The Book Report about Falling Short

“To err is human, to forgive is divine.” (ap)

An Essay in Criticism, by Alexander Pope. As writing in Eighteenth Century Pope’s Essay, goes:

Some tidbits of wisdom.

“Bad criticism does greater harm than bad writing.”

”True Ease in Writing comes from Art, not Chance,/ As those move easiest who have learn’d to dance. (ap)💃🕺🏻

“A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” (ap)

Indeed.

Sliced, dices, blown to smithereens in some instances.

Fast forward to the now that is this century.

Information recycling takes on whole new meanings of

Truth or Dare.

Force the other to despair.

Yep.

The playing field, not only has been gutted. It has been foolishly and carelessly replaced with treacherous and artificial means. Half truths, mis-truths, so many words, spoken words, and more-cover-up-rhetorical words.

Was it ever really alive in the first place? The truth. As the great biblical temptation story of Adam and Even has laid bare☺️—-who tempted who first. With the apple. With the story. With the candy. With the sugar. Who blinked? We may never know.

And.

Who took a bite outta who…….first.

Ouch.

Pope’s foundation of the frailties of the human truth, laid out long ago, have tested the brightest minds, the dimmest minds, and all the rest of the hooligans in between.

Into wondering.

What the heck IS going on?

Who is right anymore.

Who is wrong anymore.

Who knows.

Who cares.

Be the bigger person?

Nope.

The image is so much more important, what with 24/7 coverage of all things.

Me. Then. You…..Where is the US?

Quiz: Did you know, all you Bible thumpers out there. What is the only sin that God cannot forgive?

”The unpardonable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This includes ridicule and attributing the works of the Holy Spirit to the devil.”

Dogma versus Doctrine.

Said another way: “Only one sin that can’t be forgiven is on God’s list—and that is the sin of rejecting Him and refusing His offer of forgiveness and new life in Jesus Christ.” (rbg)

If anything, nowadays, in this century, the truth behind the belief is getting flushed out big time. Big time. Some may call it,

A cut.

A cut through the bs.

Why?

A lie has speed but the truth has endurance.

And.

We middle of the road hooligans are patiently waiting.

This is not about divergence, mind you. Not about branching out and celebrating differences. After all. Please remember,

We are all equal in His eyes.

And.

If you policy-dump another’s problems onto another, there can be little forgiveness available once the small dirt pile has grown into a giant heap of hate. Awareness of one another is the key.

I am well aware, at this moment in time, I may be guilty of bad writing, per Alexander Pope.

Better this than bad judgment.

Right?

What say you?

Tip: Be careful.

What you say, can and may and might be used against you—later on, by the game of truth or dare, force the other to despair…..

More importantly.

The kids really are watching. How to stand up to the playground bullies whether they be hot or whether they be cold, or whether they be skinny, or whether they be fat, or whether they be tall, or whether they be short.

Hopefully, by now, you get the point. Shaky foundations seldom stand up to the pressure of the day. Bullies push and push and push and push because they have been allowed to.

The message is delivered and the task of the day is often in figuring out how the race ends before it began. The lies take on a life of their own.

A lie has speed, but the truth has endurance.

The three most difficult words to utter?

“I am sorry.”

To err is human, to forgive, divine.

The wiggle room lies in the area somewhere between the cost to pay and the price already paid.

Albeit, mental, emotionally, socially, etcetera, etcetera. The difference, not the divergence, then becomes the who got caught and who did not—get caught.

With their hand in the proverbial cookie jar.

Truth or dare.

Force the other to despair.

Yes. And. No.

Serious is as serious does.

Taking the gut punches along with the “you’ve been served mentality” of a guy just trying to get along. In this crazy world of mishaps and mistruths and not nearly enough

“I’m sorries.”

Winning at all costs morphs into whole new hue and a shaded hedge of divergence. Wouldn’t you say, would you agree.

I dunno.

When did we go from its ok to be you and me to, you are different and I get more money?

There have become various avenues and boulevards to the taming of the shame, but in the end, if their is no bonafide belief, in Him— or in anything good for that matter.

No “I’m sorry” in the whole wide world will repair the shaken foundation. Perhaps that is what happened in the garden of Eden. There were no witnesses. Just Adam. Just Eve. And an apple.

The story as it unfolded was passed on and on. In the end it only proved the two to be, human. Remember not that faults, failings and the like are part of the human experience—-before we get all comfy in the moment. In comfortable comfort.

We are stronger together. This fact can be both a good thing and a bad thing. Depends on the movement of the day. Lessons of lifelong learning implore us to pay attention to the details.

Talk is cheap.

Patterns repeat for the luckiest who notice they are helpful in moving the barometer up or down. The temperature, too. The explosion of emotion.

Hop on the difference train? Hop on the divergent bus?

Forgiveness is a two way street practiced by the confidence of a belief in Him. He is the ultimate forgiver of all things true and good.

Fight the fight as best as capable.

Be kind and nice and take it on the chin when necessary and prudent.

We all say and do things we are less than proud of.

Remember take no comfort in this life lesson. Hopefully, the uncomfortable knowledge we goofed, blew it, made a mistake, exercised meanness, is noted with remorse annd regret. Believers in Him have the confidence—based on experience—to ask for forgiveness from those we wronged.

A big ole “I’m sorry” practiced as a way of life shows our imperfections are the things that make us different. It does not have to involved divergences. That is divisive at best. Derelict at worst.