Tuesday, April 21, 2009

A Most Unforgivable Sin

They're all talking about the "most expensive divorce in Hollywood history". First of all, divorce is not news in Hollywood, second, divorce is not news anywhere. We are a society of expendables and planned obsolescence. In California, there's an uproar about the legality of same sex marriage, why? Our society seems to have misplaced the value and solemnity of marriage. There was a startling statistic about the rate of divorce in our country, slightly over 50% of marriage end in divorce. Nothing startling anymore about that statistic, marriage is a casualty of a "throw-away" lifestyle. More often than not infidelity is the reason for divorce. Usually, the media has a scorned woman involved. Somebody figured out that news about women extracting vengeance on men "sells papers". It is an age-old problem... Hell has no fury like a woman scorned. That adapted phrase came from a play, "The Mourning Bride" by William Congreave, written in the 1690's. The line from the play, "Heav'n has no Rage, like Love to Hatred turn'd, Nor Hell a Fury, like a Woman scorn'd.", speaks to the reason for the fury as love lost. The examples of this fury are many. In Genesis 39, Joseph is a servant of Potiphar, Pharaoh's captain of the guard. Potiphar's wife entreated Joseph with sexual temptation and his refusal got him jail time. Judges 16 tells us Samson found himself powerless at Deiliah's hand after he lied to her. As a result of casting dispersions on Herodias, wife of Herod, John the Baptist lost his head (Matthew 14:1-9). Modern examples come easily to mind as the salacious news of the day pervades our media. Carrie Underwood's song "Before He Cheats" is a chart topper. Perhaps huge divorce settlements have supplanted the inner desires of the scorned to do physical harm to the scorner. Are men held blameless, simply suffering from ravages of women gone wild? Is this the remedy for a most unforgivable sin?
This rage is perhaps understandable but in context is it justifiable? As relationships go there is an unspeakable scorn that occurs daily in our lives. Men and women scorn equally. God loves us all with such intensity that He has given His Son so that we may live eternally. Jesus brings a resolution to the dilemma of mankind. Yet, for most of us, we scorn God's Love almost everyday. We fail to live up to the least of His expectations. Our responsibility to God is relatively simple. Love God with all your heart. Love one another. Be grateful for the blessings bestowed on us. God steps up amidst our scorn and offers forgiveness. How small we are in comparison... Our vengeance makes us smaller. Consider the wrath of God and His forgiveness when you think with fury about extracting remedies for the scorn of your love. Have a grateful, forgiving heart. Love God. Love one another.

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