Tangled Webs

Walter Scott Quoted: O, what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive!

In many ways deceiving someone is worse than telling them a lie. A lie can be a short, even simple deviation from truth, and as long as you have a good memory, you can get away with it for a long time before being found out. Deceit however takes effort and time to build up a new and different picture which might have a basis of truth, but that kernel of truth is coated in another layer of deceit, and so it goes on with every part of the tangled web we try to weave. Let’s face it, we all know at least one person who is adept at this deliberate attempt to make themselves look better by trying to rewrite the truth to suit their own needs.

The child of God doesn’t need to fall into webs of deceit anyway, so why bring this subject up? Well, you could be forgiven for thinking the Christian is exempt, but think again. Are you always up front and clear in your speech to others? Sometimes we don’t want to tell that nice church steward how you really feel when they ask how you are doing, and that might be because you don’t have time to go into it. Or the subject is personal. Or just maybe you feel it’s none of their business. In any event what we say (yes, I do it too) can sometimes bear no resemblance to what we really feel or think. I agree that this example is not a particularly good one, and not very serious in anyone’s thinking.

Let your mind wander for a minute. No one wants to look bad to their family and friends. That’s human nature I believe, but that bit of our nature opens the door to more serious forms of deceit. The guy in church who always has it together, you know, the one who is the life of any group and knows and quotes his Bible sincerely? Is it possible that he is spinning a web of deceit, but all for good reason of course? Could he be hiding a broken relationship, marriage, or heart? It may be better for him to rise above his feelings when among friends. After all, nobody likes a moaner-groaner!

Then what about the well dressed lady who is always depressed and down, and first to tell you how bad things really are when you ask how she is doing, and she can go on a bit? Is it likely or probable that she is spinning her own web of deceit because she lost her husband just over a year ago, and doesn’t want her friends to know that she is really relieved because he was not good to her. It would look all wrong to her friends if she looked too upbeat when she should still be in mourning.

These are two very short and unlikely examples, but not impossible to understand. Now take a step back and look at yourself in the mirror. Is the person you see there, the same person that everyone else sees and knows? No, I thought not. Me neither!

Free?

In the beginning, the world wide web was introduced with a fanfare of freedom, uncensored useage, and unrestricted content, but especially free and unrestricted. Brilliant, a place where you can say what you like, display what you want, express yourself without worry, and no one will pull you up for it.

This past week the UK has seen the suicide of another teenage schoolgirl, who was cyber-bullied to such an extent she saw only one way to stop it. I said ‘another’ because this is not the first, and will not be the last. In the meantime, the anonymous bullies (that’s a nice word for them) slink back into the shadows where they belong.

Is this the way it should be? I am sure this kind of ‘freedom’ wasn’t seen as any way to abuse the privilege. After all, every freedom comes with cost and consequence. Now, late in the day, our politicians are trying to find ways to govern this kind of misuse of the internet social media sites. Oh hold on, isn’t this censorship? The very thing the advocates of the www were trying to avoid? In a word, yes, and rightly so. Do we really need websites which show child abuse, pornography, and gratuitous violence to name a few? While this is going on, there are those ultra liberals who reckon this is a price we pay for our personal freedoms. Eh?? Run that by me again, or better still, talk to the growing number of grieving families.

Rules in some form or another have been with us from the beginning. Remember Adam being told not to eat the forbidden fruit? The ten commandments? The rules of your local club, or your own church denomination? The speed limit? The laws of the land? All of these are necessary rules to live by, not because personal freedom isn’t important, but because we must take care of the greater good of our wider society and community. That’s just putting others before ourselves. It is no mistake that the best guide book in the world, the Bible has rules to live by. Some parts say ‘do not’ and some say ‘do this’, and every one makes our society a better place, while at the same time protects our own freedom. What’s not to like about that?

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 1 Peter 2:13,14 NIV