Playground Taunts

“It takes one to know one!” has been heard on the playground as children square off against each other with accusations and name-calling.  An earlier generation’s expression of similar behavior was the pot calling the kettle black.  Regardless of the colloquial wording, it is a matter of one party accusing another of what the first party is guilty of doing.  The Apostle Paul addressed this human failing in his letter to the Roman church, chapter 2:1, “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”  Even children can identify that the hand pointing the finger has three pointing back at them.

Paul teaches a sobering and convicting reality.  “Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?”  (Romans 2:2-3)  This serious warning should cause us to consider where we may have falsely projected something familiar from our personal experience onto someone who doesn’t actually participate in that behavior.  It happens often in marriages and other close relationships when suspicions, jealousy, or ill-willed acts are assumed to be reciprocal, but are not. 

Accusations are everywhere in today’s headlines.  Ironically, the accusers are so blinded by their attempt to cast blame that they are oblivious to having exposed their guilt through their specific allegations (how else would they know?).  But when the innocent party lobs the first volley in an attempt to expose an impending attack, it becomes extraordinarily difficult to discern who is right and who is wrong.  So, no one wins. Confusion and mistrust reign.  How do we move beyond this destructive behavior that seems to have no age-limit?

The mark of maturity at any age is to pause the blame-game to assess our part.  “But if we evaluated and judged ourselves honestly [recognizing our shortcomings and correcting our behavior], we would not be judged.”  (1 Corinthians 11:31 AMP) In this verse, Paul is not talking about being judged by men, but by God Who is the only Righteous Judge, and Who will at the end of time judge the deeds of men committed while they were alive in the flesh (2 Corinthians 5:10).  Because the time of this judgment is unknown, many of us act as if it will not happen, or figure that we will somehow be able to avoid it.  But God’s proclamation in scripture is set.  The time between now and then is God’s grace to give us the opportunity to repent and change.  We learn God’s response to whatever we confess now in Psalm 103:12: “as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” His grace means that anything dealt with now by judging ourselves will not come up at the judgment.  The additional bonus is the opportunity not to repeat behavior that is destructive to ourselves and others.

On the playground of life where others do not necessarily play by God’s rules, what do we do when we’re falsely accused?  Jesus modeled trusting His Father to be His Defense so that He didn’t need to defend Himself.  He always spoke truth, not in defense but as statement of fact, while taking no offense.  His attitude and actions set Him above baseless accusations, exposing His accusers in their frenzied fearfulness of spouting lies.  The question is whether we will trust God as Jesus did to defend and protect us from playground bullies.  What is it that we’re tempted to handle ourselves that the God of the Universe can’t and won’t do better?