Consistency?

CONSISTENCY?

The Ancient Greeks believed that no one could step into the same river twice. The Bible insists that everything but God changes and life is but a mist (Psalm 39:5; James 4:14). I look in a mirror and compare my face with an old photo and you can guess what I see. I am changing in front of my own eyes. It became even clearer when I had one eye corrected with surgery. There just is no consistency and no trust in anything or anyone. And the reason is because of constant inconsistencies (James 1:22-25).

The problem that I have is that I am more consistent in what is wrong than in what is right. It is difficult to kick old behavior patterns. Even if they hurt us we persist in them. We also force them on others. It is as if we feel comforted when we make others hurt with us. We call that empathy for misery does love company. We are definitely surrounded by inconsistent miseries. The Psalmist knew about it and cried out, “How long, oh Lord, will this go on” (Psalm 13:1-2)?

It is endurable to live with some fickle people, but it is extremely difficult to survive under a fickle political system. With the stroke of a pen the leader can change the law, endanger a people, order our young people to die for his ideology and whatever else he deems good, for the nation. Only, it is not the nation but his party’s perception. Actually, we are witnessing two parties at war over promises they use the voters to achieve. “We the People” are the audience in a political theater or showdown paying for the privilege to watch their performance. Most of the time it is a comedy without a plot. One thousand years BC a Preacher penned these words, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity,” (Ecclesiastes 1:2).

Their performance reminds me of a guest minister at a dinner invitation, he kept on telling the hostess, that he better not eat so much for it may affect his delivery. The hostess, a bit amused, sent her daughter to listen to the preacher. When the girl returned, the mother asked how he did. The girl replied, “He might as well have ate.” There is much eating going on that reminds me of the violation of the Tenth Commandment, “You shall not covet what belongs to someone else” (Exodus 20:17). For the simple reason, if we take away from those that provide for our needs, who then shall supply us with food? The Parable of the Tenants is indicative of what happens when laborers dispose of an owner (Mark 12:1-9). It is noble for a widow to share her two pennies, but how many can be fed? (Mark 12:41-44).