by: Denny Hook

Grandkids are precious! I love it when they give you a picture they’ve drawn and colored by themselves. Have you ever noticed how they draw people as big as houses, trees, cars and other surroundings? To look at it one could say that it is out of proportion, but that’s how they see things in their minds. We have a one year “Peanuts” flip calendar on our table. It’s fun to start the day with a little humor and a chuckle, but I’ve noticed how exaggerated the character’s heads are in relationship to their bodies. It also seems out of proportion to me, but that’s part of the comedy. Abstract art or pictures don’t really appeal to me, because I feel like there is some deep hidden meaning which I’m obviously not intellectually in tune with. I’m the type of person that when I walk into a room, others will comment on the picture, but I’ll first notice it is ¼ inch off level from hanging straight. I know, it’s a gift and I can’t help it.

“What’s wrong with this picture?” is a slang phrase often used in situations where things don’t make sense. For instance, during this whole virus pandemic shutdown the big stores like Walmart and Target were permitted to remain open and sell pretty much everything. Meanwhile, the little businesses were forced to close. I bought a couple pair of shoes at Walmart. When I got home, I discovered they hadn’t removed the anti-theft devices, but my bolt cutters took care of that. One pair didn’t fit quite right even though they were my size. I wanted to return them, but they said they weren’t accepting returns due to the COVID virus. What’s wrong with this picture? In my mind if they can sell it, I should be able to return it. If they are worried about people spreading the virus through returned items, then what’s the difference if customers are handling stuff and putting it back on the shelf without buying them. In the back of my mind a part of me wonders if all these mandates, shutdowns and social distancing is a conspiracy by officials to see how willing people are to be controlled and give up their freedoms when asked. On the other hand, it may only be the funny looking mushrooms on the pizza I ate for supper causing me to hallucinate.

More recently a white cop killed a black man in Minneapolis, which started a nationwide rampage of lawless burnings and lootings of stores. They claimed they wanted justice, but it seemed more like revenge. What’s wrong with this picture when innocent business owners lose their livelihoods and neighborhoods are terrorized. We are a nation founded on Biblical values and the rule of law. What’s wrong with this picture when liberal minded mayors want to eliminate those whose responsibility is to enforce the law, all because of the actions of one bad cop. I remember how President Clinton added 100,000 new police nationwide, and the government supplemented the funding. These same liberals were falling all over themselves to praise him for it. I wonder why the change. What’s wrong with this picture when mobs cordon off six square blocks of Seattle unchallenged, or tear down statues and monuments. They say they are fighting against racism, so to them the means justifies the end, whatever that is. Some are claiming that the game of Chess is racist, because the white pieces get to move first. Next they’ll call the automakers racists if they make more white cars than black ones. These people have lost their minds and their anger has driven them insane. On the other hand, maybe they are only deceived puppets as stated in 2 Timothy 2:26 – “that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will”. The devil’s agenda is to steal, to kill, and to destroy as stated by Jesus in John 10:10. He will use anybody and any means to accomplish it. The chaos and near anarchy we’ve witnessed lately sure seems to fit that mold.

What’s wrong with this picture when the news media has become the water boy for a political party in their attempt to destroy a duly elected sitting president. I have never seen in my lifetime such a hate-filled obsession, simply because they lost an election which rejected their socialistic Marxist ideology. I could elaborate more, but there is too much wrong with that picture and I fear it is beyond repair. It’s ugly and simply needs to be thrown in the trash. They would all do well to listen to an old Merle Haggard song called, “The Fightin’ Side of Me”, because it expresses the sentiments of more people in this country than they realize or care to admit. My blogs aren’t necessarily meant to be political, but sometimes it’s hard to just sit back and ignore the obvious and say nothing.

Finally, what’s wrong with this picture when many who profess to be Christians aren’t seeing the big picture. They have believed the rhetoric and have not tested the spirits as stated in 1 John 4:1. Have emotions caused the Church to lose its way in fighting spiritual battles by carnal means? Has it so compromised itself that it can no longer discern right from wrong, truth from lies, and good from evil? Has being politically correct taken precedence over preaching the Gospel? Has the Word of God ceased to be the “level” by which we align our beliefs, actions, and the words we speak? If so, then sadly many people are out of proportion and a whole bubble off. I believe we are living in times like that of the prophet Elijah. In 1 Kings 18:21 he stood before the children of Isreal and spoke these words; “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him.” It’s time for those who claim to be followers of Christ to lay aside their petty political correctness and personal agendas, and be the salt and light in a world which so desperately needs the message of hope found in Jesus. If we are to “Discover Jesus in Everyday Life”, then we need to invite Him into our own first and foremost. We’ve all seen the picture of Jesus standing at a door and knocking. As beautiful as it looks there is something wrong yet so right with that picture; there is no door knob. That’s because it’s on the other side where you are, and only you can open it.