Opus 2020-159: The Lion in the Street

I have a word for those of you who are agnostic, atheistic, pagan and so forth:  Fear.

I have an addition to that for those of you claiming to be Christians:  Fear God.

There is not only an eternity of difference, but a world of difference.

As a Christian I am aware that there are diseases out there that can get you.  That has been true my entire life.  I have had a few of them.  I have walked past innumerable others unscathed.  It is not a matter of luck it is a matter of something called Providence.  God made me.  He made you too, even if you don’t acknowledge it.  When he designed me it was like the modern day Lexus or whatever car you think is uber reliable.  He put in all the filters, warning lights, backups and overrides that were needed to guarantee almost flawless performance.  What happens if I cut myself?  “Got that,” God tells me.  I later learn about clotting factors, antibodies and white blood cells.  They were there all the time.  When my body is invaded by nasty germs God says, “Got you covered.”  And so forth.  Do I worry about getting sick?  I guess.  Do I allow that to make me walk in fear.  Hah!

As a generic pagan you have none of those assurances.  So, yes, walk in fear.  The virus is out to get you.  So are the hundreds of other viruses out there.  There is tetanus waiting and strep throat.  Food poisoning is right behind you and toxins in your water are looking for a hole in your filter.  In addition to that your government is full of people who would like nothing more than to control every aspect of your life.  Fear.

Wash your hands.  I do that.  I could even document that in the Bible.  There is nothing wrong with common sense but don’t worry about the unicorns.  Maybe a better example is lions.  I love this passage in Proverbs.

(Pro 26:13 KJV) The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.

I am not accusing you of being a sloth; just reflecting on how fear can cripple.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-250: Curses

I can’t find where I first saw it mentioned but you my have read about the witches coming together to throw a curse on Justice Brett Kavanaugh.  It is supposed to be focused on his mistreatment of women.  I imagine they are basing it all on a vague, unsupported accusation that he got too pushy once when he was a teenager.  I have good news for the new justice from the book of Proverbs.

(Proverbs 26:2 NAS77)  Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, So a curse without cause does not alight.

I don’t think political assassinations or publicity stunts qualify as a reason for a curse.

What is interesting to me is that it doesn’t say that curses don’t exist, just that they are worthless if not deserved.

Maybe someone has cursed all the media outlets that report fake news.  Their circulation has certainly take a nose dive.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-099: The Spirit of April 1

Is April Fools’ Day like Mothers’ Day or like a birthday?

Is it something to remind us of a daily reality or a one time celebration?

Mothers’ Day is a type of holiday that reminds us of what we should be celebrating all year long.  We should always be thoughtful of our mothers and fathers.  We should always be romantic to our significant other.  I guess we should always be glad to be Irish, Mexican or Black.  Those days are simply reminders.

Other days are to honor a specific idea or person.  Veterans’ Day, Washington’s Birthday, Guy Fawkes Day are all a simple reminders.  I don’t think about my birthday every day of the year.  Some women who are age averse might but most people don’t. 

Some days are both, depending on the people involved.  For the masses Easter is a time for new clothes, candy and egg hunts.  For Christians it is a day celebrating the resurrection of Jesus which is also to be celebrated every Sunday.  Halloween is either a celebration of evil or a chance to get candy. 

Where does April Fools’ Day fit in?  I am afraid I would put it with Mothers’ Day.  Fools are always with us.  They never get the attention they deserve.  Maybe it would be better to say they never get the recognition they deserve. 

(Proverbs 26:5 KJV)  Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

My wish for you is that this would be a day in which you do not need to celebrate.

homo unius libri

Opus 2016-260: Middle Class Morality: Personal Responsibility

Personal responsibility is an idea whose time has departed, at least if you pay attention to what is going on in our society.  We have become a culture of victims and helpless pawns that need an overpowering central government to protect us from ourselves and the forces around us.

This is not Middle Class Morality (MCM) and it is not Biblical.

The Bible concedes that there are forces we cannot defeat. 

(Ephesians 6:12 KJV)  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

But notice that these forces are spiritual and if you read the context it is only the power of God that can deliver us, not the power of government.

We are responsible for our own behavior and will be held accountable for our behavior.  The obvious, an often quoted, verse is,

(Galatians 6:7 KJV)  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

But there are a lot of other references that talk about personal responsibility.  One I came across in Proverbs,

(Proverbs 26:27 KJV)  Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.

So get over the class warfare, the victimhood, the calling for government programs to bail you out of your own stupid choices.  Most of the homeless are not on the street because society has conspired against them.  They are there because of choices.  Most people living in poverty in this country have no one to blame except themselves.  They do blame others, but all it does is make them more dependent.

I think of a guy who was “homeless” years ago.  He wanted me to let him sleep in my back yard and of course he wanted me to loan him a sleeping bag.  In the course of our discussion I asked him about family and his comments made it clear that he had lied and cheated so much with everyone who was related to him or called him friend that none of them would trust him any more.  And I was supposed to.  No thanks, my mama didn’t raise any children that foolish.

Personal responsibility is a Biblical, Christian value that used to be MCM.  It was part of what made this country great.  It’s absence will bring us down.

Viva la middle class morality.

To be continued...

homo unius libri