C1 My Turn - Sad state of our community

Sad to say, I’m disappointed by the behavior of many in the general public, Christian Community and elected and public officials as they exercise their feelings, ideas, faith and ignorance concerning aspects of the current life situations we struggle with.

In the past, I thought better of my local community, having been around here since 1952.

Lately, I’ve been teaching from the Book of Matthew in my Bible study class on Sundays, something I’ve done since 1974, so I may have some insight to share.

Matthew is an interesting book because it contains the Savior’s instruction on how to manage our lives and exercise the responsibilities of our faith from his Sermon on the Mount and other teachings. It contains Christ’s rule of life for relationships, Matt. 7:12 “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

He also told us, in my words, to love and honor God first, and then love your neighbor as yourself. If I treated myself with the same hatred I see between many folks in our community, I’d probably do myself harm.

If loving your neighbor as yourself means giving up some of your freedoms to protect your neighbor, such as getting vaccinated or taking precautions by masking or keeping distance, how can folks claim to be following the teaching of the Lord or any other moral behavior if they refuse to sacrifice for their neighbors?

Sacrifice for others is what is expected from us as citizens of this nation as well. “Me First” will not sustain our nation.

I’ve been a public servant for over 56 years, and I wonder how other public servants and our military feel about current attitudes and behaviors. I think they are abhorrent. I have a number of family, friends and co-workers in the public health industry; they are painfully clear about how they feel.

The Book of Matthew also refers to the relationship Christ had with the Jewish Central Committee, the Pharisees. They had taken the Law of Moses and added over 600 rules to it to control the behavior and thinking of the Jewish people.

Jesus came along and challenged their attempts to control everyone’s lives and thinking by challenging them. He called the Pharisees a nest of vipers.

His teachings were a direct attack on their behavior and teachings. According to them, He was a JINO, a Jew In Name Only, because He didn’t follow their self-made set of rules. He failed their vetting process to be the Messiah.

Jesus taught His followers to be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. For this, the Pharisees hated Him and conspired to kill Him.

How can we be shrewd? By not believing everything anyone tells you until you check it out yourself. Don’t be lazy and watch so-called news shows on TV or listen to the vitriolic rantings of someone and automatically believe what you see and hear.

Jesus taught us to watch for false prophets. How can we be doves? It doesn’t mean being a wimp, but one who cares enough for their neighbor that they are willing to sacrifice some of “self” for others, while discerning the behavior of others so as to not be misled.

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Terry Harwood is a resident of Athol.