Moral Authority

There is a movie called “Time Changer”, about a man who gets transported through time several hundred years from the past to modern day. It’s a lesson for him because in his time period he was writing a book about how good principals could be taught without the need of mentioning Christ: where the principals come from. 

He soon learns of the desensitization that has occurred in our world now that morals are taught without the authority of Christ. If we tell someone that it is wrong to steal, but don’t tell them why or who said that it was wrong to steal, it means nothing to them. People need to know that it isn’t wrong just because it’s wrong, it’s wrong because God says so.

When we teach morality without authority, we don’t get results. If we had laws, but no police department to enforce them, everyone would break the laws because there is no authority to hold them accountable. That’s why people once called police officers “Authorities”, we have to answer for our mistakes and crimes. It is the same with God’s laws, the laws of morality and humanity.

We have been given guidelines and mandates for our lives. The Ten Commandments, the commands of Christ to love each other and worship only Him are for our protection as much as our pleasure. God wants His people to be safe, so He tells us not to kill each other. God doesn’t want us to kill each other so He said not to steal, deceive, or covet. God loves you, He wants you to both be safe and joyful. So, He gave you laws to abide by for safety and blessing.

We need to make sure we tell people the values and the rules with who gives us those values and rules and why they are important. The morals alone are not enough to make people abide by them. We can’t teach anything without authority, else why would anyone listen? So teach morals with the authority of Christ.

As always, thanks for reading.

–the anonymous novelist
 

In The Interest Of Full Disclosure

Mom and Dad get back today. We have survived without them in Florida for the last 10 days, and are now traveling to Louisiana for a concert this evening.

We stayed with our adopted Grandparents for the ten days that Mom and Dad were in Uganda, and only had to perform one concert without them; that concert was yesterday morning. It’s definitely a different dimension to sing without the extra two balancing voices of our group. Without Mom and Dad we have one alto, one soprano, a bass, and two leads, (sometimes three), so the adjustment of volumes for parts is more difficult for the sound guy, (me). 

It’s also been different to sing parts and verses of songs that we’ve never, or have very rarely, sang in concert. There is an adjustment for our concerts, but it’s also an adjustment to live without the managers of the family. Most of us are capable of looking out for ourselves, but very few have the awareness and frame of mind to take initiative and look out for the others. Without a set force to take measure and set the rules and plans, a loose schedule is adopted and followed even looser. 

Not many of us children are yet old enough to be self-motivated for the sake of keeping food on the table and clothes on our backs. We’ve never had to worry about certain things; but now that we’re on our own, so to speak, we get to really experience, at the very least in a small portion, what life is like.

It’s been a rude awakening, and by that I mean we slept in ’til all hours of the afternoon, and stayed up late doing… Really nothing. Well, I say that, but Josh was able to edit a music video he filmed, and I signed contracts with a publishing company to get my first project in your hands! It’s been productive, but perhaps we could’ve utilized our time better and more efficiently with someone giving commands and knowing what is needed to be accomplished. 

It’s been fun, it’s been wild, but it’s about to end, then life goes back to normal… Haha, well I say normal; really, normal for us is just crazy and bizarre. But our parents return today and a bit of balance will return with them. 

The bus that we are intent on purchasing is a shell that we will have to build as we travel in it, and things will fall into place rapidly once Mom and Dad hit the ground in the US today. It’s going to be a wild ride and I’ll keep you posted.

As always, thanks for reading.

—the anonymous novelist