Too quick to rock!

Speaking of rocking (see earlier blog)... if we aren't 'rocking the dead' we're quick to rock those around us still living. Don't believe me? Bare with me a minute and see if you can see what I'm saying.

Shall we use one of our immediate rocking's targets as an example? Target: Tiger Woods.

Shall we stone him?

Let me preface my post by saying that I neither intend to stone the man, but neither do I either at all condone what Tiger has done. It's sad, sinful, hurtful, and horribly devastating to his wife and his family. Even he has admitted his wrong. Apologized for it. Said he wanted to work things out. Amazingly to me though, is that even 'the world' acknowledges that what he's done is wrong and calls it out. Yet, the world seems mostly to live what they're quickly appalled by. I find that interesting. We're made in the image of God... there's something inside all of us that knows the difference between right and wrong... even when refusing to live by it.

Now. To my reason for writing.

Ow! Because as a whole, most of us people, are way too quick to point! Remember the woman that was caught in the very act of adultery and was brought to Jesus (John 8)? Remember what He said to those that brought her? To those who wanted to stone her? He said, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." Let who who has never wronged throw the first rock. Yet often we're holding a hand full of rocks and throwing as fast as we can, forgetting the horror of our own sin and all the things that we've done. Enjoying our bashing, too, I might add. Gleeful to find another in such sin. We can't wait to read about it, hear about it, see it splashed all over the news. And then quickly turn and go share it with others! What is that? Instead of us being sharers of "the Good News," we broadcast the bad. Rather than giving glory to our Lord, we give glory to the influence of what Satan has tempted another to do until he's finally fallen for the forbidden.

Shall we be reminded that:

Love counts no record of wrongs. But are we quick to?

Love also covers! Yet we are, too often, quick to expose!

It makes me think of Joseph when he found out that Mary was pregnant before they had wed (Matt 1:18-19). Because he was a righteous man, he decided to divorce her quietly, secretly, so others wouldn't know. Because, we're told, he didn't want to expose her to public disgrace. He didn't want to 'put her open to shame.' He didn't want to declare it, divulge it, display it to the world so that all their eyes could see. Wow! Try that on for size! How often do we do that?

And, too, when Noah became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent in Genesis 9, his son Ham saw him and immediately went to tell his two brothers. But Shem and Japheth didn't run to look, nor fall for it and make fun. They took a garment and laid it over their shoulders walking in backward so not to see their father in his shame and covered him! Covered him in his nakedness, covered his nudity, his indecency, his shame, his improper behavior, his exposure.

Might all of us be reminded that it was Ham that was cursed because of what he'd done, and the two other brothers were blessed because of what they did!

Are we quick to look? And then quick to share what we saw? Or do we rather, refuse to listen, refuse to see, and turn our heads to keep from continually looking at the nakedness of someone else? Do we "cover" the naked out of our love (1 Pet 4:8)? Or, do we continue to un-cover and expose to all those around us what they haven't been privy to see as of yet?

We've all done wrong! All been sinful! I'd hate for anybody (much less everybody) to be gawking at me while I lie totally naked before them! I'd hate to be microscopically picked apart in all of my shame. And I'd hate to be on the tongues of the multitudes while they discussed the details and ripped me to shreds in their speculations of what all else I might have done. Goodness, like Jesus said, who are we to cast a stone! If we're gawking and talking, then we, too, got caught in a web of our own. Tiger might not be right (and he's not), but if we're doing that (slandering, gossiping, devouring, exposing), then we are no righter!

Do we cover? Or are we one of the ones that runs to tell? What do we do with the one around us that's been caught in their sin? Granted, most of us aren't prone to leave him there, most of us are more apt to pick him up, but who do we take him to when we've done it? Do we run to this person and that? Showing his wrong? Exposing his shame? Pointing to all to where he has erred? Stoning him with every next word that we cast? Or rather instead (when we feel the overwhelming need to take him somewhere), can we not take him to Jesus? Discuss him there? Ask God to help him, woo him, convict him, save him from his sin, ransom him, redeem him, and help to use it all for His good? All for His glory!

Oh Father, forgive the sinner for they know not what they do. And forgive us too Lord, because we obviously don't either!