We want it all! We want to indulge ourselves without putting on weight. We want to party all night without getting tired. We want to know we are saved while pursuing every path of “I” centeredness possible.
It is striking how similar local stories are the world over. The stories from Bangkok, Taipei, Chennai, and London all follow the same plot. Individual gets greedy thinking he can have it all. Trust is betrayed but the betrayal is not known for some time. When the betrayal becomes know denials take place followed by explanations as to why the individual is not personally accountable. When this fails some form of public humiliation and possible judicial action follows.
If only we understood that there is a simple choice. “If you desert God’s law, you’re free to embrace depravity; if you love God’s law, you fight for it tooth and nail.” (Proverbs 28.4) There is no middle ground. If you think there is my measured advice is that you are embracing depravity and you do not know it!
What if we were the subject of a local article? Would it be any different? I would hope so but there are days that I know I would be buried in the rubble. I easily forget that there is no edge – you are either “other” or “I” centric.
The world’s newspapers is full of “I” stories. I know that others exist because of the people I meet traveling around the world. There are people giving of their time to help others when there is no question that this is a gift without repayment. Instances of returning lost monies when nobody would be the wiser and bills were begging to be paid. Volunteers with their time making a difference in the lives of those who otherwise would struggle to find hope.
You and I have a choice. It cannot be made tomorrow, it is a today and in fact in this moment. What is our next step? “I” or “other”? The answer will direct the course of your life as it will mine.
