A Reed Swayed by the Wind

This week it was my turn to share my daily devotion at the CG meeting. I choose to reflect on a question Jesus asked, “what did you go out in the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind?...” (Luke 7:24-26) . So, pardon me if you find this posting spiritual.
photo: frozen pond at Harvest Field, State College (2007)
The question was obviously referring to John the Baptist,* who was definitely not a reed swayed by the wind. If only he could have bowed like a reed to Herod, and have complied with the court, he might have been a favorite there; but alas, none of these things moved him. And because he held steadfast to his calling and refused to comprise his principles, he lost his head literally.

To the reed, it doesn’t matter which direction the wind blows. It will just sway along, first in one direction and then in another, shifting with every wind. In today’s context, this is a virtue! “Flexibility” is the name of the game. Don't get me wrong, I am not against flexibility. Indeed, I have taught my students, "since future needs and lifestyles cannot be anticipated with great accuracy, it is important to provide flexible designs which allow convertibility from one function to another".

However, in a spiritual context, it is not good to waver in one's faith. Christians are exhorted to be persistent. Persevere for a worthy cause ... Don’t give up when you know what is the right thing to do. James 1:6 cautions, “a doubtful mind will be unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind; and every decision you then make will be uncertain, as you turn first this way, and then that.”

However, there is a fine line between being "persistent" and being "stubborn". Most would agree that the first is commended, but the second is bad. So, how do we differentiate them? Both involve a refusal to listen, a refusal to change one's perspective! In my opinion, a key difference is "the cause", i.e. the motivation. An author wrote "if the goal is personal honor or gain, persistency may be no more than stubbornness." Another difference I think has to do with the heart. Pride is the twin sister of stubbornness.

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photo: Hofstra University, USA (2008)...

reflection: Stubbornness can blind a person to the truth.

“Time and time again, God had sent prophets to warn them of how far they had turned away from him and to call them back. But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their fathers, who did not trust God… They rejected his decrees. " (2 Kings 17: 13-15)

"I have called you so often but still you won't come. I have pleaded, but all in vain. For you have spurned my counsel and reproof. Some day you'll be in trouble... For you closed your eyes to the facts and did not choose to reverence and trust the Lord..." (Proverbs 1:24-29)

*A Short Biography of John the Baptist
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The story of John the Baptist is told in the Gospels. John was the cousin of Jesus, and his calling was to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. He lived in the wilderness of Judea between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. He was dressed in clothes made of camel's hair and had a leather belt around his waist. He lived in the desert and ate locusts and wild honey.

John went through all the country around the Jordan calling for a change in religious life. He preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Crowds of people came confessing their sins and he baptized them in the Jordan River. Jesus was also baptized by John.

John always spoke the truth, even when people didn't want to hear it. He fearlessly confronted King Herod Antipas with the evil things he had done. In particular, John denounced the incestuous union of Herod with his niece and brother’s wife, Herodias. Eventually, this stand for the truth cost John his life.

source: LAB & http://gardenofpraise.com/bibl36s.htm