Both spiritually and physically the life-successful person lives by affirmation, not by negation. Scripture often includes in the discourses of Jesus the negatives of leading or authoritative persons and follows with the affirmations of Jesus. Often the negatives are shrouded in questions that imply the questioner already knows the answers he and his colleagues believe to be the acceptable ones – and is trying to trip-up the visiting peripatetic evangelist. Often Jesus poses a question, perhaps to keep the discussion on a high level. There is commonly a mixture of objectivity and closed mindedness among his listeners. On some occasions Jesus and the disciples move on to another venue and on others the questioners drop away – or act in manner to diminish the popular response to Jesus’ message, so to at last dispose of him. The people heard him gladly. (Luke 8:40) They often do when they feel he is being truly communicated. When they don’t they belong to the skeptics, whether in sincerity to learn or in prejudice. Even Herod heard John the Baptist gladly. (Mark 6:20) Without ill will Jesus challenges skeptics, to provide a better answer to the questions about faith related to life in nature to death and spiritually to faith in God’s economy. It offers more than any other proposal that might be offered, imagined or implied in any other context. The spiritual mystery in truth is implied in the effective life offered in the physical world. He asks only for that from us permitting a redemptive solution to humanity on his terms as holy and loving God. He expects follow-up in righteous conduct to prove the reality. All of this is done in an affirmative context that reaches upwards to better things, not downward to loss. We remember that God cannot deny himself.
One of the paradoxes of human beings relates to the affirmative/negative pattern we tend to follow. We often react in anger to an affirmative proposal with negative response. Parenting often encounters the problem. Parenting expectations and skill in affirmations will make considerable difference not only in gaining obedience from growing children, especially those anchored in the puberty years, but in life forming. Persons, young and old, form what they want to be, or feel that they want to be – even if they are unaware of the life factor. If they fail to learn the affirmative approach that directs them to growth and improvement in the positive affirmations, they will tend to lose perspective so to mix affirmatives and negatives as though they are of one character. (We must remember that the negative statements from God’s representatives are cast so to reflect the affirmatives – as: thou shalt not bear false witness, is the other side of the coin: always tell the truth. This has been addressed in other paragraphs in these Pages.)
Paradoxes become contradictions when we respond negatively to others, and we may be offended when others respond negatively to us. Some persons become so stern in the conflict of affirmative/negative mix that they seem to be at odds even with loved ones. They break up families, are fired from their jobs, are not well directed in a consistent life, are more likely to fall to prejudice, and if they become violent the matters of life can become tragic. They may be rebels without a cause. Causes are not won on negative premises. They can be lost that way. If they carry weight in society we see problems in various ways – commonly in political exchanges that lead to government stall and social malaise. At this writing American society is going through transition to a national health program. It has divided the people it is meant to serve. Opponents would throw it out. Defenders would hold out for it. It appears that no one is talking about the affirmative of amendment that might well correct whatever is negative in the program. We must wait to see if there is maturity among elected leaders to find a way out of the morass, the misunderstandings, the high cost, and find a way to minister practically to health needs. Whether personal or social, the secret to solutions is in the affirmation of people, under God, and the discovery of that affirmative (sometimes seen as optimism), that makes the difference in the interpretation of life. Can persons be led so to make personal freedom practical in a society that requires some control, some limitation, some time period to practice the affirmations of mankind, and hopefully of God? We need divine (affirmative) faith systems. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020