Rocks and Glass Houses-Additional Comments Added

On the way home today a well known nationally syndicated Christian commentator was delivering a positive message....

One of my friends shared a tape with me this past summer in which a backwoods Christian radio show is spoofed. Now having driven through Tennessee for years and more recently through the Ozarks in NW Arkansas, I can attest to the fact that such shows exist, but the spoof took it a bit farther.

If I recall correctly, the singing was of the Southern Gospel genre, poorly sung, and the message concerned long hair taking you to hell. Lucky for my balding readers. Today's syndicated talk show host was putting "fist to pulpit" over the provocative clothing designed for and worn by tween and teen girls. Ever notice no one ever cares what boys wear; sorry,I digress. While I won't disagree with him, I'd like to remind him that the moral degradation of the fashion industry has been discussed since the first low cut bear skin adorned our early female ancestors. Funny, I couldn't help but compare the backwoods orator and his highly esteemed counter part.

I recall the Bible instructing us not to conform to this world, but I'm a little fuzzy on where it calls us to conform it to us. Early Christians spent their time reaching their lost brethren, not arguing against Roman culture and Roman policy. Couldn't this guy deliver a positive commentary....

Here comes the Rock in a Glass House! I hadn't prayed today. Hey where did that come from? When was the last time I prayed? Yesterday, lunch, hasty blessing. My commentator friend was off the hook, I needed to address my own short comings. Perhaps I didn't have enough letters after my name..."Let it go James!" But he puts his pants on one leg at a time just like I do. But of course his will be properly fitted so as to not be too revealing or entice in any way, shape, or form..."JAMES!"

OK, I tried to have a little fun at the end there, but honestly, Christ said it best...

Matthew 7:5 (New International Version)

5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

Below is a quote from a post by Scotty. (See a link for his blog in my left hand column). I went back to see his post on hypocrisy and discovered he had made my point for me some time back. (take a look at the whole post if you haven't already done so). By the way, I was always finishing behind him in races as well, so him being a step ahead of me is nothing new.

Does the Church have a right to tell people what to do?Perhaps
the answer lies in reading what follows the admonition not to judge people.
Matthew 7:3-5 says the following: 3“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in
your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can
you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the
time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out
of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your
brother’s eye.The right to speak to people must be earned. People must know that
we genuinely care about them. Too often we appoint ourselves as ambassadors to
the world to tell people how they should live even though we haven’t earned the
right to do so. We must be honest about our own shortcomings. Our goal isn’t to
make people look like us. Our goal is to bring people into the presence of
Christ. He does a pretty good job of cleaning us up.

This pretty much covers how I felt about my radio friend's topic and my own precarious position when I was ready to play Mr. Self Righteous.