"Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where
are they? Has no one condemned you?" Jn. 8:10
The story of the woman caught in adultery, and Jesus’ response to her
male would-be killers, is familiar to all of us who have spent much time in
church.
It is uncomfortable to admit, but true, nonetheless, that we sometimes find
ourselves in the position of those male accusers who Jesus confronted. There
are just SO many targets nowadays. Right or wrong, consciously or unconsciously,
we are making moral judgments all the time. To make matters worse, or more
confusing, our "targets" are constantly changing.
For example, I remember my grandmother, who would be about one hundred and
twenty-nine by now, and her condemnation of women who smoked. Granny Craig
labeled female smokers "strumpets", a rather archaic word to depict
a loose woman.
Never mind that Granny had dipped snuff since her teen years. Every time she
came to visit, I had to search for a spit can and a "snuff stick"……..
a twig to, as Jerry Clower would put it, "rowell around in your mouth."
I mean no disrespect for Granny Craig. I loved her very much…..except
for the dipping. She was a dear lady, generally very uncritical and accepting
of people. She just had a fixation about women who smoked.
So do I, for both sexes, and for health, rather than moral, reasons; however,
my "target" for the day is a different one, involving an incident
I heard about only yesterday…from two sources.
It seems that a recently-crowned beauty queen is an unwed mother. When I heard
about it, instinctively, and with a little encouragement, I picked up a rock.
Then I talked to my daughter, who has a different generational perspective
on such things, and I put the rock in my pocket (for possible future use.)
I am not big on beauty contests, anyway; however, my daughter made several
significant points. First, the young lady was selected by her fellow-students
in an open vote. They chose her…we didn’t. Should the school go
back and change the rules, a la the New Jersey Democrats, and pick someone
else?
Second, the legal question. What legal criteria can you set to limit the process?
Good point.
Third, what do you accomplish if you DO restrict or set boundaries unacceptable
to the young people? What message does this send? "We will let you choose,
but only if we approve?"
Those who are appalled at the incident (and I must admit, it makes me uncomfortable,
also), ask, "What message are we sending to our younger girls?"
It is a fair question, and one to be confronted. Perhaps a more important
message, not to be overlooked, is what the students may be telling us. Possibly
it is an "in-your-face" message to us that "this is OUR choice."
It wouldn’t be the first time
teen-agers have done this, either now or in earlier generations.
Guilty. How about you?
So, without praising or condemning, I’m saving my rock for a bigger target.
And there are plenty out there.
Ó2002 Dave Nelson