Today's Journal
DOING GOOD II
As I stated yesterday in the Journal entry: ‘Good work is often Doing Good.’ And I would add, Doing Good is often doing Good Work.There is an obvious resistance to admitting that we are not doing well either to ourselves or to others. Though we may be having a terrible time of it with money trouble, health problems, relationship failures… you name it, and yet: ‘How y’all doing?’ Answer: ‘Doing good.’ We know many times we are all being careful, polite and impersonal. Much of what’s going on with us is no one else’s business… but not always.
I think one reason for the vague answers is that to admit to any failure, shame or imperfection is to neurotically admit to ourselves that we are not living up to a standard that is pleasing to the Lord and thus we are second-hand Christians. This is perhaps because we have had performance and works pounded into us for so long that any hint of not Doing Good is internally digested as failure. This is deep fried crazy thinking.
A quick read again of the prodigal son in Luke 15 and the response of the father to a son’s failure of wine, women and song, sports betting and pornography, watching filth and demonic movies, hanging out in a pagan culture on line and lying to self and others to cover it up… is all we need to know. It goes like this:
“So, he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.” Jesus