INDIGNATION

From My Perspective - - -

Indignation is a word easily understood even though it is many times misdirected and/or misapplied. The general definition and display is: “anger or rage ignited by perceived or real injustice; offense; resentment or bitterness.” An illustration of this occurred in a Presidential Press Conference yesterday. Present with him was the Prime Minister of Great Britain and that may have been the basis for the President’s response to a Media question. There are some so-called scandals attached to IRS revelations of targeting conservative groups; Benghazi and how talking points were scrubbed and nuanced; the Department of Justice tracking more than 20 phone lines of the Associated Press to determine sources of leaks; etc.

To some of the above, Huffington Post reports the President’s responses as: “He pushed back strongly against fresh Republican criticism of the administration's handling of last year's deadly Benghazi attacks, calling it a political sideshow. The president was dogged by the persisting political controversies as he tended to diplomatic duties during a visit with British Prime Minister David Cameron. Obama acknowledged that people are properly concerned about acknowledgements from the IRS that conservative political groups were targeted during the 2012 campaign to see if they were violating their tax-exempt status. But he angrily dismissed continued questions over September's insurgent attack in Libya that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. There's no there there, Obama said. The fact that this keeps on getting churned up, frankly, has a whole lot to do with political motivations." His physical expression and his inflection indicated the presence of indignation.

In a more interactional way, the citizenry of the nation, as well as the “Christian” community, should not only be indignant regarding certain trends in our culture and society – they should also be outraged. The Associated Press Report yesterday included: “Tennessee, the first US state to track the number of infants born addicted to prescription drugs, has reported a surge in their numbers that has medical professionals concerned. Known medically as “neonatal abstinence syndrome,” babies born with a drug dependency will require small doses of an opiate, such as morphine, until they can be weaned off and their withdrawal symptoms are brought under control. According to…a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association cites over 13,000 infants were born with the affliction across the country in 2009. Babies born with a dependency can suffer from nausea, vomiting, severe stomach cramps and diarrhea. The newborns may also experience issues eating and sleeping, and can even suffer from seizures. Shockingly, the AP reports that at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital about half of its neonatal unit’s 49 newborns are being treated for drug addiction…” Another issue that should result in indignation and outrage is a statement offered by concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee: “Another tragic sex-trafficking statistic is that 200,000 American Children are being used for sexual exploitation every year. Twelve is the average age of girls being forced into pornography and sexual slavery in the United States…”

For those who embrace a feigned naiveté and/or deeming such reports as being incredulous – thus excusing any involvement or action – the Word of God poignantly declares and asks in Proverbs 24:10-12, “If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength! Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say: But we knew nothing about this, does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?” Romans 1 and 2 could well be written about the events of our day and the times in which we live. In the midst of that important context are these words in Romans 2:8, “But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.” If you fail to stand for righteousness, you need to re-examine your core values. If you are one who condones what God condemns, you have made an unwise choice that will have a negative consequence. Consider these things with me.