Horrible Pleasures

As I sit and listen sometimes I am overwhelmed at the degree of violence that I hear spoken of by ordinary people. There is enough hate to go around that we could likely pave the streets of our city if it was black and sticky. But actually it is black, sticky and a mess in many lives.

I wish that I could stand up and shout, “Please be kind to each other… there is enough hate in other places! We don’t need anymore.”

But who would listen? Who would care?

Maybe to my “Bsplit and Bfit Days”… I now can add one more “Bkind Day”. That fits right in there with Banana Splits and Being Fit – wouldn’t you say?

Being kind to someone takes effort and design. It requires a will on the “Kind Person’s” part. It requires training and understanding that kindness doesn’t come easily – it requires that the “Kind Person” – do something.

You have to be almost over 60 years of age to remember that “men hold the door open for women”. Do you remember that one? That age would include another famous teaching as well – “boys don’t hit girls” – and simply “we don’t hit each other”.

What I have discovered is… many of these old traditional idea are now gone. They are either not needed or subscribed to. I am sure that the thought now goes… “Women have earned their right to be equal – let them fight for what they get like all the men do!”

I don’t believe that a change has happened in our society but rather we have simply become more lazy and very selfish. We are not the people that we used to be.

A long time ago…
In the Bible there was a lady by the name of Jezebel lived and acted out her hatred. She was a powerful lady with some real bad attitudes. She controlled people and was at the least abusive in all her ways. Murder was not below her radar. She did almost anything to make her way the only way. You can read about her life from 1 Kings 16 through to 2 Kings 9. Off an on she confronts the prophet of God – Elijah. Then even after Elijah is gone from the scene she is still acting out her vengeance and hatred.

Jezebel is the best Bible example that I can see where hatred is in full array. She took horrible pleasure in hurting others. But there were also many others that did similar things.

My point is that the little world I live in has its fair share of people with a Jezebel spirit. They utter threats and take huge steps to be less than kind to other people. In 2007 her life is lived on through so called “good people” – that are not so good after all.

If you would need a little evidence to this last statement – come to court with me sometime and just sit listening to what is being said. The kind of things people do to each other will make you want to go home and have a shower. They do nasty and dirty things to each other under the banner of their own rights to do so.

As a pastor I listen to some huge stories at times that make me want to shake people… to get their attention… but that would also be unkind. I need to be kind – but there are days that part is hard.

So what can I do…?
I didn’t ask what can you do? I need to begin now and be kind. I will still hold the door open for some one else coming behind me. I will help women as I had been taught to do so long ago. I will make sure that someone else goes first before me. I will be a helper where I am able to be.

Can you imagine if everyone did this kind of thing around you – what would the world be like? Imagine kind to each other… wow? Can you imagine what the next generations would grow up like if they treated each other with respect and kindness.

Let today be the “Bkind Day”. Why not let this week be the new “Bkind Week”?

~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~

The Stories of Jezebel…

The end of Jezebel ….