they have no understanding.
They are skilled in doing evil,
but do not know how to do good.”
23 I looked on the earth, and lo, it was waste and void;
and to the heavens, and they had no light.
24 I looked on the mountains, and lo, they were quaking,
and all the hills moved to and fro.
25 I looked, and lo, there was no one at all,
and all the birds of the air had fled.
Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28, is part of a larger segment involving 4:5-18, 4:22-6:8, having the theme of coming judgment. Jeremiah offered the prophecy in 609-605.
Then, the prophet focuses on the storm wind of coming judgment. 11 At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem: A hot wind comes from me out of the bare heights in the desert toward my poor people (an endearing personification), not to winnow or cleanse— 12 a wind too strong for that. The wind refers to the sirocco wind blowing across the desert which is too strong for winnowing grain, for it carries away wheat and chaff together. Now it is I who speak in judgment against them. The Lord comes up like clouds and whirlwind, with horses swifter than eagles. The people see their ruin coming. Yet, the appeal is to wash the heart clean of wickedness so that the Lord may save them. How long will it be that their evil schemes lodge within them? A voice comes from Dan in the north and the hills of Ephraim just north of Jerusalem to tell the nations that they are here. Against Jerusalem, one can see those who besiege coming from a distant land. They will move against the cities and close in on the fields because Judah has rebelled against the Lord. Their ways and doings have brought this judgment. Their doom is bitter. “It has reached your very heart.” The prophet then focuses on the awful Day of Judgment, containing a vision and a warning. Some people would call this poem (4:22-28) among the most powerful concerning the Day of Judgment in all prophetic literature. 22 “For my people are foolish, they do not know me; they are stupid children, they have no understanding. However, they are skilled in doing evil, but do not know how to do good.” 23 I looked on the earth, and lo, in a phrase reminiscent of Genesis 1:12 (P document), it was waste and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light. The image here is that of the Lord reversing creation of the earth. 24 I looked on the mountains, and lo, they were quaking, and all the hills moved to and fro. 25 I looked, and lo, there was no one at all, and all the birds of the air had fled. 26 I looked, and lo, the fruitful land was a desert, and all its cities were laid in ruins before the Lord, before his fierce anger. 27 For thus says the Lord: The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end. 28 Because of this the earth shall mourn, and the heavens above grow black; for I have spoken, I have purposed; I have not relented nor will I turn back.
Jeremiah is taking sin and its consequences seriously. Many of us say we do not like judgment and have little stomach for the word “sin.” Yet, our era divides itself into tribes. We tend to identify with one and treat other tribes as enemies. The other quickly becomes the enemy we feel perfectly right to judge, since they do not meet our standards of justice. Given the importance of the political and economic arrangements in modern society, we draw think battle lines. If someone in our tribe does not follow the line precisely, we are quick to disclose the heresy. We have our sense of sin in our not too hidden faith in the ideology of our tribe and the evil of the opposition. We find it easy to ridicule the notion of tolerance in the name of social justice. In this climate, we can still find many preachers who often move quickly from sin to grace. They do not want to linger too long on the tragic consequences of what we do to others, to ourselves, and to the environment. In our own way, we have been foolish. This passage has plenty of doom and gloom in it for such foolishness.
A cartoon had one of the characters watching TV. An announcer says, "The content of this program may be objectionable to some. Discretion is advised." At which the character yells to his wife, "Hey Maude! Bring me a video tape!" A drama teacher at Silliman University gave a student permission to stage a play he had written. It was a dramatization of the Prodigal story. When he saw the production, he did not know whether to be scandalized or amused. The student spent about five minutes on the youngest son claiming his inheritance, and another five minutes on his welcome home. However, 20 minutes was devoted to showing how he whooped it up in the far country.
The talk shows love sin. Those are the sins reporters salivate over. In fact, I want to use the indiscretions of three presidents, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump, to reflect upon how we deal with sin in the public square. My hope is that way in which I discuss it will provide an opportunity to reflect upon how we can grow spiritually amid such public events and how we can contribute to the common good rather than add to the pain and anger.
Thus, I want to direct your attention to a public event that dramatizes this fact. President Clinton was in trouble for his "indiscretions." The focus of the news was the juicy stuff. Presidential policies are not as interesting as the President's pants. That is what gets the ink in the press and the time on TV. I want to direct your attention to Donald Trump, who has adultery and hookers as well. He also has accusations of racist, misogynist, and Nazi with which to contend.
There is a crisis of character in our country. Few people would dispute that. Yet, we must not be too quick to assign it all to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The church through its leaders often makes the gospel into something abstract, academic. However, the gospel hits the pavement where people live in fallenness, seediness and messiness, even if that living space is, perhaps, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Amid such public indiscretion and shame, many people take the path of writing articles and books on the character issue.
Character issues come in many ways, shapes and forms and always find their challenges in the workplace, at home or at school. The most common problems we experience are linked to judging ourselves, our peers, our colleagues and friends; not listening; not speaking the truth; gossiping; blaming.
The Character Pledge intends to bring to our consciousness our individual acts of destructive relational violence and to substitute thoughtful respect of others.
I pledge:
To Respect Self and Others --
To respect ourselves, to affirm others; to avoid uncaring criticism, hateful words, physical attacks and self-destructive behavior.
To Communicate Better --
To share feelings honestly, to look for safe ways to express anger, and to work at solving problems peacefully.
To Listen --
To listen carefully to others, especially those who disagree with me, and to consider others' feelings and needs rather than insisting on having my own way.
To Forgive --
To apologize and make amends when I have hurt another, to forgive others, and to keep from holding grudges.
To Respect Nature --
To treat the environment and all living things, including our pets, with respect and care.
To Play Creatively --
To select activities and toys that support my spiritual values and to avoid activities that make violence and disrespect look exciting, funny or acceptable.
To Be Courageous --
To challenge injustice in all its forms whenever and wherever I encounter it, whether at home, at work or in the community, and to stand with others who are treated unfairly.[1]
I do not expect that political opponents will make such a pledge, let alone adhere to it. Thus, maybe we can consider some advice on what to do when the sins of a public figure become common knowledge.
First, we must not rush to judgment. We are dealing with serious matters when we promote the destruction of the reputation of another human being. We need to protect of the honor of others, even if they are political opponents.
The purest treasure mortal times afford is spotless reputation; ... Mine honor is my life; both grow in one. Take honor from me, and my life is done. --Shakespeare, Richard II, I.i.177.
Give others the benefit of the doubt. Donald Trump worked in an eclectic city, New York City, and worked for a liberal organization, NBC. Against, that backdrop, even with language and behavior a reasonable person might find questionable, giving him the benefit of a doubt would be a good plan rather than assuming and believing the worst. God is the ultimate judge. We should "judge not that we be not judged." Whenever we gloat over someone else's sin -- whether real or only asserted, we ourselves are sinning.
Second, there are many temptations in life. We need to use such public events to reflect upon how we have struggled with the tests and temptations of life. Sometimes we take wrong paths and have to pay the consequences. There are right paths and wrong paths. We can all the game of life "Truth or Consequences." Behaviors have consequences. We do not pay the consequences simply as individuals. Those who love us and surround us pay them.
Third, we have all sinned. Jeremiah says that we are foolish, stupid children, skilled in doing wrong. Paul said that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Paul also said, "The good that we would, we do not, and the evil that we would not, we do." Humanity is morally impure. We have learned nothing new.
Fourth, we can use such public events to remind us of our personal and family standards. We expect to measure up to them. Promiscuity is bad. Adultery is bad. The Bible mentions adultery 40 times: 17 times in Hebrew Scriptures and 23 times in the New Testament. Sixty-seven percent of Americans approved of how Bill Clinton handled his job. However, when we assume that the charges against him are true, 77 percent rejected him as a role model for their kids.
Fifth, do not spend time looking for the faults in others. I find that I have plenty of faults of my own to look after. If you spend four years and $40 million in investigative agencies and you could dig up dirt on anyone. Congress spent nine million dollars on a three-year investigation into former Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy. It ended in an indictment that accused Espy of having accepted $35,458 worth of inappropriate gifts. This included things like tickets to a basketball game that cost $90, opera tickets, etc.[2] The Mueller Report will cost over $30 million, finding no support for any collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians, a conclusion they reached early in the investigation.
Sixth, do not spread rumors. Christians condemn sexual misconduct. However, we also condemn the spreading of rumors and innuendoes about sexual misconduct. In fact, one reason Christians ought to be cautious about embracing allegations against others is that the story of the Bible is the story of God's prophets and priests being falsely accused and condemned. Christians would say Jesus died on the cross due to false accusations. Nobody throws stones at a dry, fruitless tree. Christians believe the best of people, while fully prepared to acknowledge the worst that people can do. If anything, we err on the side of gullibility. We hope for the best. We are not surprised when people act the worst. Given the energy behind those who seem to hate either Clinton or Trump, we best err on the side of skepticism when it comes to the worst rumors, while recognizing that some may be true. We must also recognize our tendency to paint in the bleakest colors possible our political opponent, while having an innocent approach to our political and ideological tribe.
Seventh, live the biblical command not only to "Love the family of believers" and to "Fear God," but also to "Honor the emperor" (I Peter 2:17). Proverbs 24:21 advises: "My child, fear the LORD and the king." Note that neither admonition refers to the character of the leader. Honor the king. Period. Does that mean excusing unethical behavior in a leader? No! However, it does remind us that while a person is our leader, honor is due before judgment. We should be as quick to assign praise as blame. For those who hate Clinton or Trump, asking such behavior would appear impossible. For the rest of us, such words are wise.
Eighth, do not make light of sin. In our obsession with self-esteem, we have sugarcoated sin. This text demonstrates how the doctrine of grace is impossible unless we accept as real the doctrine of sin. We must admit our fallenness. Does the Bible not say, "While we were yet sinners, Christ dies for us"? Not one of us is without sin. Paul admits that he was the biggest sinner of them all. He names himself a "blasphemer" and a "man of violence." He persecuted Christians with vehemence and vigor. His goal was to wipe out that strange new sect called "The Way" entirely. Nevertheless, God forgave even this mean-machine. Paul the Terminator rejoices that God's "super-abundance" of grace was enough to transform even him, the "foremost" among sinners. No one has crushed his or her character so much that Christ’s cross could not redeem it. No one can smash his or her reputation so much that it is beyond repair by an outpouring of the love of Christ. Humans, created in the image of God, are not like repeatedly broken chairs that move from furniture to fire starters. God has given our poor, broken, sinful selves "an end." However, it is not the conclusion the world expects. The wood of Christ's cross can splint any flaw or fracture. The blood of Christ's sacrifice can glue any weakness or failure. This is why Paul the "foremost sinner" celebrates "that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners"! Neither Bill and Hillary Clinton nor Donald Trump has been as bad as Paul was willing to describe himself. Further, Christ died for them and for their sins, as well as my sin and your sin. Whatever sins such public leaders have committed, and I am confident they are many, Christ died for them.
Ninth, we must be forgiving. We must forgive much in others because we have much in ourselves to forgive. In the political arena, we may think such powerful figures are so offensive that we cannot forgive. The issue becomes more complicated in a constitutional republic when the voice of the people becomes part of the equation. We may have to forgive half the population or more who did not see the evil we saw in our opponent. Somehow, we need to see the evil that cuts through our own hearts and lives. Somehow, we need to see the likely case of projection involved in such distortion of our view of a public figure.
Forgiveness is especially true when the offending person acknowledges the guilt. It may not be breaking marriage vows. Nevertheless, it may be breaking other kinds of sacred vows: promises to God, to our friends, to our families, to our children.
--When King David was confronted with his adultery by the prophet Nathan, he acknowledged his sin and asked God's forgiveness (II Samuel 12:13).
--When Jonah was confronted with his disobedience by the entombing walls of a fish's belly, he acknowledged his sin and asked God's forgiveness (Jonah 2:7).
--When Peter was confronted with his cowardice by the sound of a cock's crow, he acknowledged his sin and asked God's forgiveness (Matthew 26:75).
Those who refused to confess to their sins and shortcomings; those who let arrogance, pride, and self-delusion keep them from bowing in repentance before God: Those have the names that are synonymous with tragedy: Absalom; Saul; Ananias; Judas.
During the Watergate scandal, Leon Jaworski was the special prosecutor. Jaworski was a Presbyterian elder, and one Sunday, he found himself at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, the historic Washington church where Peter Marshall had been pastor. As he sat in worship, he noted the Lincoln pew, which the congregation sets aside for presidents to sit in when they visit there for worship. Lincoln sat in the pew during the Civil War years when he came to church. Suddenly there was a hush in the congregation, and down the aisle walked Mr. Nixon with an usher who seated him in the Lincoln pew. Leon Jaworski, sitting several pews behind that pew, recollected in his mind all that he knew from having listened to the Nixon tapes. He knew he could indict the president for criminal activity beyond any shadow of doubt. There he sat in worship. He wondered in his own mind what would happen if the president suddenly stood up and said to the pastor of the church, who was Dr. George M. Docherty at the time, "Dr. Docherty, I would like a moment of special privilege." Then he would turn to the congregation and say: "I want to say today that, as president of the United States, I have sinned before God and I have lied to you. I have asked his forgiveness and I now ask yours. I have come to this church today to make full disclosure of who and what I am and what I have become. I promise you from this day forward I'm going to do better." Leon Jaworski said if he had done that as he had turned it in his mind, we would have gathered the president up and put him on our shoulders and carried him back to the White House. It is a thought worth thinking about for all of us to acknowledge our sins.[3]
Tenth, be a part of the solution. When someone was living disharmonious with God's plan and purpose for them, Jesus' response was not to beat them up, but to heal them. In fact, Jesus was less interested in other people's sex lives than in their openness to fresh outpourings of God's grace and love. There was more mercy than judgment in Jesus' moral sensibility. When the sins of a public figure become common knowledge, the best response is to pray for those involved. If you are in the presence of one who hates Clinton or Trump, a proper response may well be to urge Christian virtues rather than joining in the food fight between tribes. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they are children of God.”
[1] Suggestions for nurturing the values of this pledge can be found at the following URL: http://www.gandhiking.com/families.htm
[2] (See Deborah Tannen, The Argument Culture: Moving From Debate to Dialogue [New York: Random House, 1998.]
[3] --Dr. W. Frank Harrington, "Does the Oval Office Reflect Who We Are?" Peachtree Presbyterian Pulpit, 1998.
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