Guilty by Association

As my mother would tell me time and time again, "Be careful who you associate with!" She was correct because as we have heard, "Actions speak louder than words."  We can all look back and remember these and many more sayings our mothers, grandmothers, and other important figures in our lives would say. I call them my "granny-isms."  I tell you, she was one wise woman.

Experts today validate what these women in our lives would tell us as we were growing up.  It is said that 70% of all communication is non-verbal. This means our facial expression, our body language, and yes, those we are associated with communicate more than just words alone.

To experience this, I invite you to turn on any cable news program, especially the opinion segments, and turn the sound off.  Even though we’ve eliminated the auditory words by lowering the volume, the body language of the broadcast journalist says a great deal.  You can easily pick up on positive stories, those that touch your heart, and even those that spew negativity, discontent, and outright hatred.

Don’t think for a minute this is new.  Pick up your bible and read in any one of the Gospels.  But when you do, turn down the "volume." What I mean by this is open the big screen in your mind and "see" the mood, the context, and the intent of those speaking.

The Pharisees confronted Jesus almost daily.  I read the encounters and can see in my mind the bombastic and pompous attitude and body language they must have elicited.  And when they couldn’t get to Jesus, they attacked those around Him in the same way.

Jesus healed the man who was blind from birth.  The Pharisees were tired of getting nowhere with their attacks on Jesus, so they "commanded" this man (who could now see) to appear in their presence (can you picture their smugness?).

This man had been a blind beggar his entire life.  They asked him what happened and he told them facts and facts alone: "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes."  After he washed the mud off he could see. Then they asked him "where is this man?" This is a laughing moment. They just asked a blind man who had not seen Jesus, nor would recognize him, where Jesus was!

Try as they may, the man would not fall into the trap of saying something negative toward Jesus – something they could use in an accusatory manner to finally catch Him.  Frustrated, they called his parents before them and followed up with a second summons for the previously blind man. They failed at every attempt.

Why do we despise that which we do not understand, or refuse to allow ways that are different from our own?  God made us all different, but yet we are all in the same "boat"; we all fall short. God will forgive our sins if we ask Him.  Let’s try to be more encouraging this week to touch lives for His kingdom!