Heads or Tails

Statistics tell us that if we toss a coin a large number of times, it will fall equally on each side. So when we flip a coin to make a decision often enough, it will even itself out. A balance scale is only useful if we have the same weight to put on the opposite pan, otherwise it has no use.

If we hear a story from one source, and there are two people involved, it is unbalanced and incomplete. For a story to be corroborated in court, it needs at least one other witness, and for good reason. We can get only part of the story, and that can be misleading, perhaps sending the wrong message to the jury, and the wrong person being convicted.

As Christians we are warned against gossip. We tend to think gossip is a characteristic of dear old ladies only, but be careful. Hearing only one part of the story is like flipping the coin only once. You don't get the true result. Only by hearing all of the story, even in small segments (like tossing the coin many times) will we begin to see a more complete story. Humanly speaking it is impossible to be completely sure when or if we have the whole message, and only God knows the end from the beginning. The whole story. The whole 9 yards. The whole kit and caboodle!

I think, once again, that this is the reason (or at least one of them) that we must allow God to do the judging. We cannot afford to let a life or reputation fall on the single toss of a coin, can we? After all, it just could be our reputation one day, so  keep watching how the coin lands, and learn a more complete story. However, I am also very aware that first impressions (that first toss of the coin) can actually be a true reflection of the final outcome, but we owe it to ourselves and others to give the benefit of the doubt and see more of the story unfold before making our final decision. I think that’s only fair, don’t you?