On The Beam

Lots of stuff, external and internal, going on recently.

Since the external stuff largely involves other people, I don’t feel at liberty to write about it; Although they’ve let me in on things, they deserve their privacy.

And since the internal stuff largely involves my own bitterness, resentment, and despair, I don’t want to write about that carp either. What a downer, who needs it.

I saw one recent insight. It came about through an odd juxtaposition of diverse elements: an old science fiction movie and a passage of Scripture.

From the Main Library’s video collection, Ginny and I checked out the 1951 movie, The Day The Earth Stood Still—one of the greatest movies ever made! We cheer and clap every time we watch it.

A few nights later as I worried over my own inclination to be harsh and judgmental—especially where government or businesses are concerned—for our evening devotions, Ginny happened to read that passage of the Bible where Jesus said:

Judge not, that ye be not judged.

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye

I determined that I need to repent about being so judgmental… But I don’t like that idea at all.

I said that I wish the beam in my eye was like the beam in Gort’s eye. That way I could zap evil-doers any time I spot them.

Ginny—who is not a Bible scholar—says I’m misinterpreting the Scripture.

I say the world would be a better place if I could beam-zap anybody and anything that bugs me.

Yes, it’s easer to spot and condemn other people’s sins than my own.

There’s a reason God did not put a zap-beam in my eye.

He wants me to deal with the other kind.