This month in Atlanta, traffic was completely stopped, and travelers were trapped in their cars overnight when a snow storm caught them off guard, even though forecasters warned state and city officials of the storm's severity. Also this month, Congress approved a debit limit extension, ignoring economists' warnings of the long-term effects of living beyond our means.
The Jewish people, from Jeremiah to John the Baptist, had a history of ignoring the prophets who warned them of imminent danger if they didn’t turn around. “They refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing” (Zech. 7:11). Given mankind's penchant for ignoring warnings, I cannot deduce if it is a sign of increased lawlessness, or just a recurring pattern of sinful nature. Either way, it doesn’t bode well for our future. And that is a sign of the times.
Good morning Greg,
ReplyDeleteGood post. I think that warnings create a risk management profile within the listener. The listener either consciously or unconsciously determines several factors with regards to the loss represented by the warning. They determine the likelihood of the loss, the depth of the loss, and if the loss can be mitigated once it appears on the immediate horizon.
The first challenge with this, is that the process is initially largely emotionally apprehended with a bias towards things wanting to remain the same, because of the comfort of status quo.
An analogy would be the oil pressure light on the dash of a car. It comes on, indicating that there is a problem. The driver can still drive the car, and thinks that if it is "really bad," another warning will come. The next thing that happens is that the engine seizes, stranding the driver and costing significantly more money in an emergency situation.
The second challenge reveals the inner heart of the person playing the risk mitigation game. In essence, the person has said, "What I think, feel, and believe is more credible to me and more worthy of my respect and adoration than the God of the bible." That is the essence of idolatry. Personally, I have been far too wrong far too often to go against the One who never fails.
Godspeed!
Larry
What an insightful comment, Larry. It occurs to me that weighing the consequences of one's choices in the light of warnings (like the warnings given about bad weather) is like gambling, i.e., "I'll take my chances."
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