In his autobiography, volume 1, pages 299-300, Herbert W. Armstrong recounted a story from the late 1920’s of the head librarian of the technical and science department of a very large library. That librarian believed in the theory of evolution. “Mr. Armstrong,” she said, “you have an uncanny knack of getting right to the crux of a problem. Yes, I have to admit you have chopped down the trunk of the tree. You have robbed me of PROOF! But, Mr. Armstrong, I still have to go on believing in evolution… I am so STEEPED in it that I could not root it from my mind.”
That episode reminds me of the old saying that “there are none so blind as those who WON’T see.”
We can gasp at such an attitude, but can we be the same? At times, we can easily–far too easily–refuse to see or apply clear biblical instruction. Love covers all sins (Proverbs 10:12), but we can disseminate gossip to the hurt of others. Love suffers long and is kind (1 Corinthians 13:4), but we can be unkind in our approach to others. We are told to bridle our tongue (James 1:26), but how often are we steeped in ingrained behavior so that we tolerate our own wrong actions?
The Bereans proved that which was so (Acts 17:11). This was a positive approach whereas, today, there are some who look at things in a negative way. They search the literature of others in order to expose “error” as they see it. Some can be self appointed “watchmen,” but Jesus gave us solid teaching about the plank and the speck (Matthew 7:3-5). When this is mentioned in sermons, letters, editorials, personal comments or in any other written form, there can be those who indulge in such activities–like the evolutionist–who continue in their ways. They are seemingly unable to see that it can apply to them (and indeed to all of us), and they refuse to root out such actions that are both unhelpful and sinful.
Let us ALL see OUR shortcomings and failings in whatever areas they may be, and not be blind to their significance. Unfortunately, there may be those who read this Editorial who have a form of spiritual blindness or arrogance that may not allow them to see that they may be missing the mark.
The Church of God will be celebrating the Feast of Pentecost on Sunday, June 8. It was on the Day of Pentecost when God poured out His Spirit on the New Testament Church–God’s same Spirit that is available today to His called-out-ones. Let us make sure that we exercise God’s Spirit in our everyday lives and that the problems mentioned in this Editorial do not apply to us. And that the phrase “there are none so blind as those who WON’T see” simply does not describe us!
