Tag: social virus

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Talk that tears us apart.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper, but the talk of the wicked tears it apart.” Proverbs‬ ‭11‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What do we want? Anything and everything we can imagine. When do we want it? Now, always NOW.

Have you ever taken note of our human imaginations and desires that seem to have no end. Our wildest dreams and deepest aspirations are basically unrestricted in our own head. In the more “suppressed and constrained” years of our country and many others, dreams and aspirations were spent on great art, great music, great architectural structures and inventions. Our hearts were set on better education for the poor, peace on earth and good will for all. Supposedly, throwing off those “draconian” restrictions of the past has allowed humanity to what? Express total personal freedoms and behaviors because we have the right to do so? What did that get us? What has that accomplished?

The wisdom writers capture a truth that is old but seemingly lost in today’s personal rights, protests and cancel culture. What about the good for all? The upright are both good and prosperous for the cities we all live in! And, conversely, but predictably, the constant noise of the wicked tear the city apart. The honorable get quiet, while the immoral get louder. Oh, that’s right honor and morality are just ethereal constructs made up by a patriarchal past. Righteousness, goodness and integrity are seen as old fashion and oppressive. How has wickedness and casting off constraints helped us? I guess civility and respect had to go as well.

History is a harsh reality of truth, so it is no surprise that there are those who wish to reframe it to fit this selfie absorbed season in our cities. And, with truth gone, flipped or redesigned to fit one’s own narrative, it should be a lot easier to promote whatever wicked, er, “independent” thought comes into our morality-free minds.

Here’s some hope. Wickedness will come to an end, but truth will endure forever. God’s justice, in his mercy, will crush evil. So, pursuing evil will only lead to deep disappointment, depression and brokenness. Striving for God will not only satisfy it will bring wholeness and healing to our souls.

Prayer

Dad,
Our city is filled with the proverbial conflict in this passage. The upright are quiet and the wicked are very loud. My heart breaks for the lies that are being swallowed whole. The fake promises that tossing morality, goodness and honor aside will gain fulfillment. Using evil to pacify the emptiness and ache in our hearts. Please stop these insidious social viruses that are destroying the innocent! I ask for your mercy and forgiveness towards those who really do not know what they believe nor truly what damage they do to our city and their own soul. Come in your power, your grace and truth to bring the next revolution of hope.

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I promise on my mother’s grave.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’ But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭33‬-‭34‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This section in Matthew where Jesus digs into some deep Jewish history and culture is fascinating. Matthew really loves bringing out the rich, but controversial nuances of Jesus’ teachings on Old Testament values and behaviors. This one goes into the loose but socially accepted use of promises or vows.

There was a hierarchy of worthiness when one would attach a vow to a physical or conceptual object. A few are mentioned specifically in this teaching, heaven, earth, the beloved city of Jerusalem and one’s own head. At first I thought the whole “promises backed by – whatever” was kinda silly. The closer to personhood, for example my own head (hair or lack thereof), would be the least trustworthy. Moving on to the city or the earth would promise a more robust, reliable promise. Oh, but heaven, ah that was very serious, very dependable. Funny, right? You may have heard this phrase and ask why the Jewish people would never “swear to G*d?” Remember, a few years back, when that was super common to flippantly profane God’s name with such disrespect! I think the atheists and agnostics finally realized the hypocrisy in swearing to a God they didn’t believe in. The Jewish people would NEVER have gone that far. Using God’s name like that would mean instant and total judgment, you would be stoned on the spot. And if the crowd didn’t kill you for it, God would likely strike you with lightning himself – so it was thought. Even as a non believing, non church kid, I would have been smacked in the mouth if I said those words.

Years past we had similar, weird, promise-keeping associations as well, “Cross my heart and hope to die.” Or, “on my mother’s grave.” Or, “on all that is holy.” So, yes, our modern culture has done similar when trying to beef up a promise to make it sound ominously secure. All of these attachments are just begging the listener to just trust us at our word.

Jesus cut through years and layers of nonsense and silly wordplay to help us understand a couple things: let your word and your behavior BE your bond! If you say you’re going to do it – then DO it. If you vow or promise you won’t do it… uh… then DON’T do it. Stacking well respected places, things or people (heaven, Mom or our own death demise) just WEAKENS our word, our promise. Keeping it simple, keeps it effective – if you follow through with it. Is it yes? – then do it. Is it no? – then don’t do it. Jesus caps the conversation with a critical reminder. Anything beyond our simple “yes” or “no” is ponéros: evil or malicious. So quit stepping on the crack and breaking your mother’s back – or using her grave to boisterously boost your credibility!

Prayer

Dad,
How did we get so weird? We were created in perfection and I completely understand that our own sin, not just broken DNA from Adam & Eve, has really messed us up. But, we are such a strange bunch! And why is it that we are so socially susceptible to each other’s absurd proclivities that we willingly adopt them and start using them in our own life. I believe that much of our bizarre beliefs and behaviors are spread to each other in some kind of social virus! I see, I hear, I do and repeat. I see one person’s behavior or strange choice and I may be shocked or offended. I may even loath the sight of it. Then I see two and I am less put off, but still bewildered. Oh, but three, four or more and suddenly I’m intrigued, curious and feel the pull of peer pressure – even if they are not my peers! Next thing you know I’ve got a piercing or pair of retro bell bottom pants. How is this even possible? Are we, as humans, bound to each other by mimicking good and bad? Is this how thought and behavior is transmitted to take over my own self will? I don’t like it. Not at all. I just want to be a cultural contrarian. Help us Jesus. Help us see and model your ways above and beyond our culture, our influences of friends or strangers.

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Sin is in fact infectious!

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says. Ask the priests this question about the law: ‘If one of you is carrying some meat from a holy sacrifice in his robes and his robe happens to brush against some bread or stew, wine or olive oil, or any other kind of food, will it also become holy?’” The priests replied, “No.” Then Haggai asked, “If someone becomes ceremonially unclean by touching a dead person and then touches any of these foods, will the food be defiled?” And the priests answered, “Yes.” Then Haggai responded, “That is how it is with this people and this nation, says the Lord. Everything they do and everything they offer is defiled by their sin.” Haggai‬ ‭2:11-14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I love it when God asks questions. Isn’t interesting? This one seems to be all about a food preparation object lesson.

These are ancient times and God has given Israel “laws” to help them in the proper way to handle food. He asks them if the “holy” meat makes other foods holy just by touching them together. The modern word for making meat holy is called Kosher and it most likely became the standard for all food preparation and handling.

We know so much more about handling food than we used to and yet, we still have warnings and about mishandling our food supply line today – especially with things like Salmonella!

Corruption and defilement only seem to go one way. Good can’t “defile,” or making something clean just by contact or touching. Holy meat cannot make anything holy simply by contact. God’s point… it’s different with corruption, disease or sickness. Bad can corrupt or defile good with a simple contact point. The Apostle Paul uses this analogy when he writes to the churches in Corinth, “bad company corrupts good morals.”

God’s illustration is touching a dead body, where corruption and death has begun breaking down the cells which used to be alive. In this very natural death process the body is experiencing corruption where bacteria and germs do their job to return the body to the earth where it began.

Scientists, healthcare workers and food handlers know this instinctively, death is dangerously infectious!

God’s boundaries, His laws for Israel taught them to not touch the dead without careful cleansing and mandatory isolation from others so disease doesn’t spread. This is well before they knew why death was so dangerous! Then God speaking through Haggai lands this mind-blowing concept to them – SIN = DEATH. Sin is corruption. Sin breaks down all living things and brings death. God explains to them, everything we do, everything we offer, CANNOT be holy, clean or free of death itself. We have sin. We ARE sin. Therefore, everything we “touch” will become corrupted and die. Sadly, this includes things we offer to God – ouch. Of course, post Christ’s death and resurrection, making the final and completely perfect sacrifice for the penalty of sin, our offerings as someone contraction-ally in good standing with God can, in faith, offer redemptive acts.

Prayer

Dad,
Sin is so dangerous! It is so infectious. We have so many social viruses spreading among us these days. These popular crowd-sourced and driven ideals are laced with death! These grand social experiences and experiments are ruthlessly effective to bring death in our relationships, families, and civil structures. It’s like we, as humans, take great joy in passing around a soul-virus, with zero care or precaution to their effects on our lives. Truth has been trampled and swapped out for lies! You said this would happen. You told us this is what the end looks like. We need your mercy Oh God. We need your supernatural intervention to stop this fast spreading disease called sin.