BLACK OR WHITE!!!
Do you hear me???
BLACK OR WHITE!!!
Good or bad. Wrong or right. Yes or no.
How much do I love these?
They make life so much easier.
I know what to do and what not to do. It’s clear cut.
No weird subtleties that confuse others and me the most.
GRAY? MULTI-COLORED?
Good enough? Wrongish? It depends?
How difficult are these for me?
They make all my decisions so much harder.
But easier is not always better. By any stretch.
We’ve seen enough of that in our homes, in our neighborhoods, at our workplaces, in church and especially on social media.
CHOOSE ONE OR THE OTHER! YOU HAVE TO!!! CHOOSE SIDES.
One is 100% wrong and one is absolutely right!
And if you don’t choose what I choose, you will be
disowned. kicked out. not talked to. cancelled.
UGH!
There seems to be a huge missing factor in what I love and what can be easier, but not better.
It’s a little six-letter word called WISDOM.
W.I.S.D.O.M.
Wisdom says it’s not always black and white, good or bad, right or wrong, yes or no!
Wisdom allows for the whole possibly-hidden story behind what’s outwardly visible.
Wisdom often brings a third out-of-the-box thought, path, or decision.
Wisdom isn’t simple or easy much of the time.
It can nuanced and difficult. It requires grace and patience and seeing things from many angles.
Wisdom is the way of Jesus.
He’s all about it.
He doesn’t get caught up in the ALWAYS this or ALWAYS that.
He’s all about the SOMETIMES.
Sometimes it’s the right thing to walk away and shake the dust off of your feet. And others it’s the right thing to stay and lean in and heal those in your path.
Sometimes it’s the right thing to break hard and fast man-made rules. And others it’s the right thing to follow them closely.
Sometimes it the right thing to turn water into wine in celebration. And others it’s the right thing to turn wine into a symbol of grief and remembrance.
So today, when the rubber meets the road and I find myself tempted to fall into the easier way of doing life, I hope to choose the much much better way of WISDOM.
It might be more work, but it will be worth it.
For me. And for the people around me.