CALL ME BY HIS NAME, IF ONLY IN MY ACTIONS!

The goal of Lenten discipline is to be more fully conformed to the likeness of the Son of God, Jesus, who loved us and gave himself for us.

 I wonder if one thing we all might strive to give up this Lent is... CONTEMPT.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines "contempt" as "the feeling that a person or a thing is worthless or beneath consideration." It is ultimately derived from the Latin word contemptus which means "to scorn or despise."  I still get a kick out of my old-school Latin and how often our Modern Society defers to it.

As written in The New York Times, contempt is not the same thing as strongly disagreeing with someone. Not only are strong disagreements inevitable, but "Disagreement helps us innovate, improve, and find the truth." It also leads to common understanding and new ideas.

The problem isn't that we disagree; it's how we disagree. Increasingly, disagreements today are characterized by a "noxious brew of anger and disgust," which is directed not only at bad ideas, but also at the people who espouse them. Mmmm... 

This goes beyond incivility and rudeness. It even goes beyond intolerance. It's the conviction that while your side "is driven by benevolence," the other side "is evil and motivated by hatred."  Who does this help?  No one!

You can probably think of several examples of contempt recently directed at Christians. So can I. However, to paraphrase the First Letter of John, if we say that we are free of contempt, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Can we honestly say that we never think of our opponents, in any area, as: not quite as informed, educated, or forward thinking as we are?  Do we always strive to be "greater than thou" with people while we criticize their ideas?

The fact that we  ourselves are often unjustly maligned... isn't a reason to reciprocate in kind.

As part of our observance of Lent, let's be mindful of those "occasions of sin," those settings and circumstances that expose us to temptation. In the case of contempt for our opponents, things like social media, cable news, and political websites can be such occasions.

These are the mechanisms and media for modern propaganda and word peddlers.  They are  folks who "profit from the culture of contempt." They pump up the outrage in our country and you can almost hear the ego rise with every page view and "like."

Of course, this isn't easy when so much is at stake in our culture. But being conformed to Jesus' likeness isn't supposed to be easy. It involved dying. We should be grateful that, in this instance, the "death" being demanded of us is...  to not treat our enemies as if they are beneath our consideration.

 After all, Jesus not only suffered his enemies, he suffered for them — and that includes us, who in our sin ... were also his enemies as well.

Doing Unto Others...

It is often difficult to think about talking or writing to others in a purely "self-less" context.

We often have our own agenda when we interact with someone on the phone, by writing, or even in person. Questions of our own interest and intent often get in the way of a more honest and realistic interaction. It is easy to forget that when we deal with someone, one-on-one, we might be doing so not only for ourselves, but for someone else as well. Often we are not only a necessary link in communication with that person, but the only link. If this is the case, we need to be a strong connection, not a weak one.

Also, make a point of "telling" someone something...only if they will feel better from the new information being offered to them. Do not tell someone a bit of information to make yourself feel better! That's the opposite of "self-less." You might feel "unburdened" but it is only because you have now loaded them down with the negativity and hurt. Today, ask someone something personal about themselves; this will make them feel as if they are more than a colleague, neighbor, or even a taken for granted relative. It will make them realize that they matter... to you... in more than their "designated" role.

It's just a wonderful practice to really follow the Biblical wisdom of: Treat/speak to people as you would want others to speak/treat you. If we don't like something done/said in our own lives; it's our choice to make the effort to change ...or not. We are never defined by negative actions directed toward us; we are what we choose for ourselves.    I really like that choice.

Frustrations and Setbacks

Sometimes, we think we are making progress on a personal, professional, or social situation... only to suffer a setback. Although, the events of the setback, seem almost tragic at the time, they are merely bumps in the road to our "perfected self." Afterall, we are only passing through Earth on our way to Eternity. This thought gives me the courage to plod on...following my own path.

Someone might intentionally be negative or hurtful to us. Maybe we are demoted at work or even lose employment. Sometimes, a loved one tells us that they no longer are "in love" with us...or even worse...have betrayed us with infidelity. And how often have we all had to actually hear things about ourselves that we knew to be false? How do we react; how do we deal? It is not always easy, but I suggest taking the higher road.

This does not mean that you don't react at all... and just walk away without efforts to understand or correct the situation at the time. However, it must be done with Honor and with Integrity. Do not retaliate with nasty words or hasty deeds. It brings nothing if not more hurt. Ultimately, the opposer will forget the incident and you will carry the burden of guilt in how poorly you handled the test/challenge as it was presented to you by God.

What helps me with negative situations is to ask myself: "Is this the worst thing that has ever happened to me?" "When I'm done here with my time on Earth... how much will this test/challenge mean?" "Does this define who I am as a person?" Even the most heartfelt attempts to correct a wrong are not always successful. That makes me see things more clearly. Life isn't meant to be easy.
Sue