Context

I was just thinking about - - -

It is tremendously important that our words connect to a logical thought or premise. If all we had were abstract thoughts and statements, we would be left with confusion and chaos. An illustration of this type situation appears at the end of the Book of Judges. The very last words (Judges 21:25) state, ”In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” When there is no line of command, and no set standards, and no authority structure – the result is calamitous. It wasn’t until some authoritative structure developed that reason and order began to return to that culture.

This is true with expression and dialog. If there is no context, there can be no logical sequence in expression or written statement that could lead to an absolute conclusion. As some often state, we need to be able to connect the dots. It is both sad and amusing to listen to politicians as they twist data to fit a particular political bent. For instance, this past week showed a very slight economic increase (0.6%) that would allow recession is not yet upon us. However, in an election year, that does not sit well with particular views regarding the economy. So – we hear one politician make the absurd analysis that the top 10% of the population is not in recession, whereas the other 90% are in recession. That is twisting data to meet an agenda and violates logic. Someone has wisely shared that “a text out of its context is a pretext.”

We like to think of the United States of America as being a representative government, as well as being a Christian nation. We elect 535 people to represent almost 300 million of us and to govern the nation in our behalf. In many ways, it is done well. However, some of those elected do fall under the banner of being “dubious”! We have one in office who once occupied a significant position in the KKK; another who was arrested and plead guilty to an immoral advance in a public facility; another who was caught in the receiving of a bribe and marked money was found in his freezer – and they continue in office. Among those who have been running for the highest elected office, we find one to have blatantly lied repeatedly about an event that never happened; another who exercised very poor judgment in the Keating Five episode; and another who has difficulty with patriotism, and whose spouse has just become “proud” of this nation.

We should always be willing to forgive and restore those who have failed and erred when they admit and repent (turn themselves around) of such behavior. For too many politicians, words are merely political discourse and rhetoric. No right-thinking individual could begin to believe what is being promulgated in terms of what “I will do…” when elected will actually occur. The country could not endure or sustain itself for very long if those “promises” made in a campaign were implemented. It’s almost as though the electorate has become a means to an end for the professional politician – they need our vote to get them into office – and once there, the electorate will be basically ignored until another “vote of confidence” is needed.

In all of the discourse, there is almost total silence about the need to be “One Nation, Under God.” As polarizing as that can be, there must be a foundational place in the political platform to seek guidance and direction from Almighty God. Most Presidential Declarations regarding the National Day of Prayer contain such sentiments – but then – that is the “religiously correct” thing for the “politically correct” to do. A standard that is appropriate for – and that should be embraced by - any nation is stated in Proverbs 14:34, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”

Think about that with me - - -