plumb line vs pendulum
Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence
I have been wrestling the darkness all week. Darkness that crept into my head one restless night, and as the song above states, planting its seed in my brain that remained in silence, tormenting me.
While scrolling social media, I came across multiple posts of people stating their opinions, as if they were facts, whether it was about Simone and the Olympics, the vaccinated, the unvaccinated, and various cancel culture posts. I even read of a person cancelled for something they said as a child in 1994!
This person lost their job with the music committee of the 2021 Olympics, over a statement made as a child!!! I saw posts of people making lists encouraging others to not shop or eat at specific places because the owners aren’t vaccinated.
Apparently, if we don’t all agree, those who disagree are “un-woke,” stupid/uneducated, bad, hateful, disgusting, selfish, don’t deserve to live(?) seriously?... whatever.
These are not my words, but literally the words in the comments of many posts.
Ya know, I would never look at an owner of a store or restaurant, or people in general, and assume that I knew exactly everything about them, especially why they are or are not vaccinated, and I certainly would not want to put them out of business simply because they disagreed with me. I would simply take my business elsewhere, quietly, if I felt that strongly about it. It’s just my opinion after all.
People!!! What! Is! Happening???!!!
Many of the posts were from people I love, and I have known for years. I know they are good people, but how have we gotten to this place of such disregard and disrespect for others and their differing values and views.
photo credit: Rodion Kutsaev @frostroomhead
I saw several posts during the previous election by a few “family” members, Trump haters, that absolutely blew me away at their hatred and judgement towards any Trump supporters. So much self-righteous indignation and just idolizing of their feelings and opinions.
We can try to disguise it any way that makes us feel good, but at the end of the day it is still trying to shame those who don’t believe what you do, into doing what you want them to do, and that is manipulation.
Do you see any difference between compiling a list of compliant business owners, and making a list of businesses that are non-Jewish owned businesses, like the Nazi party did?
It’s a very subtle form of manipulation and persuasion that creeps in and makes one feel as if you are doing the right thing, but then takes over like a cancer until you cannot see right from wrong, only your right, your way.
My heart has been so heavy this week. I had hoped and prayed that maybe, just maybe, 2021 was going to be a better year for us as a people and our society as a whole. I had hoped for a year where we would see some of our divisiveness ease up.
Maybe there would be less finger pointing, less judgementalism, less self-righteousness displayed, but instead it seems to be growing like a cancer.
The song, "The Sound of Silence", originally "The Sounds of Silence", is a song by the American music duo Simon & Garfunkel. The song was written by Paul Simon. 'Garfunkel once summed up the song's meaning as "the inability of people to communicate with each other, not particularly internationally but especially emotionally, so what you see around you are people unable to love each other."'(songfacts.com)
The following meme I also came across this week while scrolling and it just really hit me. God put it on my mind all week until I went back, and took a screen shot to use today. It is from Lisa Whittle, a Christian author and speaker that I follow.
Upon reading it, it just stuck with me, and I would even go a step further and say, that our opinions have also become an idol. We value our feelings and our opinions, even over loving others. Which speaks to last week’s n blog, its-that-simple, love God, love people…
Webster’s defines an idol as, “an object of extreme devotion,” and they define devotion as, “love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause. piety.”
Do you see a connection? Idolizing our feelings and our opinions is keeping us from truly loving (which requires respecting) others who are different than us. 2021 seems to be another year of extreme devotion to our feelings and our opinions, a love of self and what matters to us, disguised as social concern for the greater good.
I say disguised because if the concern was for the greater good, greater good doesn’t come at the expense of trying to destroy anyone who thinks differently.
Seeing anyone who views things like vaccinations, mask wearing, freedom to choose, government empowerment, government overreach, left or right, in person school, virtual schooling, and seemingly any topic today, from a different viewpoint must be bad, shutdown, cancelled, or shamed, is idolizing your views and your opinions over God’s.
This is NOT to say that we cannot have and support what we believe in and trust, etc. I am simply saying that idolizing your views to the point where they take precedence over Jesus, and anyone who thinks differently than you, and you feel the need to publicly shame, destroy, or cancel, is wrong and harmful as a society.
There is only ONE WAY this world is going to be set straight again.
As God is exalted to the right place in our lives, 1000 problems are solved all at once. ~AW Tozer
Photo Credit: Priscilla Du Preez @priscilladupreez
I don’t know about all of you, but I am tired. I am weary from the hatefulness that has been exposed in the last few years. I am saddened wondering who the “real” person is behind the social media posts. You can blame Trump, or Biden, lefts or rights, truth is, look in the mirror. How are we playing into the division that the powers and media are shoving down our throats! (Rhetorical question)
I am not pretending to be above any of this!
I get in dark places, not simply because of what I am seeing/reading, but because my heart and mind are fighting the enemy to not get sucked into it all. Trust me, I want to shout out my thoughts just like the rest of the world, and sometimes I do, and then sit there hitting delete, delete, delete like a crazy woman!
What stops me in my tracks is a couple of pre-established escape methods I have in place to keep myself in check. One that I just put into practice not too long ago after taking and leading a bible study over Lisa’ Whittle’s book, Jesus Over Everything. (I highly recommend her book if you have not read it.)
In this book the author gives the reader suggestions of choices we could make to better serve and be more Christ-like, for example, love over judgement, service over spotlight, wisdom over knowledge, you get the idea.
One of her suggestions that has permeated my life since reading her book, is choosing holiness over freedom. OUCH! You understand what this means! This means just because I can, just because I have the right to, just because I am FREE to, does not mean in doing so I am reflecting or representing Christ in me as I am called to do. Holy cow! That is one TALL CHALLENGE!
Since reading that, I am frequently stopped in my tracks, convicted, by the Holy Spirit saying, what’s it going to be Melinda, holiness or freedom?
The second “escape plan” I rely upon I have learned over the years, through tough lessons, and some of them quite costly. I have learned to allow people I know and trust to speak into my life and I will intentionally solicit their input when I question whether I should or should not post or reply in certain ways to challenging posts or comments.
If we are too proud to take advice or input from people we love and trust, we might just have an idol issue. Do I idolize my feelings and opinions so much that I don’t trust or even care to hear what those closest to me think about what I am saying…?
The struggle to not idolize our personal opinions and feelings is real. I get it. We came out of the womb selfish people. It is a struggle we will have all our lives which is why it’s important to acknowledge that we cannot be who we are called to be alone, without Christ living in us.
Photo Credit: Steve Johnson @steve_j
I want to be clear here and once again say, this does not mean that we are spineless and live life as a doormat and never speak up for wrong or social injustices. What I am saying, is that we must try to not lose sight of Jesus and the fact that our words and actions, and how we stand up for those things is done so that the world can see that we are different. We are a light that stands out in a dark world. That we are a beacon on a hill when people are hurting and lost.
So, how can we do this? What can we do to reset, and get back on track if we have been sucked into this vortex of idolizing our feelings and opinions?
First, we have to own it. Acknowledge it.
Second, we need a plumb line to set us straight, back on God’s path. Now, before you stop reading and think I have lost it, I promise you, God uses the plumb line reference in scripture. (11 Bible Verses about Plumb Line)
So, what is a plumb line? Why the reference? How does it apply to our lives?
Photo Credit: Ralph (Ravi) Kayden
Builders often need an accurate way in which to determine vertical lines. The plumb bob or plumb line employs the law of gravity to establish what is “plumb” (that is, what is exactly vertical, or true). It consists of a heavy, pointed weight attached to a string. Gravity makes the string hang perfectly straight (or plumb), giving a builder a vertical line by which to build a structure. (Paraphrased from Bob Vila)
As a Christian, I often need a reset. I need to be set straight again when my direction has swung as a pendulum swings, too far off course, when I might be idolizing other things over having Jesus as my plumb line, my exact truth.
Scripture uses a plumb line as a metaphor for spiritual truth by which we can align our lives. For example, God tells Isaiah, “I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line” (Isaiah 28:17). God also sends the prophet Amos to warn Israel of impending judgment because of their disobedience:
The Lord was standing by a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand. The Lord said to me, “What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “Behold I am about to put a plumb line in the midst of My people Israel. I will spare them no longer.” (Amos 7:7–8)
The plumb line makes it clear to God’s people how far they’ve strayed from his perfect will.
The mistake we often make is to follow the swing of a pendulum rather than adjust our position according to a plumb line. It’s challenging to not get so persuaded and caught up in our feelings, our emotions, or our opinions that we completely reject what we know as truth, that being Jesus’ way over our way.
Newtons Cradle EarthBy: bestdesigns
The problem with swinging the pendulum the other way is that it mistakenly presumes that the opposite position of an incorrect view is always correct. (A pendulum will go from one extreme to the other.) It can be, but that isn’t always the case. When you realize you’re in error, the biblical approach is to look at Scripture like a plumb line and realign your view according to that unchanging standard. (Paraphrased from a Stand to Reason post by ~ Alan Shlemon)
A spiritual plumb line is not to be used to compare ourselves to other people. Jesus told of a Pharisee who used a tax collector as his plumb line, thanking God that he was so much better by comparison. But the tax collector compared himself to God’s standard and realized his need for mercy.
God has given us His Word in the Bible as a Plumb Line for our lives, so we know truth, to keep us close to Him and enable us to live peaceful, prosperous, happy, and holy lives. But if we don’t read His Word, ponder it in our hearts and minds, and obey it, we follow our whims, we swing like a pendulum, going to opposite extremes, and do what is right in our own eyes, we allow other idols to run our lives. Then we end up suffering the consequences -- if not now, then later. Sometimes losing friends and family along the way because our feelings and our opinions come first instead of Holiness over our Freedom.
“Sometimes we just need to go back to the basics and remember where it all came from. Whether or not we put Jesus over everything in our lives, he is over everything now and forever more- the land, the government, the world, us.” Jesus Over Everything-Lisa Whittle
And in the naked light, I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence
"Fools", said I, "You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you"
But my words, like silent raindrops fell
And echoed
In the wells of silence
And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls"
And whispered in the sound of silence
Something to consider: Are there any neon god(s) in your life taking the place of Jesus? Are you living in isolation because you think your way is THE way? Your truth is the only truth? Do you want to live by a plumb line or emotionally swinging from side to side of issues like a pendulum? You get to decide.
