SPARE THE OTHER HALF - June 22, 2020

When one reads the news these days, it is understandable that many people are scared, on edge, anxious and uncertain.  But there is a disturbing trend to watch out for, when some people tend to blame and take out on others all that is troubling them.  And by others, we mean anybody besides themselves.

There are those who blame all their ills on racial segregation and discrimination, machismo and the abuse of women and children, offensive superiority of the haves and exploitation of the have-nots, unlimited and expansive defamation and slander by those who have some means of control over media and publication against those who have none, and the blatant corruption and plunder of those in power over those who merely eke out a living day by day. 

And because either people are too exhausted to think clearly, or they just want to express some kind of mastery over some idea or situation, many people tend to simply categorize whoever comes into their circle of knowledge and influence as either for or against them—that is, they would brand people as either an ally (because they support their ideas and principles, hence should be tolerant or liberal) or enemy (because the other person has a different idea or believes and behaves differently, sometimes to the extent of calling them intolerant, backward and bigots).  I think it is the height of ignorance, and doesn’t merit a place in civilized society.

The words today in the book of Psalms chapter 106 tells us who those people are—those whom GOD has shown His mighty power through the ages, and that means all of us.  But the people who do right by Him and live well are those who acknowledge the errors of their ways and repent; while those who remain stubborn are those who forget His goodness, those who engage in idolatry and adapt the wicked, immoral, hurtful, unhealthy and sinful ways of the world while calling it open-mindedness, those who are constantly envious of others, and those who even sacrifice their children (even the infants and the unborn) in the name of [the Bible calls them devils, but in our culture today, we call them the gods of] fame, money and convenience.

And when things go bad for the latter people, they are enveloped in a cycle of misery and despair and all the more blame (envy and resent) others who are living simple, peaceful lives.

Shouldn’t we all instead acknowledge that whatever predicament we are experiencing these days are meant to discipline and mold us to become people worthy of even better and greater things in the future?  Instead of griping that the world is conspiring against us, shouldn’t we instead claim the blessings GOD has already prepared for us, and struggle against our baser nature to win victory against our weaknesses, our confusions, our ignorance, pride and greed?  Instead of constantly attacking other people and calling them prejudiced and biased and therefore backward and old-fashioned, shouldn’t we instead upgrade and level up our thinking, our habits, and our principles in order to cope with the ever-increasing challenges we face daily in order to gain maturity and wisdom?  

Maybe we should look deep into ourselves and be honest, now and for the rest of our remaining existence, acknowledge our own inadequacies and weaknesses, and spare the others from our own insecurities and inferiorities.

Prejudice and ignorance are bonds, and they enslave us and make us captive to any sway of doctrine or idea or philosophy that is ultimately harmful for us.  Thankfully, the Psalmist included us in his prayer in verses 47-48, that yes, we can be triumphant, we can be saved, we can be better, thus: “Save us, O LORD our GOD, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise.  Blessed be the LORD GOD of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD.”

A culture of blame and scapegoating fits only the heathen, uncivilized society.  If we call ourselves citizens of the modern day and age, we know we have more work to do, we have higher calls to answer, we have greater challenges to overcome.  We know we only have to spare the other half of humankind from going backward, for us to move forward too.