Daily Jewel

by Pastor J.T. Carnell, McAlester, OK  “Biblical Correctness” “With my help, governors govern, along with all in legitimate authority.” – Proverbs 8:16 (MSG) This is a “follow-up” to yesterday’s message and since we are talking about “misconceptions” that are floating around, another phrase (or word in this case) that has been added to the “politically correct” handbook is this one...Civility. It sounds like the latest hybrid from Honda. It would be great if it were. You could buy it or not buy it—no problem. The dictionary has the usual number of definitions of civility: “Formal or perfunctory politeness”…“A polite expression or action.” One thing seems true: Civility is more about utterance than attitude or action. For some time we have been hearing a lot of such utterances on civility coming from politicians. I’m not sure what that means, but I have an idea. Recently I came across this interesting statement: “I believe in civility, and generally insist upon it at my place, but being uncivil to the uncivil has sometimes proven to be a temptation too great to be resisted.” A “temptation too great to be resisted”? I hope not. I wish political leaders would embrace Biblically Correct positions on subjects with moral implications. Both Old and New Testaments are loaded with attitude and behavior guidelines. Here are a few: “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.” (Proverbs 19:11) “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.” (25:21) “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” (Luke 6:27) “Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:28) “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34) “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” (Romans 12:14) “Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.” (1 Thessalonians 5:15) Commenting on Romans 12:14-20, Albert Barnes (Bible Commentator and Minister of 1st Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia from 1830-1867) wrote eloquently on the subject of loving our enemies: “It is impossible to love the conduct of a person who curses and reviles us, who injures our person or property, or who violates all the laws of God; but, though we may hate his conduct, and suffer keenly when we are affected by it, yet we may still wish well to the person; we may pity his madness and folly; we may speak kindly of him and to him; we may return good for evil; we may aid him in the time of trial; we may seek to do him good here and to promote his eternal welfare hereafter. This seems to be what is meant by loving our enemies.” No American President has been more misunderstood, condemned, maligned, and assailed by friend and foe alike than Abraham Lincoln. One newspaper called him “the obscene ape of Illinois.” As the end of the Civil War approached, Lincoln took no pride or pleasure in either his election to a second term or the conclusion of conflict with the South. One writer said about Lincoln, “He harbored no resentments, had no slightest wish for retaliation against those who had cruelly slandered and abused him. He had one interest only: to reconcile the rebellious states and to rebuild the Union he had sworn to preserve.” (Lillian Eichler Watson, in Light from Many Lamps, Simon & Schuster, 1951, p. 204). One of Lincoln’s most memorable closing paragraphs occurred during his Second Inaugural Address: “With malice toward none; with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan—to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.” With speeches and responses to speeches dominating America’s headlines this week, maybe we should do a bit more research on civility—is it politically correct, or just political? I prefer Lincoln’s thinking. He truly epitomizes this verse…one who governed with biblical wisdom. Pastor J. T. Carnell