I am changed, just a little bit, each time I come across a thought or quote that sheds a new light on an old place in my mind. A place that I have visited more times than I can count, yet I wasn't able to see what I see so clearly now. The words can be simple and few, deeply dramatic or seemingly silly in their insights. There is no obvious reason that I receive a different message though each has been said in many different ways by many different people. by Janet Elliott Brown
Sunday, January 14, 2018
The Breaks and the Broken
by Janet Elliott Brown
There are things we do in our lifetimes that change us. Not always for the better. We are free to choose, but we alone are responsible for the consequences of those choices. There are certain choices that we make that define us if we keep repeating them. It is our choices, and the depth of the damage we cause that determine who we are and, just as importantly, who stays or goes in our lives. If we wreak havoc on those we hold dear, we set in motion a domino effect that alters our present and our future course. It's the choices we make repeatedly, that cause breaks and brokenness. At that point, it is no longer a mistake. It is a moral character flaw. It says everything about who we are. When the results of the choices we make hurt another human being, we are guilty of changing them. That is a heavy burden to carry. Hurting others repeatedly speaks volumes. It says we value our desires and wishes above the good of others.
That goes against all that is good, right, and just. By repeating hurtful mistakes, we lose everything for the sake of self gratification. We begin to poison everyone and that poison bleeds into every gift that God created in us. It takes a strong will to conquer the selfish drive to get what we want. It takes heroic efforts to right our wrongs. And just like the repetitive mistakes that define us, we must repeatedly make the right choices to become again the person we are born to be.
There are things we do in our lifetimes that change us. Not always for the better. We are free to choose, but we alone are responsible for the consequences of those choices. There are certain choices that we make that define us if we keep repeating them. It is our choices, and the depth of the damage we cause that determine who we are and, just as importantly, who stays or goes in our lives. If we wreak havoc on those we hold dear, we set in motion a domino effect that alters our present and our future course. It's the choices we make repeatedly, that cause breaks and brokenness. At that point, it is no longer a mistake. It is a moral character flaw. It says everything about who we are. When the results of the choices we make hurt another human being, we are guilty of changing them. That is a heavy burden to carry. Hurting others repeatedly speaks volumes. It says we value our desires and wishes above the good of others.
When I'm Gone
by Janet Elliott Brown
You won't even miss me when I'm gone. I will steal away on gentle breezes outside the window. I will drift upon the wings of what might have been, as you sit there at your desk studying notes and numbers that will be meaningless in a few short weeks. You won't hear me singing sweetly, no lullabies or songs of you and me. All you'll hear is the silence of the door you never opened.
You won't even miss me when I'm gone. I will steal away on gentle breezes outside the window. I will drift upon the wings of what might have been, as you sit there at your desk studying notes and numbers that will be meaningless in a few short weeks. You won't hear me singing sweetly, no lullabies or songs of you and me. All you'll hear is the silence of the door you never opened.
To Give or Not to Give, That is the Question.
Proverbs 6:30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
(30) Men do not despise a thief . . .—A man who is driven to theft by poverty is more worthy of pity than disdain; not so the adulterer. Again, the thief can make retribution, while the adulterer can have none to offer.
Thinking about the morality of judging other "sinners". First, use deontological ethics. In this approach, moral responsibility is seen in terms of duties or obligations. Use the perspective of virtue ethics. This framework focuses on whether an action builds moral character. Does the action produce virtues such as fortitude, temperance, prudence and justice? Does it demonstrate courage, resilience, fairness, moderation, a sense of equality and respect for life? Is it sustainable in the long term, making wise use of resources? Although the action of stealing bread does not seem to maximally demonstrate these qualities, its effects in terms of character are likely superior to the given alternative of allowing innocents to starve. Therefore, the action would be morally justified.
So, if we jail the hungry for stealing food, while at the same time cutting all aid to those in need, what happens? The jails fill up with hungry thieves or the poor homeless people starve or freeze on the streets because they had no food to eat or shelter.
Knowledge of His Word does not give us some supernatural means by which we can look into the hearts of our fellow man and determine his motive for doing things. But it does give us an understanding of ourselves as well as of human nature in general. So, in light of the Bible, let us consider the motives behind our words and actions.
Deuteronomy 15:7-8 ESV
John 3:17 ESV
Luke 3:10-11 ESV
And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.”
James 2:15-16 ESV
Charity seems to be a dirty word these days. By definition, charity is the voluntary giving of help, typically in the form of money, to those in need. synonyms: financial assistance, aid, welfare, relief, financial relief; Charity adj. Generous in giving money or other help to the needy. adj. Mild or tolerant in judging others; lenient.
Although God said do not judge, there are those among us that judge the poor, needy and downtrodden very harshly. Without knowing the facts and statistics related to tax dollars spent on our health and human services in America, they have judged from their hearts and minds that ALL poor people are lazy, all poor people on welfare are lying about their situations, cheating and stealing their tax dollars.
Some say, sadly in my opinion, that this isn't their problem. Some say, the poor had the same opportunities as they did, (not true) but unlike them, they made bad choices. Some say, that their tax money is being stolen by people in need and their tax dollars are wasted on lazy bums, addicts, hoodlums, thieves, and 'illegal aliens'. They also look at all foster families as if they are just taking in kids because they are too lazy to work - without one thought of the kids being given a place to live. They can find no good in their opinions of others.
There are people that judge the hearts of others and they have nothing but disdain, distrust and contempt for the poor. Their money should not be wasted on lesser human beings, worthless men and women that should have planned better.
I disagree with these judgements. How do others justify making judgements on every person in need without one iota of compassion? What causes this? How will we stand before God with him knowing every judgement formed in our heart and mind, and expect him to overlook all of us sinners that judge the hearts of other men?
This issue gets to me in the uttermost gut. Is it FB that has shown us a side to others that we hadn't seen before; how our friends, family and even strangers really feel on these moral issues? Or is the divide in America just showing its head more because Trump has made it politically correct to display how hard hearted we Americans have become. He has made it a good thing to take from the poor and middle classes. Do we feel now, that we have grounds for showing our true feelings, and our disdain for the struggling man?
There is something dark and ugly seeping into our country like a slow poison. I pray for all of us.
(30) Men do not despise a thief . . .—A man who is driven to theft by poverty is more worthy of pity than disdain; not so the adulterer. Again, the thief can make retribution, while the adulterer can have none to offer.
Thinking about the morality of judging other "sinners". First, use deontological ethics. In this approach, moral responsibility is seen in terms of duties or obligations. Use the perspective of virtue ethics. This framework focuses on whether an action builds moral character. Does the action produce virtues such as fortitude, temperance, prudence and justice? Does it demonstrate courage, resilience, fairness, moderation, a sense of equality and respect for life? Is it sustainable in the long term, making wise use of resources? Although the action of stealing bread does not seem to maximally demonstrate these qualities, its effects in terms of character are likely superior to the given alternative of allowing innocents to starve. Therefore, the action would be morally justified.
So, if we jail the hungry for stealing food, while at the same time cutting all aid to those in need, what happens? The jails fill up with hungry thieves or the poor homeless people starve or freeze on the streets because they had no food to eat or shelter.
Knowledge of His Word does not give us some supernatural means by which we can look into the hearts of our fellow man and determine his motive for doing things. But it does give us an understanding of ourselves as well as of human nature in general. So, in light of the Bible, let us consider the motives behind our words and actions.
Deuteronomy 15:7-8 ESV
John 3:17 ESV
Luke 3:10-11 ESV
And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.”
James 2:15-16 ESV
Charity seems to be a dirty word these days. By definition, charity is the voluntary giving of help, typically in the form of money, to those in need. synonyms: financial assistance, aid, welfare, relief, financial relief; Charity adj. Generous in giving money or other help to the needy. adj. Mild or tolerant in judging others; lenient.
Although God said do not judge, there are those among us that judge the poor, needy and downtrodden very harshly. Without knowing the facts and statistics related to tax dollars spent on our health and human services in America, they have judged from their hearts and minds that ALL poor people are lazy, all poor people on welfare are lying about their situations, cheating and stealing their tax dollars.
Some say, sadly in my opinion, that this isn't their problem. Some say, the poor had the same opportunities as they did, (not true) but unlike them, they made bad choices. Some say, that their tax money is being stolen by people in need and their tax dollars are wasted on lazy bums, addicts, hoodlums, thieves, and 'illegal aliens'. They also look at all foster families as if they are just taking in kids because they are too lazy to work - without one thought of the kids being given a place to live. They can find no good in their opinions of others.
There are people that judge the hearts of others and they have nothing but disdain, distrust and contempt for the poor. Their money should not be wasted on lesser human beings, worthless men and women that should have planned better.
I disagree with these judgements. How do others justify making judgements on every person in need without one iota of compassion? What causes this? How will we stand before God with him knowing every judgement formed in our heart and mind, and expect him to overlook all of us sinners that judge the hearts of other men?
This issue gets to me in the uttermost gut. Is it FB that has shown us a side to others that we hadn't seen before; how our friends, family and even strangers really feel on these moral issues? Or is the divide in America just showing its head more because Trump has made it politically correct to display how hard hearted we Americans have become. He has made it a good thing to take from the poor and middle classes. Do we feel now, that we have grounds for showing our true feelings, and our disdain for the struggling man?
There is something dark and ugly seeping into our country like a slow poison. I pray for all of us.
The classic problem often posed as, "Would you steal a loaf of bread in order to feed your family?" is what is known as a moral dilemma. In ethics, this is any situation in which an agent has a moral reason to do each of two actions but cannot do both. To solve this problem, you can combine approaches from deontological, utilitarian and virtue ethics.
This includes the range of actions between those that are absolutely prohibited and those that are morally required. The agent in the moral dilemma being considered has a duty not to steal and an obligation to feed his family. Unless there are other means available, this approach would likely yield the conclusion that his obligation to feed his family overrides the moral prohibition against stealing.
Take a utilitarian approach. In utilitarian ethics, an agent is required to do the action that produces the greatest good for the greatest number. Because stealing a loaf of bread would cause relatively little harm, and preventing his family from starving would be a great good, the action of stealing the bread would be morally justified.
Therefore, we can know the things of God because we have the mind of Christ (I Cor. 2:15,16). But, we must ask, how do we use the mind of Christ? The answer is that our Lord Jesus Christ, the living Word of God, manifests Himself to us by means of His written Word, that is, our Bible (John 1:1). The Apostle Paul continually prays that God will give unto us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him and His understanding, 1that is, the mind of Christ.
“If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
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