Master Manipulators

These are different days we are living through right now.  It’s been 100 years since our country (and the world) have gone through such a pestilence.  Life has changed and what we knew before may not return totally.  Then, we will have what is referred to as a “new normal”.  We aren’t sure just what that will look like and we don’t like the uncertainty.  But, have you observed how we handle situations?  We evaluate them differently from each other, then determine what we each believe is the best path.  We consider it and decide our specific course of action, but when push comes to shove, we don’t always follow our own determined course.  Why?  Because something comes along that makes our decision inconvenient – so we massage it around and do what we want at the time – perhaps trying to shove a square peg into a round hole?

Case in point:  This past summer I went up to Montana for a visit.  While there, I saw a few long-time family friends.  One, a retired doctor, was explaining the severity of the disease to my son as we sat on the deck, enjoying our view of the Rocky Mountains.  He vehemently declared that he would absolutely not fly until there was a vaccine which he would definitely get as soon as it was available.  Yet, when I (who had obviously just been on an airplane) first appeared on the deck, he rose to give me a hug in greeting.  I thought of this as he was discussing the virus and it made me think of how we often state our feelings adamantly, but then do what we want at the time.  Or, do we simply forget?  Social distancing sounds good, but how close are you to someone in the grocery aisle?  One restaurant requests you to come and pick up your food (instead of them bringing it to your table), but when you do, there is literally a crush of customers in that small area, attempting to do the same.  These examples are just a tip of the iceberg.

We are master manipulators in other areas as well.  What have we done to Scripture?  It’s GOD’s Word, but you’d think it was OUR word, the way we explain, parse and elaborate on it.  By the time we’re through with it, it’s more like a rumor or gossip – and has about the same validity.  Churches want to fill the pews (Covid, notwithstanding) so they water down the truth in order to accommodate more people.  After all, there’s a “budget” to meet.  We live in an entertainment society so they have to compete and that means making it palatable.  Too bad.  Humbling yourself and admitting sin is not popular.  We want to be masters of our own fate, after all.  (That’s a topic for another day).  Not all churches and pastors are succumbing to this pressure.  But, our aversion to “fake news” ought to extend to the analysis of the very Word of God.

What are we accomplishing when we manipulate things?  We’re ignoring things we don’t like – but, that just makes us ignorant!  Have you taken a look at yourself lately to see where you may have massaged things around to make them fit what you want or what makes you comfortable?

“Let us examine and probe our ways…”   (Lamentations 3:40)