Anyone who is familiar with the book of Revelation and the messages to the seven churches knows that you don't want to be considered a Laodicean. Why? Because Christ's message to them was that "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." (Revelation 3:15-16) Now, the lesson that many Christians take away from this passage is that God doesn't like fence straddlers - that God wants us to be whole hog or nothing! In other words, the middle ground is no place for Christians!
But is that really the lesson of this scripture? Does God want us to eschew moderation? OR Was this passage meant to denounce indecision?
Unfortunately, many Christians have used this scripture (along with many others) to support binary thinking. They see everything in terms of black and white, good and evil, good or bad, beginning and ending,etc. The problem is that this kind of dualistic thinking offers us a distorted perception of reality, and it is not consistent with what we know about God's character.
How does it skew reality? We all know that there is a whole lot of space between two extremes. Hot, cold and lukewarm are only three points on a continuum that is wide, varied and nuanced. Think of all of the different possibilities that exist between staring into the light of the sun and staring into the total darkness of a cave hundreds of feet below the surface of the earth. Black and white? How many shades of gray are there between the two? And what about all of the different colors that are discernable by the human eye? Acid, alkaline and neutral? There are fourteen points on the pH scale.
Moreover, if we take just a moment to think about it, the point between the two extremes is very often the best place to be. Think about our Solar System. Earth orbits the Sun in a place that moderates our surface temperature (averaging about 15 degrees Celsius). Our advantage in this regard is brought into sharp focus when we consider the conditions extant on our two closest neighbors. The average surface temperature on Venus is about 470 degrees and is about negative 30 degrees on Mars (Celsius)! We've already mentioned the pH scale, and we know that the human body does not fair well in acidic or alkaline environments. Likewise, this point is underscored for us by the fact that pure water is right in the middle of the scale - neutral.
That the sweet spot is usually very close to the middle is also demonstrated by observing other features of the world around us. Although it is now considered politically incorrect to be a moderate, when we consider the historic record, we see that the best outcomes were often forged in the furnace of compromise. In fact, there are many instances where the complete triumph of an extreme position has resulted in disaster (e.g. the extermination of the Jews). Moderation has also proven useful in things like diet, exercise, alcohol consumption, sun exposure, etc. In fact, when we consider almost anything related to humans, we see that we are generally always better off when we avoid the extremes.
What about God? Scripture tells us that God is without beginning or end. In short, God embodies the extremes and all of the space between them. That blows binary thinking out of the water - doesn't it? Can we be zealous for a God who occupies the center of the universe? Can we be passionate about the middle? Can we decide to follow a moderate God?
Conservative or liberal? Democrat or Republican? Atheist or theist? Catholic or Protestant? Yes, we love to frame things in terms of a choice between two extremes; but the reality is that the sweet spot is almost always found between the two!
"Do not be over-righteous, neither be overwise – why destroy yourself?
17 Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool – why die before your time?
1It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes."
--Ecclesiastes 7:16-18
But is that really the lesson of this scripture? Does God want us to eschew moderation? OR Was this passage meant to denounce indecision?
Unfortunately, many Christians have used this scripture (along with many others) to support binary thinking. They see everything in terms of black and white, good and evil, good or bad, beginning and ending,etc. The problem is that this kind of dualistic thinking offers us a distorted perception of reality, and it is not consistent with what we know about God's character.
How does it skew reality? We all know that there is a whole lot of space between two extremes. Hot, cold and lukewarm are only three points on a continuum that is wide, varied and nuanced. Think of all of the different possibilities that exist between staring into the light of the sun and staring into the total darkness of a cave hundreds of feet below the surface of the earth. Black and white? How many shades of gray are there between the two? And what about all of the different colors that are discernable by the human eye? Acid, alkaline and neutral? There are fourteen points on the pH scale.
Moreover, if we take just a moment to think about it, the point between the two extremes is very often the best place to be. Think about our Solar System. Earth orbits the Sun in a place that moderates our surface temperature (averaging about 15 degrees Celsius). Our advantage in this regard is brought into sharp focus when we consider the conditions extant on our two closest neighbors. The average surface temperature on Venus is about 470 degrees and is about negative 30 degrees on Mars (Celsius)! We've already mentioned the pH scale, and we know that the human body does not fair well in acidic or alkaline environments. Likewise, this point is underscored for us by the fact that pure water is right in the middle of the scale - neutral.
That the sweet spot is usually very close to the middle is also demonstrated by observing other features of the world around us. Although it is now considered politically incorrect to be a moderate, when we consider the historic record, we see that the best outcomes were often forged in the furnace of compromise. In fact, there are many instances where the complete triumph of an extreme position has resulted in disaster (e.g. the extermination of the Jews). Moderation has also proven useful in things like diet, exercise, alcohol consumption, sun exposure, etc. In fact, when we consider almost anything related to humans, we see that we are generally always better off when we avoid the extremes.
What about God? Scripture tells us that God is without beginning or end. In short, God embodies the extremes and all of the space between them. That blows binary thinking out of the water - doesn't it? Can we be zealous for a God who occupies the center of the universe? Can we be passionate about the middle? Can we decide to follow a moderate God?
Conservative or liberal? Democrat or Republican? Atheist or theist? Catholic or Protestant? Yes, we love to frame things in terms of a choice between two extremes; but the reality is that the sweet spot is almost always found between the two!
"Do not be over-righteous, neither be overwise – why destroy yourself?
17 Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool – why die before your time?
1It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes."
--Ecclesiastes 7:16-18
I can understand "do not be overwise", but I struggle to understand "do not be over-righteous" in practice. I can see its agreement with Jesus' teaching of not being judgmental or chastising others because we're all flawed, but how can you apply that to your own actions/behavior when presented with a moral decision? That is, how can you justify not acting in what you believe is the most moral path? Or is the passage telling us to limit our level of effort to bring a moral consciousness to the small and inconsequential decisions?
ReplyDeleteNotice that being over-righteous or overwise is followed by the question "Why destroy yourself?" Likewise, being overwicked or a fool is followed by "Why die before your time?" The implication in the first instance is that that kind of intensity can destroy a person. Again, this is reinforced by the implication that extreme wickedness and foolishness may result in an early death. The rest of the verse makes plain that it is the intensity that is dangerous. In other words, is it possible for someone to drive themselves crazy trying to be perfect? And, in light of the fact that Scripture indicates that kind of perfection is not possible this side of the kingdom, I think we can see the mental and physical peril that a human who is trying to do just that might subject themselves to.
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