What Honor and Dishonor Reveal

Surely this has already been pointed out by others, but this past week I saw it highly ironic and the height of hypocrisy that some of the very ones who lauded Colin Kaepernick for taking a knee in protest against America at NFL games castigated Vice President Mike Pence for sitting in protest against North Korea at the Olympic games. Let’s get this straight: They honored Kaepernick for dishonoring America but dishonored Pence for not honoring North Korea. No country has championed human rights like America, and no country has violated human rights like North Korea. But, Kaepernick is a hero and Pence is a villain. I have no desire to get into the interpretations of these events involving these two figures or the political arguments surrounding them, but, just taking things as they appear, there is really no other way of interpreting them; if the impressions left by main-stream media are extrapolated, America is to be dishonored, and North Korea is to be honored at “games.” To me, this is but systemic of a deeper problem: Increasingly, in our country what should be honored is dishonored and what should be dishonored is honored. It is all so reminiscent of the prophet’s prescience of a people who “…call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness;” (Isa. 5:20). The most alarming aspect of all of this is that a person’s heart is revealed by what he honors. So is a country’s. There is such a paucity of the use of the word “honor” that I pause to define it: To honor is to regard or treat someone with admiration, respect, and, thus, to give that one special recognition. Take a look at who is honored with airtime, awards, accolades, and applause in the pop media. Next, take a look at who is dishonored. You have just observed the true state of America. As a minister, I have had something happen a few times after speaking: Someone has approached me with the program for the evening, the notes for the meeting, or his Bible, and ask for my autograph. Because of my temperament, that makes me feel more uncomfortable than flattered. Signing the inside cover of a Bible has always impressed me as being a possible violation of the sacred. However, I have autographed the Bible (not claiming to have written any of it) all tense, half-expecting a lightning bolt. That’s just me. I am glad however, that one father explained his request to me. He said, “I want your autograph for my children, because I want them to have ministers, men of God, as their heroes.” I get what he got. It matters who and what we honor. It both molds and reveals our hearts. Take a look at the face of America—it’s movies, music, manipulators of education: Honor is given to filthy talking, filthy living immoral Hollywood stars and ridicule and dishonor to any who attempt to live a Biblical Christian life. A debauched music star overdoses, and his life is portrayed as artistic, accomplished, to be honored. Yet, almost every preacher portrayed as benign, weak, hypocritical, dishonorable. The college student that lauds communist leaders such as Castro is honored. The college student who voices his belief in intelligent design is ridiculed. One who explores his sexuality by mutilating his body in gender modification attempts is honored. A single who professions his/her commitment to remain “pure” until marriage is mocked, ridiculed, dishonored. A gay pride parade in Washington is planned, and the media praises it. A military parade is planned, and the media lambastes it. Jesus pointed out, when vehemently attacked, that all He had ever done was honor His Father; His enemies, on the other hand, had not ceased to dishonor Him. Simply put, they honored and dishonored the wrong things. To Jesus, what they honored and dishonored revealed their hearts. It still does.

What Honor and Dishonor Reveal

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