Strength and Honor

“𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐦𝐞, 𝐎 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝; 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲: 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝; 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞.
𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐞, 𝐎 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞; 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭.
𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬: 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡.
𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐈 𝐠𝐨
𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬.”
𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝟐𝟔:𝟏-𝟒

I know I’ve read the verse above over a hundred times. And yet last night an entirely new understanding was given to me regarding its meaning.

Despite being an avid reader growing up, I don’t think I had ever come across the word “dissemblers” outside of this verse, and always assumed it meant those who cause disunity, or dis-assemble, as it were. But suddenly last night I was inspired to look it up in the interlinear.

The Hebrew word for dissemblers used here actually means “hidden” or “secret.” And Psalm 26 is the only time it’s used in reference to people, i.e. those who conceal, and hide. The synonym for the English word is hypocrite.

The more I read through Psalms, the more I’ve realized that David boasts countless times of how he disassociates himself from those who deal in secrecy, dishonesty, hypocrisy, and who walk not uprightly. And he does this to prove his INTEGRITY.

The darkness is deep in our SC politics. And while I’m not green to holding our elected officials accountable, it never ceases to amaze me how professed Christians accuse those of us operating in transparency and truth as “divisive.”

(It’s interesting to note here that the scriptures which warn against those who “sow discord” are always in reference to the slanderers, whisperers, secret dealers, and backbiters — never the light bearers.)

There’s a reason why SC is the bluest red state in the nation. The rest of the country actually mocks us for the depth of our swamp. And honestly, I blame the milquetoast “Christian” Republicans, because they piously adhere to unbiblical principles so often preached in our Bible Belt pulpits — principles that value facade, friendship, and feelings over facts, and that extol compromise in any effort to avoid contention.

They forget that the swamp was built on compromise. I believe many folks in politics begin with good intentions, as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as Mr. Smith gone to Washington. But whether it’s the titillation of titles and associations, or the cowardice of consent, more often than not they fall into the trap of accepting the status quo rather than upending it.

Walking resolutely in truth is why we love Trump and his wrecking ball administration, and why we staunchly support the Freedom Caucus in their stand against the misdealings of house Republicans who continually vote against our platform.

If we bend a knee or turn a blind eye to corruption in order to harbor a facade of unity, then TRUTH is no longer our Lord, but instead our idol has become a title, a friendship, or a party. If we go in with these dissemblers, then any integrity we imagined we had is totally made void, and we have become the very swamp we swore to drain.

Honor isn’t proven when the going is good. Honor is established when lines have to be drawn.

There is no unity between darkness and light. Jesus himself said He came as a SWORD OF DIVISION, to set a man at variance against his father, daughter against mother, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law (Luke 12:34-36). And anyone who loves this life more, whether mother, father, title, friend, or party, is not worthy of Him.

Now is the time we must move forward uncompromised in disallowing the back-slaps and winks of the past that have kept this party hindered.

Let us unify in strength, honor, and truth.