Its Hard To Be Frivolous When The World Is Going To Hell

Common Sense Commentary: Ecclesiastes 3:1 & 4 says "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.... A time to weep, and a time to laugh."

I have visited the sick and terminally ill, in hospitals, thousands of times in 60 years of ministry. During those visits, there have been numerous occasions when I would be praying with the spouse or other family members while some other friends or family would continue talking loudly or laughing at something in their conversation. That was always an excruciating experience for those praying and the one who was sick. I always had the same reaction. "What kind of people are these who have no consideration for the sick and dying ... no sensitivity to God or prayer.... no common sense in their inappropriate actions at such a time." A sick room is not the time or place for loud talking and uproarious laughter... ever. It is especially disturbing to the sick and dying. There is a time for talk and a time for quiet, a time to weep and a time to laugh.

Even when at a concert or play or performance where talking in the audience is distracting and totally out of place, those same kinds of people seemingly cannot resist continuous chatter. Many times, while preaching God's word, I could hear teens or a couple bantering back and forth out in the audience. The annoyed glances of those around them often had no effect at all. Numbers of times I have stopped and asked people to please cease talking during the service, if a deacon had no results.

I remember a young man, during the Korean War, who had never learned to whisper.  No matter how life threatening the occasion, when absolute quiet was essential, he would say something out loud and jolt every Marine around him like an electric shock. A night patrol in enemy territory or when about to be attacked by a quietly approaching enemy, is no time to talk or make any noise whatever.

Recently a reader of this blog said they didn't want to hear any more about the crisis the world and our country are in because there was nothing they could do about it. Many people have a very low tolerance for crisis, danger and anything negative. "Tell me something funny, something inspiring or something  wonderful" is what they want. Yes, there is a time for humor, for laughter, for inspiration and for things wonderful. It may be surprising, but there is far more in the Bible about judgement, sin and hell than there is about commendation, purity and heaven. We are not in danger of commendation, purity and heaven but of those other three, unpleasant aspects of God's word.  The Bible is the most balanced writings, on all those six subjects, of any book or literature ever written. What we all should want to hear is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I can deal with the truth no matter how unpleasant. What I cannot deal with is exaggeration, misrepresentation, falsehood and lies.... especially when souls or lives or safety are in danger. My Lifetime pursuit is for the truth on all subjects ... but I demand it when involving the survival of our country and the eternal survival of souls is concerned.   Positive thinking, if it is truly worth embracing, explores and seeks the truth and the solving of serious problems as well as thinking and speaking happy thoughts.

It's hard to be frivolous when our country and the world are going to hell.  RB