Contemplative Bible Reading

2 Corinthians 4:2 (New Living Translation)

2 We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.

“Got ya,” we would shout in triumph.

We were kids (little boys as maybe little girls didn’t do this to each other so much). One game was called “flinch.” You would fake a hard punch on someone. If they flinched, you new could punch them as hard as you wanted in the arm. Some would twist their arm out of shape to increase the pain. Some would point a knuckle out of shape to make a painful point.

Those were shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We “tricked” other kids into doing what we wanted.

Adults? We do the same as the game of “flinch.” “If you examine the contract we signed, I didn’t dot an ‘i’ on line 23 of page 13. Therefore, the contract is void per the void-dance statements in the footnote on page 41.” See? Got ya!

Sigh.

Paul taught people about God and Jesus Christ. The teaching was straight. No shameful deed. No underhanded methods. No “bait and switch,” no game of “flinch.” This is the situation. This is what God offers. Do we accept? Honest. Candid. Truth.

I pray that we stay with those things. Nothing else is need. Anything else is shameful.