A Timely (and Much Needed) Reminder
I am not sure when this will be posted, but I believe that it will be relevant regardless of when that happens. At least I hope that is the case. I am typing these words on the day after many in our nation were shocked for the second time about the same subject. Some of us, including me, are old enough to have experienced both shocks.
The first shock happened on January 22, 1973 when the U. S. Supreme Court decision known as Row v. Wade sort of “came out of the blue.” As I remember it, prior to 1973, it was almost unthinkable that there would be such a thing as “legalized abortion” in our nation. I was in the middle of my third year as a high school history and government teacher. Both as a teacher of these subjects and as a young adult, I never imagined that anything like this could or would happen.
The second shock came on June 24, 2022. To be fair, it might not have been as much of a shock as the first one. As most who read this know, that was due to the fact that the Supreme Court decision handed down on that day was “leaked out” earlier. On that day, what had been “normal” for almost half of a century and most of my lifetime was suddenly no longer normal. As an example of how “normal” that has been, both of our children were born after 1973. They now have their own children. One of them is almost as old as I was in 1973. Neither my children nor my grandchildren have ever known of a time when abortion was not legal in our nation.
I’m thinking that it might be good that you are not reading this post on the day after the decision was handed down that reversed Roe v. Wade. Hopefully, by the time you read this, the emotions may not be quite as high as they are as I type these words.
Hopefully, too, it will give all of us some time to reflect on something else that happened on June 24, 2022. I received a familiar envelope in the mail. Every month I receive an envelope that contains the latest issue of Old Paths. For those not familiar with this publication, this free monthly publication is edited by Dalton Key and is supported financially by some churches of Christ and individuals.
Brother Key probably had no idea that I would get the latest issue on the same day as the Supreme Court decision. I don’t know of any way he could have known that. I cannot help but entertain the thought that this concurrence of events on the same day could possibly have been somewhat providential.
On the first page of the June 22nd issue of Old Paths, brother Key published one of his own articles. The “gist” of the article had to do with the fact that God’s people should not be among those who allow themselves to get (in his words) “…stirred up by friends, family and brethren; by complete strangers on social media; or even by agenda-driven politicians and fast-talking news pundits.” In short, he was reminding Christians to behave as Christians as we interact with people with whom we may disagree on some things.
All of us have beliefs, opinions, points of view, etc. that are dear to us. Sometimes those things are merely a matter of personal preference. At times we have careful study, research, investigation, etc. “on our side.” Sincere Christians recognize that things of an eternal significance must be based upon “…faith which comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17).
Whether the subject under discussion is only a matter of opinion, preference, etc. or is something of eternal significance, I believe that brother Key does all of us a huge favor by reminding us about the importance of considering how we express ourselves. He ends his article with the poem below. I pray that it will be for you what it is for me — a timely (and much needed) reminder:
I need not agree with your view of things, friend;
Your choices may differ from mine.
I don’t have to break, I don’t have to bend,
But I do always have to be kind.
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AUTHOR: Jim Faughn
