Hi.
Hope you are well.
Seriously.
***
Mr. Nice
Listened to my local radio station the other day. Heard a guy speak contemptuously to a lady who was a guest on his radio program. In my opinion, anyway.
Mr. Nice is a prominent Christian. I don't doubt his faith or sincerity at all. He's married to a woman even nicer than he is. She's a world changer, whom I admire.
*
Mr. Nice isn't much of a broadcaster, but he has his own radio show.
In contrast, I am quite a broadcaster, but I do not have my own show.
Go figure.
But that's not the point.
God exalts whom He chooses. None of my business.
Write me off as a jealous moron, if you'd like.
*
It's my professional and/or arrogant opinion that people on the radio should have the slightest/most remote/even *misunderstood* awareness that the point of them being on the air is ... to have something worth listening to.
"It's about the listener, stupid," to paraphrase a political proverb.
A couple of days a week, Mr. Nice shares his program with a lady he calls "The Loyal Opposition." TLO is an attorney schooled at Harvard/Yale.
Bright lady. Sassy. Unafraid. Confident. Admirable.
Never met her. But she has the kind of brass [preferred synonym omitted to appease religious readers] that comes from being able to get away with feisty crap. By that I mean, she must be attractive.
TLO has been (accurately) labeled "liberal" by Mr. Nice; therefore, personally responsible for gangs, drug abuse, the national debt, the rise of both Osama and Obama, layoffs, illegal immigrants and psoriasis.
TLO takes more abuse from callers than you can imagine. (And if you can imagine how people dump on her, you might be one of the callers.)
**
Mr. Nice -- in my opinion -- takes the liberty to speak to TLO with contempt because he believes his words do not constitute an offensive action. Instead, his tirades are a reasonable response to the evil he pins on her and other liberals.
Do you see the difference?
If Mr. & Mrs. Nice were having dinner in a quiet restaurant with Mr. & Mrs. TLO and Mr. Nice accused Mrs. TLO of advocating [insert sordid sins here] and [insert wacko political ideology here] and [insert actions that will destroy America here], Mr. & Mrs. TLO would either leave or violence would ensue.
Because you cannot speak to people that way.
Not even when you clothe it as
a Christian response to evil
the way Republicans should straighten out Democrats
the inherent right that radio hosts have to diss others
and so on,
in my opinion.
So, they took phone calls that day.
Yup, I called. Yup, they put me on the air.
Told Mr. Nice -- a guy I know personally -- I thought he bullied TLO.
Short conversation.
I'm probably not making my point as passionately as I'd like to.
Lemme try this...
Ladies, gentlemen, Christians and mature adults
go on insulting rants
when
the ranters feel it's a justified, reasonable response
to hurts unreasonably inflicted on them
by [insert flavor of sordid individual or group here].
And there's not a whit of guilt
because they feel they were provoked
and therefore not responsible
for what they hurl back
because it's less than what they unjustly received in the first place.
And, as long as people believe they return less [whatever] than what they believe they've unfairly received, ANY vitriol, any insult, any action can be dismissed as a reasonable response.
**
The Worship Leader
Have a friend I admire.
Even more handsome than I pretend to believe that I am.
Dedicated Christian. Amazing talents with video, audio and other gizmos.
Beeyooootiful wife who's even nicer than he is. He treats her well.
He'd treat you well too.
Cause that's who he is ... and how he is ... and what he does.
If you go to a certain megachurch or large religious events in the region, you've heard him play his guitar and sing and lead worship.
Sincerely. Worthily. Humbly. Amazingly.
Read a few of his Twitter tweets.
Seemingly from the heart of a different man.
TWL would *never* walk up to anyone and say the things he writes in response to those who hurt, insult or offend him (especially regarding political or social issues).
TWL would *never* trash his opponents while leading worship.
He simply would not act that way.
But he *reacts* that way ... when he believes the response is warranted.
In my opinion, such responses -- while almost impossible to prevent -- are as wrong as the actions themselves are perceived to be.
OK. Almost.
Feel better?
**
There's a Proverb
"Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
lest you also be like him.
Answer a fool as his folly deserves,
lest he be wise in his own eyes."
That's in Proverbs chapter [wherever] verse [I forget].
**
I slung that Proverb at TWL in a private e-mail ... pal to pal.
He kindly told me that I had no idea of all the rotten, ugly, libelous things [liberals, heathens and assorted bandits] had said to him. He felt his response was nowhere near as bad as their actions.
And he was right.
Told him God -- in my opinion -- doesn't give a rip how others treat us
as compared to how we treat them in response.
(Sorry, that's what I believe.)
I believe God wants us to be gracious to our enemies
to not return evil for evil
or insult for insult
but to give a blessing instead.
Do you know *why* I believe that?
Because the Bible tells me so.
End of discussion. Beginning of reconciliation.
Hopefully. Rarely.
It is my belief that TWL is not going to be used by God to lead unbelievers to Himself unless those people are of the same political persuasion as TWL.
I hope I'm wrong because that leaves out most of the people in the world.
My prayer for my friend TWL is that his enemies would be so intrigued by TWL's loving, unearthly response to their hatefulness that they would want to know of the source of his illogical, irrational, turn-the-other-cheek response.
And I'll toss in a prayer for myself that I'd be like that too.
Someday.
Him first, hopefully.
***
Here's what I am NOT saying:
I am not saying Mr. Nice or TWL ought to be more like me.
I am not saying I'm better than they are.
I am not trying to insult them.
I am not saying I am worthy to judge/condemn them.
I am sharing my open and honest reflections on life.
(Or maybe I feel it's OK for me to respond unkindly to perceived offenses?)
**
Here's what I am trying to say:
These guys are some of the best people you will ever meet. And if *they* excuse themselves and justify ungodly responses, our society and the practice of Christianity will surely suffer for it.
***
How Low Can You Go?
So many nice people flip the switch from lover and spouse to ex and enemy.
Partners who vow to God, family and friends
to love, cherish, honor and forgive until death
turn on one another as if it were planned from their first date ...
even though they intended to live happily ever after.
And it's not just marriages.
Two christian psychiatrists used to have a national radio program together. Honest insiders only whisper about how they stopped talking to one another.
Founders of famous ministries are overthrown with such regularity it's not even news. And speaking of the news, there's a religious wacko who has a radio empire purported to be worth $100 million. He says the world is going to end next Saturday. He's a crazy person. An honest-to-God, sincere wacko -- who used to be a revered leader of the flock.
Things change.
*
Tried to help A Pretty Friend (she'd be peeved [whew, almost wrote "pissed"] I told you she's pretty -- sheeeeeesh) get a job a few days ago. Went to speak with the man who will make the decision. Told him I think APF would be a great choice. She's earned a break -- went back to school; got decent grades; not asking for a handout, etc.
Told the prospective boss that I worked at a place for over a decade where a lady in charge of a bunch of money went to jail -- for years and years and years -- for embezzlement. Told him I didn't think APF was a crook (but no one ever knows in advance) and that he should hire her. Hope he does.
*
A Hideous Truth
Studies have been done ...
*
that's what tricksters say when they want to make a bogus point
so *we* should always ask
What studies? Where? When? By whom?
so that we won't be fooled.
*
So...
Studies have been done that prove regular, honest, above-average, nice people can do the most awful things to other people ... when they believe they should.
That's what happens in divorces. One spouse labels the other as [insert horrific label here] who doesn't deserve [insert human kindness here] anymore because s/he [insert dastardly deed here.]
And we all go, "Oh yeah!!! You're right! You HAVE to treat them that way!"
And wrong becomes right.
And vengeance is ours, not the Lord's.
**
What I Am Not Saying
You should send your kids off with someone who will abuse them.
Or other stuff like that ... OK?
**
Again, there was this study.
Actually a couple of them
where regular, normal people
were told they had to obey orders
no matter what.
The volunteers were ordered to send electrical shocks to real-live people who did irrelevant stuff ... like giving wrong answers to questions.
The more questions that people got wrong ... the higher the voltage of the shock the volunteers were ordered to inflict in response.
Now. You think nobody actually DID this right?
You saying, "Aw, hale, ain't nobody gonna shock nobody juss fer gittin no answers wrong." (Or some variation thereof.)
Take another guess, bucko.
Volunteers gave painful electrical shocks to SCREAMING victims with such consistency that the study had to be curtailed.
I know. You don't believe me. Right?
**
Click this link: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2008/12/19/us-torture-study-idUKTRE4BI0VQ20081219
Here's part of what it says:
"[scientist] found that, after hearing an actor cry out in pain at 150 volts, 82.5 percent of participants continued administering shocks, most to the maximum 450 volts.
The experiment surprised psychologists and no one has tried to replicate it because of the distress suffered by many of the volunteers who believed they were shocking another person.
"When you hear the man scream and say, 'let me out, I can't stand it,' that is the point when the real stress that people criticized [scientist] for kicked in," [somebody] said.
"It was a very, very, very stressful experience for many of the participants. That is the reason no one can ethically replicate the experiment today."
**
OK. The screamers were actors. They weren't in pain.
But the volunteers who CHOSE to deliver the supposed shocks didn't know that. And they did it anyway.
Because wrong became right. And right became wrong.
For reasonable people who would NEVER do such things.
Ever.
Just as formerly married people do to one another
until death do they part.
**
Where the Twain Shall Meet
It is my opinion, as ugly as it is
that Nice People
and Worship Leaders
and Christian Leaders
and Lovers and Friends
and Republicans and Liberals
and neighbors
and relatives
and bloggers
allow themselves to commit ungodly responses
they believe are justified
and even correct and worthy
when it's a lie
and contrary to their nice guy/political/familial/religious beliefs.
**
The Bottom Line
Examine your actions.
Examine your reactions.
Examine mine.
Do we respond in ways that we would never act?
Do we fear how far we can go to inflict pain on others
when we believe
they deserve it?
We should.
We all should.
**
Clarification
Am I saying murderers should not be brought to justice?
No, but that should be done by societies, not individuals.
Should criminals be punished?
Yes, by societies, legally.
Must we willingly subject ourselves to abuse?
No. Societies (and God) protect the weak.
Do I take my own revenge?
No.
**
The Response
Seek peace.
Do not return evil for evil or insult for insult.
Give a blessing instead.
Do not take your own revenge.
God will work it all out.
Seek all the protection for yourself and others that society provides.
Here's the hard part: God loves your enemies.
Even the one/s you are/were married to
or used to work with
or the ones whose opinions/actions you find repugnant.
How will you choose to respond to them?
How will you choose not to respond to them?
No comments:
Post a Comment