I remember well the birth of the Internet. The “Information Superhighway” was coming and many of us were quick to jump on board. Within milliseconds we can find out anything about anything today. I still love the Internet all the knowledge and resources it provides.
With all that knowledge available to us though, how do we decide what knowledge to seek? Paul gave the church at
I got to thinking this morning about this concept of naiveté. How would I feel if someone referred to me as naïve? My gut response would be that I had just been insulted. We somehow have a notion that we need to know everything about everything. Men especially, I think, find being considered naïve to be a bad thing. “I am not naïve, I am a real man.” How have we learned to connect naiveté with a lack of manliness?
I can remember far too many conversations with brothers in Christ where we almost get into a competition to prove which of us is more worldly minded. If I don’t know as much about even evil things as the next guy I can feel like I am not as “tough” as he is. I even have to say that have been involved in conversations where naiveté about evil things has been replaced with braggadocio.
We are, of course going to encounter evil in our every day lives. We cannot afford to be ignorant of the dangers of evil. We need to know the warning signs so that we are not caught off guard. Paul need not say to be ignorant, but simple regarding evil. Studying evil can be exciting and titillating. I think most of us know what I am talking about here. Just going that little bit farther in our research so that we can be better prepared. Is that always the case, or might we at times got that little bit father to gratify our flesh?
Be wise about good and naïve about evil. Does that really describe my attitude to life? Oh for the days when naiveté was not something to be embarrassed about.
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