization astray. Even within the church there are some who would draw us
away from our mission. Paul warned the elders at Ephesus, “Even from your own
number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples
after them. So be on your guard” (Acts 20:30-31a NIV)!
1 comment:
Gail;
-----I learned early in life to be ever wary of the ulterior motive. Yet, that’s almost all we can be. We don’t have the same ability the Lord had to look inside people and see their thinking and feeling to just know whether their true motives are hidden and self serving. So we must then observe the things people begin to say and do while moving their projects forward and discern accordingly.
-----Personally, I think this entire country could use a thorough course in civics first, then leadership for those who understood the civics. The last twenty six years demonstrate the fact. Much of what they demonstrate is that good instruction does not just throw favored stuff at a wall hoping it will stick. It compares everything relevant. It analyses everything significant. It matches practices, events, and circumstances to their consequences or rewards. A good civics course will disassemble and reassemble both left-wing collectivism and free market capitalism, examining each in the light of what people do with the kinds of space given them and what they do against the kinds of boundaries set for them. Ulterior motive shows in the dancing, dodging, and swerving done around some points of analysis, while others are fully illuminated. Bias is best know by its missing information. (“God in heaven, thank you for information. Amen“ Sadie Schmitz, Feb, 2016.) From observing the general political trend, that civics 101 thing sounds scary. The leadership thing, therefore, sounds scary deluxe.
-----And for that matter, how is this civility thing to work? I heard a statement made in the news yesterday which made me take full note. I was working at my desk more than paying attention to the radio when it popped out at me, so I don’t know who said this or to what assemblage of people it was spoken, but it was the suggestion that black people have a right to get out in the streets and vandalize and tear things up. Later that evening I heard discussions on MSNBC and FOX about how the first amendment extends to “this kind of thing” while news cameras were showing motorists entrapped by frightening, marauding crowds of, well, they really did look to me like, kind of miscreants. Is this maybe what the wreck district wants to teach as being civil to each other: step back and give black people free reign to riot, while white people must get on their knees and lick boots? Uh? I don’t really know because I have not seen the wreck district’s syllabus. But I have seen their actions. First vote county wide: NO REC CENTER! So they tried another vote limited to just the city: YEA! WRECK CENTER WHICH THE COUNTY FOLK WILL HELP PAY FOR! YEA! YEA! Civil? No. Humble? No. Honest. No. Hmm.
-----I think the best civics and civility which can be taught to people arise from three simple concepts. 1) “Outdo one another in showing honor.” (Rom 12:10b) 2) “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Phil 2:4) and 3) “Therefore, putting away falsehood, let every one speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.” (Eph 4:25) Naturally, my suggestion overlooks the social ban of Biblical concepts from public discourse. But maybe the civics course could examine some of the consequences of such bans by analyzing Charlotte’s first amendment activities of the last few days (leaving any of that old “free expression thereof” stuff completely out of it; you know, it doesn’t count as civil.)
Love you all,
Steve Corey
Post a Comment