Our Reputation Goes Out In Front Of Us

Mother Lydia - my fave pic.

Have you been in a situation where someone's name is mentioned and as spontaneously as we breathe there is a remark or story about the person?  This is a classic example of "our reputation going out in front of us", good or bad!

I can still hear my mother's voice echoing these words, "your reputation goes out before you" (all be it in Jamaican Patois)  to all of us as children, admonishing us to be honest, responsible, trustworthy and conscientious citizens.  So far as I can tell, her admonition, as well as the teaching and example set by our school teachers, Sunday school teachers and community members worked very well as myself and my siblings have lived honest lives and raised children of high moral standing and character.

What has now been accepted, accommodated and excused in politics would never be tolerated in a corporation or even from public servants, so why have citizens of the so called first world countries allowed the political discourse to sink so low?  How conflicted are people that they tell their children to be honest, caring, kind and then elect and defend people who publicly display behaviour and character that is the exact opposite?  Research and life experience clearly demonstrate that children learn what they live.  In other words, children absorb the way the people in their sphere of of influence live, and they are very quick and honest about calling out double standards and dishonesty, trust me, I know.  I remember how I was when I was young, especially once I hit the teen years!

What long term effect will this "do as I say but not as I do" political climate have on our society in the long term?  What role, and where does the Christian community stand the all this "bedlam" that has been unleashed? How much damage is being inflicted on the Christian community, especially with the so called "Evangelical leaders" that as a group seem to have compromised themselves by publicly defending what has now been labeled the indefenceable? The term "presumptions sin" comes to mind.  They consciously condone sinful and unsavoury behaviour as a means to their end to knowing that they would be forgiven.  This action is short sighted as they overlook the damage, hardship and paid that is inflicted to further their selfish end.  And this is not confined to "Evangelical leaders", we see it at work, at home within families and in other group dynamics.

I have come to the conclusion that some people are able to see only the potential benefits of their ideas and actions but are somehow not wired to see risks and consequences.  In my lifetime, I can say though that the consequences are inevitable.  It is scripture, it is scientific, Newton's Third Law - "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction."  What does this mean?  Words have consequences, behaviours have consequences and these consequences are unavoidable, the degree of the consequences cannot always be measured, and sometimes end up being much worse, or even catastrophic than can be imagined at the time.  Only with time, consequences become evident, hence the saying "hind sight is 20/20".

It takes a life a lifetime to build up a good reputation, and it can take only a minute to destroy it.
We cannot afford to be overcome by evil, but we must overcome evil with good.  This is how the scale will be tilted.  It may seem pointless to hold on to our good principles that have guided our lives when we see some of the things that are being accepted and tolerated and excused.  Do not give up, don not fold, stay strong, keep your resolve because in the end those of us who stay true to our principles will stand.

Stay steadfast my friends,

MissSam
Saturday 18, 2017