Today is one of those days I referred to in my Sunday morning message a couple of weeks back. Today at some time I will close my office door, get my phone out, look at my playlist, dial up the Allman Brothers, press play when I find the classic tune Whipping Post and crank it up real loud. Lord forgive me but it’s been coming on for a while:
“sometimes I feel …sometimes I feel …like I’ve been tiiiiiide to a whippin’ post …..tiiide to a whippin’ post …..tiiiide to a whippin post ……oh Lord I feel like I’m dyin’…”
Current conditions in our country and in our world are wearing me out, and I am sure they are affecting you as well. There is so much distrust and suspicion afoot and no one is exempt from distributing it among friends or receiving it from enemies. Hatred is running rampant. We make our lists of enemies and share our rationale among allies, and we proceed to label people because as Christians we can’t hate people but we can certainly despise a label. So we begin our profiles and decide who’s in and who’s out, who deserves mercy and understanding, and who needs to be held accountable for daring to disagree with our infallible opinions. It’s getting old.
I was profiled recently and I firmly believe experiences like this are truly valuable educational opportunities. I am a firm believer in supporting local businesses. These are our neighbors and friends who are trying to make a living and if I have to pay a few bucks more I will. Well recently I went into one of our local businesses with a mask on. This is a place where I usually am able to express my ignorance and seek help. Recently, I went as far as to say to the folks there that they had my business – no matter what – because they have been so helpful in the past and ready to answer all my stupid questions whenever I had them. On my last visit to the establishment I wore my mask, and it was quickly made known to me that this particular act was not something that was appreciated by one in particular. He proceeded to tell me he couldn’t hear me through the face covering and it would be a better transaction if I removed the apparatus. That was understandable, I do have a tendency to mumble and a mask doesn’t help matters. But in the process he began to ridicule me and make me feel like the village idiot (a role which I portray quite well) in front of others in the establishment. I laughed with the person, played the role and vowed not to return until after the pandemic. I can be labeled a number of things but I am not a liar. I did say they had my business! I was simply a casualty of the times we live in when people on all sides label, profile, and ridicule, and despise. I pray that I won’t go and do likewise.
During these unprecedented times when you too feel like you’ve been “tied to a whippin’ post,” I hope we can do as Paul encouraged folks to do in his time: BEAR WITH ONE ANOTHER IN LOVE.
GOD BLESS YOU PSBC.
Andy O.