Early this morning as I was preparing my day, and why this thought came I cannot explain, but I pondered all those who walk the extremes of their beliefs. They are not just on the Right or the Left, they are often described as Far Right and Far Left. Extremists. Not necessarily bad, or weird, but far from the Right Or Left of Middle Ground. We give them labels. Liberals. Conservatives. Progressives. We mix them up based on their heritage and culture. We clump them based on their ethnicity, race, and address on the map.
Then I thought of all those in the Middle who have leanings Right or Left. They fit in a broad middle ground but they are not right in the Middle. They lean with one view of their world that could cause them to eventually be culled from the middle to become “farrrr out!” (In the voice of John Denver)
Then I thought about my description of Middle Ground. And…I realized that to some I’m leaning Right, or Left of their Middle.
We all have a Middle Ground that is indicative of one’s own view of the world. Some call it a Worldview. Our personal Viewpoint. If you choose to Lean further away from the Middle that you were introduced to at the beginning of your life, then you have, perhaps, modified your view of the world that was part and parcel of your heritage, pedigree or culture.
Perhaps it’s like one of the few jokes I remember and feel free to share with others.
Three statisticians were in the woods bowhunting. They see the same target. One lets loose the arrow and misses to the right. The next shoots and misses to the left. The third archer jumps up and down exclaiming, “We got ’em!”
Okay. Poor example. But think about it for a moment. We always see the world from our personal perspective. The challenges we’ve faced along the path of life moves us further from the center of who we thought we would be, or it anchors us closer to that middle view that we stand in. Bring in some new information that may be fact, fiction or fake, and we immediately lean to the side of our beliefs that give us the most comfort and feelings of superiority.
I have a cassette around here somewhere about a presentation of the tribulation that the Bible describes as a precursor to the end of everything as we know it. Three theologians were given the side to present when the Church would exit the troubles in the “rapture”. The first spoke eloquently of the church exiting Pre-Trib, to which the moderator exclaimed, “That’s what I believe!” The next broke apart the argument of the first and explained why the church would go through some of the tribulation but exit Mid-Trib. Again. The moderator exclaimed, “Yes. That’s really what I believe!” Finally, the last presenter broke all the arguments with the logic that explained the church would go all the way through the tribulation. The moderator got up. Shook his head. “I don’t know what I believe!”
You see. We all have our Middle Ground of solid beliefs that are formed from our position and viewing of life around us. But let fervent logic explore the options and we find our Middle Ground shaky and we could be like the Moderator. I’m not sure what I believe.
For all my life I have prescribed living according to the Word of God. But, we know that biblical followers slowly expanded their structure of rules that demanded certain pathways. As the population increases, so does control of how we live evolves. When there are few then our liberties are many. When there are many, then we narrow down our liberties to make room for others. Regardless, there is still a core to my Middle Ground that follows the Word of God as prescribed by my upbringing. It’s hard to change who I am, but there are many who lean far from the Middle Ground I walk and are either farther to the Right, or Left than I am comfortable with.
As James Michener describes in his book about the colonization of South Africa, Covenant, I find myself as the main character who delves into the Word of God looking for the answers to life’s dilemmas. When dealing with life-changing directions how does the Word of God point me in the best direction? Even if it’s not like the corner of my Middle Ground I’ve painted myself into. First. I look for scriptures that support my lifelong choices. Then I look for scriptures that confirms how I think I should be. Finally. I look for the words that may tell me how to handle this portion of my life better. And this may include modifying my locked position.
Now. I can not change who I am. What I believe. How I live. But I will take on a new viewpoint that I may never have considered. As the world is constantly evolving and the changes before us are varied, I find I need to tweak some of my concrete ideas to allow for some viewpoint I never considered. This may be the eroding of our identity, but I suggest we are experiencing deep gouges of changes into that bedrock that we always thought things would be. We are so different as a people, and as an individual, from the day of our birth – as a race, ethnicity, culture or individual.
Technology takes us further from our Middle Ground than we ever thought possible. Who could have seen what we have become today? Prior generations could never understand what they would see in this present and future age! Commitment to the old ways is falling by the wayside as a new crop of children grow and mature with new viewpoints of life. The world changes more rapidly than it did before the Industrial Age that begins in the 18th century. We are now in the Information Age and are rapidly expanding our view of the world faster than we can comprehend. Which Age is next?
So. I look over my shoulder at the beginning point of my beliefs. I recognize who I am based on that precursor view. I look ahead to the ending of my life and where I think I’m headed. I hope I will still recognize myself when I get there!
The line between there (behind) and there (before) needs to be as straight of a line as possible for me to be comfortable. But reality shows me all the ways I’ve walked and I realize that my plan is not always the best plan!
You’ve heard of people lost in the woods and they strike out for certain they are headed in the correction direction…only to find they have circled back to where they started! It’s difficult to make good choices when you have nothing to lead you.
That’s why I have my favorite reading material. My Bible. It affirms who I am. It points me a direction I’m comfortable with going. It improves me with each step. There are words, like the following notes, that gives me what I need to hear to make wise choices. You may have your own sources of inspiration, but these are ones that have been around for thousands of years and I trust them.
Do you have one you can add to this list?
Notes:
- Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left. (Isaiah 30:21 NKJV)
- The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand. I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. (Psalms 37:23-25 NKJV)
- Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. (Psalms 37:3-5 NKJV)
- Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. (Psalms 1:1-3 NKJV)
- Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:6-7 NKJV)
- This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:8-9 NKJV)
- Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. (1 Samuel 30:6 NKJV)
- A Song of Ascents. In my distress I cried to the LORD, And He heard me. (Psalms 120:1 NKJV)