Can We Be Overly Moral

From my religious past I have encountered people who deeply sought to be holy and pure.  I have also ran into a few people who felt like you can be made perfect by the indwelling of Christ Jesus.  One of my hero’s, “John of the Cross” believes in perfection obtained by full surrender to the Master and His grace redeeming all.  I have seen first hand a move of God that immediately brought great piety or holy living from all those in the room.  Most of us would quote the common slogan of our day, “everyone sins”.  But most of us also would somehow believe that God is able to sanctify us and mature us completely, if we let Him.  We agree that we sin and that God is the author and perfector of our salvation.

The moral person I am most troubled with is the one who firmly believes that everyone sins and yet gets upset with people who sin.  Actually, from all those who I know who sought to live a totally sinless life with the help of God, were very kind and patient.  Sort of the thing you would expect from a sinless person. 

America is in a moral battle, but not the one we usually hear about on the news.  We are not battling so much for a more conservative or a more liberal nation or government.  We are battling to see what kind of people we are.  The government and it’s policies mostly follow the people.  We may complain that “we” are not like that but in most cases “we” are.  Most conservatives I know feel like abortion, murder, open sexual relationships and greed are all wrong, unless you are just using them for entertainment.  We conservatives don’t practice such sins, we are just entertained by them.  My more liberal friends long for more justice and morality in the border spectrum of culture.  They want greater equality and justice for the rich and poor alike.  Yet it is the conservatives, who usually don’t seek to set governmental policies for social justice in place that actually out practice the liberals in giving, serving humanity, social justice and sharing their wealth.  The conservative party tends to earn less but give more than they brothers who make it a moral issue.

So what kind of moral people are we?

We are the kind that chooses our morality and set out to make those with an different opinion – evil.  I’m not sure if I could prove it, but my “rodology” says that the more we move away from what was once the cardinal sins and focus on external sins, the more we separate, divide and fracture our nation and our neighborhoods.  I know from my old football days that one of the best ways to get unity is to have a common enemy.  If we make other people the enemy of our position, then we have a step toward unity.

Why don’t you try something we me.  Let’s take the next few months and be friends with some of our enemies.  Let’s get to know them and not just their ideas.  Maybe we will come to like/love people who we do not agree with.  We could think of it like a “big marriage” (sorry for that to all who have the perfect marriage).  I don’t know how it would end up but I want to see and end to national anger, hatred, insults, dis-honor and a general lack of kindness. 

Have you ever wondered why Daniel could serve and honor wicked king Nebuchadnezzar?  The guy that enslaved him right?

Ever wonder how the boys could go into the fire without hurling a curse or threat?

When those boys stood was it a protest or a simple confession of their resolve to God?  Was it about making all the others look bad or about making God their God no matter how it turned out?