Pentecost 101 Watch Out for the "A" Word

[HKHaugan]

Pentecost 101 Watch Out for the ‘A’ Word

“You scheme catastrophe; your tongue cuts razor-sharp, artisan in lies. You love evil more than good, you call black white. You love malicious gossip, you foul-mouth (Ps.52:2-4).”

In a recent pro football game the newly hired young coach of a Western team unleashed an intensely angry tirade at his offensive line. It was filled with a stream of filthy language. It was heard by millions on TV. I heard it. When understandable reactions clogged the phones and blogs, the network responded that it was sorry the language had been recorded by the sensitive field mikes that tend to pick up what they called ‘ambient sound.’ There was no apology for the language, just for the fact that the ‘ambient sound’ was ‘accidentally’ heard. Filthy language is now called ‘ambient sound.’ What’s even worse is the acceptance of what is known as ‘trash talk,' the insulting, biting language players throw at one another on the field of play. Every sports commentator I have seen ‘ambiently’ smiles at the abundance of it encouraging its use by saying ‘ambiently,’ ‘It’s part of the game.’

This dynamic of softening evil instead of hardening our resolve against it is just another example of the same dynamic at work throughout our culture. Movies rated PG might as well be R and R might as well be X. We are told at the beginning of movies and TV shows they ‘might’ contain ‘adult situations, adult language and are suitable for adults only.’ We just overlook it, excuse it, while at the same time confuse our kids by teaching them that they should look forward to being adults and act like adults. Who in his right mind really wants to become an adult or be an adult? What we are being conditioned for in our culture is ‘ambient morality.’

One columnist exposed a process that has been used in our culture and in some denominations to make evil behavior acceptable. It’s called ‘systematic desensitization.’ “This technique was first revealed by the now deceased Dr. Joseph Wolpe…a South African psychiatrist….Systematic desensitization involves the imaginary exposure to a feared stimulus while simultaneously applying relaxation. Wolpe came up with the concept now known as desensitization, reasoning that much of our behavior, both good and bad, is learned, and there is, therefore, no reason why it could not be unlearned.” This is a fancy way of repeating the old story of the frog put into gradually heating water. He doesn’t react and dies when it boils. One denomination uses the term ‘listening process’ which really means if we just spend enough time listening to why people sin the way they do we will ‘feel their pain’ and eventually change our moral standards to include their sin.

There is no end to the desensitizing process in our time. We are experiencing the desensitizing of morality, education, spirituality, theology and all the other areas that used to be called disciplines. In fact what we need to see is that desensitizing spirituality leads to desensitizing morality, which in turn undermines every other field of endeavor. It must be seen spiritually for what it is, the devil’s work. As Christians the need to be aware of it and stand against it begins within each of our hearts and the witness we bear around us. Evil is real. Sin is real. The devil is real. The way his spirits operate allows no one the luxury of spiritual relaxation.

For many of us this is the season of Advent (Latin: coming) in which we concentrate on the return of Jesus. If we are really looking forward to His return we must realize He is not happy with ‘ambient spirituality’ ‘ambient morality’ ‘ambient worship’ ‘ambient thinking’ nor ‘ambient behavior.’ He has made His position quite clear. His Cross says it all. He is the same God yesterday, today and forever. He fulfilled the Law, the moral perfection of His Father and the righteousness that demanded. He carried our ‘ambience’ to Calvary, shed His blood to cancel its power and rose to bring us the spiritual, moral and personal life in Him that has no end. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2Cor.5:21).”

And whatever we do don’t let Christmas become an ‘ambient’ holiday. Amen? Amen! Stay tuned………