Wednesday, October 26, 2016

                Some time ago, we bought a small, rawhide bone for one of our dogs, Charlie, because our other dog, Kramer, doesn’t usually prefer these types of bones. But neither dog has tried to chew it up.  Instead the little rawhide bone travels around the house or back yard. If Kramer carries it outside, Charlie hauls it back in. If Charlie carries it upstairs, Kramer will bring it back down to the living room. If Charlie leaves it in the family room Kramer will carry it to the front hall. And on it goes. Well traveled, but never chewed.

As the two dogs really don’t get along with one another, I suspect it’s not so much a game between the two as much as a way simply to annoy the other.  It doesn’t look as if either really cares about the bone, but the one dog merely moves it away from wherever the last dog left it in hopes it will irritate the other. Neither especially want the thing, but neither do they want the other to have it.

Of course, I am applying human behaviour and motives in this situation. It is not even coveting or greed really; more like along the line’s, “I don’t want you to have it, so I will take it, even though I don’t need it or will never use it.” 

This is my corner of the world; and I don’t have to share; go find your own corner.

This is my ‘piece of the pie’; go get your own.

This is my church building; I don’t want anybody else using it except just me and my friends, even though it is empty most days of the week.

This my country; I don’t want anybody living here that I don’t know or like, even though there is plenty of room for all.

I don’t want you, maybe even especially you, to have anything that I don’t have, or want, or think I need.

Perhaps ‘selfishness’ best describes the characteristic of having the same bone to pick even though it’s not really about the bone at all. Selfishness is not one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Maybe it should be #8, although it seems implied in almost all of them:  gluttony, pride, greed, covetousness, envy, lust and even laziness.

“An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends and against all sound judgment starts quarrels,” (Proverbs 18:1). I am sure you have seen children playing and one child picks up a toy and then the other child wants it immediately even though he or she had no interest in it just a few seconds ago. Then a fight ensues over the toy. Now expand that into adult behaviour and one gets the picture, but worse.

 Paul peers into his church at Corinth and fears the worst,  “I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder,” (2 Corinthians  12:10). The epistle of James echoes the concern, “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice,” (James 3:16). Or to put in in a more positive vein as Paul does in Philippians, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,” (Philippians 2:3).

Have you seen the ad for a new website for selling second-hand items? It’s called “Let It Go”.  That can be good spiritual advice, too. Let it go. Better yet, pass it on. Share. Let others in on the spiritual adventure of following Jesus Christ. There’s plenty to go around.

“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble, (1 Peter 3:8).

Now where do you put that old bone you have been chewing on for far too long?

Dale