Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Speaking Up, but watch your step
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” Matthew 7:3
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged” Matthew 7:1
The above verses are often used to caution others not to criticize or judge others. However very often, this caution has been so much over emphasized and misused that we have become fearful to the extent of becoming totally mute even when we see something is not right or a wrong has been committed. Some of us have been made to feel that we are not righteous enough to speak up.
At other times, we are told that if we are so good at speaking up, why don’t we go in and do the job. But the question is who stood for election in the first place? Those who stood for election must have gone in with their eyes wide open. They wanted to be elected and they must know that once elected they must serve. And to serve also means to be prepared to accept criticisms and questions. If you don’t want to serve, then don’t stand for election and you don’t have to challenge people to go in to serve. These people who make such statements have probably lost their focus. They should go back to the Bible and learn from Jesus how to serve.
Certain people consider speaking up as questioning their performance, especially if the substance of speaking up is against their way of doing things. And one of the responses we get is that we must have faith in the people whom we have elected. This must be a very naïve attitude. In other words we should not question their actions and accept whatever that is being dished out. Are the elected members so infallible? Take the present political scenario as an example. So we have elected the BN government and must have faith in their decisions. Look what is happening now. Give me a break. If one cannot accept criticisms then one should not stand for election. Some even feel that because they have sacrificed so much in their service of the church that they now think they own the church. They might have started off in a humble way, but as time passes on, they tend to lose their focus and think that now they have the right to ask others to walk the talk. And so without realizing it, their humility has turned into pride, subtly.
Still yet another response is that we should not rock the boat or we should close one eye because we want to show love. So we seal our lips and allow the ‘infestation’ to spread , to spread until a crisis explode in our mist, and then we pretend it never happens or we sweep it under the carpet. Jesus said in James 5:19 that “if anyone should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back”. Some may want to confine “the truth” to the word of God, but I believe that it should encompass the word of God as well as any form of disputes or disagreement.
So to me, speaking up is not an option. When we live in a community or society, we become part of it, and speaking up is never an option. If we don’t speak up, the gangrene of wrong doings will take root and spread and we will be guilty of allowing the wrong to perpetuate.
However speaking up alone is like a voice in the wilderness with no one bothering to listen. But if the voices are many and persistent, the desired effect will eventually be achieved. As an example, the many voices via the alternate media and blogs that condemned the inaction of the authorities over certain cases have brought about the desired results, i.e. the combined voices have forced the authorities to take action.
However when speaking up, we must watch our steps. Obviously we must have our motives right. Matthew 18:15-17 tells us how we should go about doing it. The verse starts off with ‘if your brother sins against you’. Here again ‘sins’ may be interpreted differently. I would again include any disputes or disagreement and argument. Disagreement at times lead to serious arguments and they must not escalate to where someone becomes hurt or angry. Nevertheless there is no Biblical prohibition against arguing. It then goes on in verse 16 saying that ‘if he will not listen, take one or two along’. However if he still remains stubborn, verse 17 advocates telling ‘it to the church’. So there you have it, a biblical procedure on how to tackle sins, disputes or disagreement.
By Christ's example we can see three distinct methods of Christian conduct during times of disagreement. First, we find Christ making simple, truthful statements as in his dialogue with Pilate. We see Christ recognizing a desire for truth, and respecting it. He then engaged in discussion and offers responses to Pilate’s questions. With Herod, Christ remains silent, knowing that no good could come of any kind of discussion. In essence, as believers, we are to utilize discernment in recognizing the state of mind of those we disagree with, and by following Christ's example, either speak truth without argument, engage in discussion, or simply remain silent. The events discussed above, can be found in the accounts of Christ's trials in Mathew 26 and 27, Mark 14 and 15, Luke 22 and 23, John 18 and 19.
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged” Matthew 7:1
The above verses are often used to caution others not to criticize or judge others. However very often, this caution has been so much over emphasized and misused that we have become fearful to the extent of becoming totally mute even when we see something is not right or a wrong has been committed. Some of us have been made to feel that we are not righteous enough to speak up.
At other times, we are told that if we are so good at speaking up, why don’t we go in and do the job. But the question is who stood for election in the first place? Those who stood for election must have gone in with their eyes wide open. They wanted to be elected and they must know that once elected they must serve. And to serve also means to be prepared to accept criticisms and questions. If you don’t want to serve, then don’t stand for election and you don’t have to challenge people to go in to serve. These people who make such statements have probably lost their focus. They should go back to the Bible and learn from Jesus how to serve.
Certain people consider speaking up as questioning their performance, especially if the substance of speaking up is against their way of doing things. And one of the responses we get is that we must have faith in the people whom we have elected. This must be a very naïve attitude. In other words we should not question their actions and accept whatever that is being dished out. Are the elected members so infallible? Take the present political scenario as an example. So we have elected the BN government and must have faith in their decisions. Look what is happening now. Give me a break. If one cannot accept criticisms then one should not stand for election. Some even feel that because they have sacrificed so much in their service of the church that they now think they own the church. They might have started off in a humble way, but as time passes on, they tend to lose their focus and think that now they have the right to ask others to walk the talk. And so without realizing it, their humility has turned into pride, subtly.
Still yet another response is that we should not rock the boat or we should close one eye because we want to show love. So we seal our lips and allow the ‘infestation’ to spread , to spread until a crisis explode in our mist, and then we pretend it never happens or we sweep it under the carpet. Jesus said in James 5:19 that “if anyone should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back”. Some may want to confine “the truth” to the word of God, but I believe that it should encompass the word of God as well as any form of disputes or disagreement.
So to me, speaking up is not an option. When we live in a community or society, we become part of it, and speaking up is never an option. If we don’t speak up, the gangrene of wrong doings will take root and spread and we will be guilty of allowing the wrong to perpetuate.
However speaking up alone is like a voice in the wilderness with no one bothering to listen. But if the voices are many and persistent, the desired effect will eventually be achieved. As an example, the many voices via the alternate media and blogs that condemned the inaction of the authorities over certain cases have brought about the desired results, i.e. the combined voices have forced the authorities to take action.
However when speaking up, we must watch our steps. Obviously we must have our motives right. Matthew 18:15-17 tells us how we should go about doing it. The verse starts off with ‘if your brother sins against you’. Here again ‘sins’ may be interpreted differently. I would again include any disputes or disagreement and argument. Disagreement at times lead to serious arguments and they must not escalate to where someone becomes hurt or angry. Nevertheless there is no Biblical prohibition against arguing. It then goes on in verse 16 saying that ‘if he will not listen, take one or two along’. However if he still remains stubborn, verse 17 advocates telling ‘it to the church’. So there you have it, a biblical procedure on how to tackle sins, disputes or disagreement.
By Christ's example we can see three distinct methods of Christian conduct during times of disagreement. First, we find Christ making simple, truthful statements as in his dialogue with Pilate. We see Christ recognizing a desire for truth, and respecting it. He then engaged in discussion and offers responses to Pilate’s questions. With Herod, Christ remains silent, knowing that no good could come of any kind of discussion. In essence, as believers, we are to utilize discernment in recognizing the state of mind of those we disagree with, and by following Christ's example, either speak truth without argument, engage in discussion, or simply remain silent. The events discussed above, can be found in the accounts of Christ's trials in Mathew 26 and 27, Mark 14 and 15, Luke 22 and 23, John 18 and 19.
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