75 years ago yesterday, thousands of men from Allied countries landed on the beaches of France. I think of all the WWII veterans in my family as well as my friend's families I knew in the course of my life. Only 1 of these men is still alive, he is in his late 90's. They never talked about WWII, maybe a comment here or there, but were mostly silent about it. I remember being fascinated by pictures of these men with their buddies in Europe or the Pacific. One of my great-uncles made 2 comments about the war, one was he would not eat black-eyed peas or rice because he had his fill in the service and the other was landing crafts were terrible.
Fast forward to 2019, I think of the points that society complains about today. Is that because of Social Media, a shift in culture, or a combination of the 2? Diatribes on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. My way or the highway. Calling people vile names. Astoundingly, it is the norm.
I am not suggesting we swallow our feelings or never offer our opinions. I am suggesting the Lord does not want us to murmur and complain. He does not want us casting stones. And as a society, we seem to justify both. We have a "right" to say whatever we want but yet we don't want to be responsible for our words. Many people go with the I don't have a filter defense.
We need to weigh our words before they exit our mouth. Hard to do I know, I am an extrovert and tend to say what is on my mind. That is why I understand Peter so well. From what we read in the Bible, he spoke at times without thinking.
So I try and fail at times to live out the following Scriptures:
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
Instead of complaining or casting stones on Twitter and Facebook, we should take the person or issue that concerns us to the Lord in prayer.
Pray for our leaders, pray the poor, pray for the refugees. Pray, pray, pray and pray some more.
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