Case 1:
Recently Christchurch NZ saw a horrific shooting in a mosque, live streamed from a Aussie shooter. It went viral. So now new NZ laws imposed by the PM to jail those who forwarded such offensive videos in the future!
Case 2:
In our little own red dot, new parliamentary laws now underway to deal with online "fake news" and the ministers would be the ones who who decide on content which was deemed false in the interest of "speed".
Case 3:
Red dot Law minister recently cancelled a metal group Watain on the day of its official performance - much to the disgust of their patrons, some who flew from overseas. The blame was on the Christian group whose pressure created such a commotion. Likewise, the same struggle with the LGBTs and the religious sectors.
We live in a fast information moving world now. News travel like the speed of lightning - be it true or fake, at the press of a little finger on your mobile phone! No wonder Daniel's vision of knowledge going to and fro is a reality now:)
Book Review:
Extract Chapter 59 Apprenticed to Jesus by Robert Solomon
" It can seem that the 'Line-drawers' are at war with the 'circle-drawers'- in the church and in society at large. One group says the lines must be drawn between faith and faithlessness, and sin and obedience, while the other prefer to draw 'circles' of love and harmony to bring people together in unity. How should we look at this battle from a biblical perspective?
The Bible speaks of the importance of drawing both lines and circles. It is not a question of either/or, but both/and.
Throughout Scripture, strong lines are drawn between the worship of the true God and idolatry, between righteousness and unrighteousness, between light and darkness, between the children of God and the children of the devil, between heaven and hell.
The first Psalm draws a clear line between the righteous man who fears God and the wicked who ignores God. The righteous man does not keep company with the wicked and those who mock God."
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I happened to come to this chapter after the events that unfolded recently in the above 3 case studies.So aptly put by the author indeed.
From the bible records, we were reminded that
Jesus HIMSELF was a Line-drawer :-
- He drew the line to separate the sheep and goat in the final Judgement
- He drew the line between the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.
- He condemned the Pharisees not so much for drawing a line between the law of God and pagan licentiousness, but for not living according to the lines they have drawn. (Matt 23)
- But His lines drawn were MORAL lines between good and evil, but never on social or national lines.
Jesus HIMSELF was also a circle-drawer!
He drew a line that was curved to that of a CIRCLE. A line that ran through the hearts of those Pharisees who wanted to stone the lady caught in adultery. John 8:7 " If any of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her"
They needed to repent before they qualified to be the accuser and judge. Everyone who wanted to shame the woman left in shame. And Jesus did not condemn the woman but warned her to leave her sinful life.
Reflection
We are all sinners and non perfect. We draw crooked lines most of the time.
But when should we draw straight lines and circles- at the right time , right way?
Excerpt from same chapter:-
" The church needs to draw straight moral lines as revealed by God in His holy Word and it also needs to draw circles of love to draw people into God's redemptive purposes. We can't draw only one without the other. If we draw dividing lines, we will become the spiritual heirs of the legalistic Pharisees who failed to experience the love of God.
On the other hand, if we draw only circles, ignoring the spiritual and moral lines drawn by the divine Hand, then we are in danger of descending into a mindless, mushy and sentimental form of religion that ends up rebelling against God"
At the end of the day, we look towards the author and finisher of our faith. The one who has no sin, but took our sins upon the cross. He is Holy, gracious to forgive and full of mercy. But He can be stern too for He is also a jealous God.
May we learn to be discerning at all times when the information bombards us at lightning speed. What is truth? What is lie?
May we stay near to Him always . He is the Truth , the Way and the Life .
When the laws in a nation are legislated to decide what is falsehood, we thank God that we who know Him- the Line-drawer and circle-drawer, will never lead us astray in this topsy-turvy world we now live in. Not 50 shades of grey that can be challenged. Amen.
