Jim Wilson's Blog, page 4

The Immanency of Conversion

There are two verses in the Scripture that speak to theimmanency of conversion.

“Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months untilharvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe forharvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop foreternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus thesaying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you havenot worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped thebenefits of their labor” (John 4:35-38).

“Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentifulbut the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send outworkers into his harvest field’” (Matt. 9:37-38).

These are the truths: the harvest is ripe; the harvest isplentiful; and there are few harvesters. That means that there are more peoplewho want to get into the kingdom than there are Christians who want them in.

Over the years, I have not been fruitful in expressing thebad news prior to the good news. People need to know what they are being savedfrom. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects theSon will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them” (John 3:36). There aremany texts on judgment in the New Testament.

This post coordinates with today's reading in the SamePage Summer Bible Reading Challenge. If you are not in a daily readingplan, please join us at TotheWord.com. We would love to have you reading withus.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Joy

Here are five biblical passages on joy:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness” (Galatians 5:22).

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes onthe vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, thoughthere are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoicein the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (Habakkuk 3:17-18).

“The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior whosaves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebukeyou, but will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me awilling spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, sothat sinners will turn back to you” (Psalms 51:12-13).

“The seventy-two returned with joy and said, ‘Lord, even thedemons submit to us in your name.’ He replied, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightningfrom heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions andto overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do notrejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are writtenin heaven’” (Luke 10:17-20).

The cause of joy on earth and in heaven is our salvation.Our joy is a cause in others’ salvation.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Same Page Summer 2025

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God maybe thoroughly equipped for every good work. In the presence of God and ofChrist Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of hisappearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: preach the Word; be preparedin season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage, with great patienceand careful instruction" (2 Timothy 3:16-4:2).

"Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading ofScripture, to preaching and to teaching" (1 Timothy 4:13).

There was a time when there were very few Bibles, even in culturedlands. There were no printing presses, and most of the people were illiterate.If people received the Word, it was through the public reading of Scripture bypeople who could read and had the Scriptures. Now in the church today in this country,we can read, and we each own at least one Bible.

A year ago* at one of our schools of practical Christianity,we asked the students three questions: "How long have you been aChristian? How many times have you read the New Testament? How many times haveyou read the Old Testament?" When the answers were added, we found outthat the average reading of the New Testament was every 2 ½ years, and theaverage reading of the Old Testament was every 7 years.

This last weekend, I was at a men’s conference, and I askedthe same three questions. The total number of years of Christianity was 514.5years. The total number of times through the New Testament was 36 and throughthe Old Testament was 18. In other words, the New Testament was read every 14 yearsand the Old every 28 years. This amounts to spending less than 30 seconds aday in the Bible. This is not very encouraging.

Here is a printable plan we hope will encourage you to read theNew Testament. Even if you are a very slow reader, you can read the whole Biblethrough in 80 hours. If you are a listener instead of a reader, you can listento the whole Bible on an audio app. I listen in my car and enjoy it very much. You can find more info on the plan at TotheWord.com. The plan starts next Monday.

*Written May 1992. Updated to include details of the 2025 Same Page Summer reading plan.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Loving Your Parents

Dear Mary,

Your good letter arrived today, and I thought it need an immediatereply.

I am glad to see that you really saw the change in Susie’srelationship with her parents when she took the action she took of writingletters of respect and love to them. Then you said that you did not take thatsame action, and in fact, you were not sure that you wanted their love. And themore you prayed for them, the less you felt attached to them, and this includedyour whole family.

Well, you are doing things backwards. You do not want theirlove, you pray for them, and you feel less attached to them. Listen, God didnot give you those unloving feelings. The enemy gave you those unloving feelings.Since God did not give them to you, and you decided to have them from someother source, you are going to have to repent of those feelings. Repent of yournot wanting their love. You will not be able to grow in the Lord without takingthis action. You might learn more, and you might not get really back-slidden,but you will not grow until you take care of this problem.

Susie took care of her problem first, and then she wrote theletter. She took care of her problem by confession, repentance, getting rid ofall of her negative feelings which she had toward her parents. So when shewrote the letter, it was not a hypocritical letter, it was a real letter. Andbeing I real letter, it got a real response. You haven’t written the letterbecause you have not taken care of the problem. If you wrote one with your presentfeelings, of course it would sound phony. So, you get to the Lord and confess allof your unlove for your family. You stay with it until it is all gone.

After you have been forgiven, cleansed, you still may notlove them, but you will be clean. From a clean position, then, you chooseto love them because they are your parents, because they are your neighbors,because they are enemies. Regardless of who they are, you should still lovethem.

You are not looking forward to Christmas at home because ofprevious unpleasant times at home. That is why you must take care of your sideof the problem, until you have confessed your unlove and chosen to love them,and then express your love toward them either on the telephone or in writing,so they can respond to love. When they do, it might change your view aboutbeing home at Christmas. If you are in some other Christian home that is happy,it is a happy Christian home for a reason (they forgive each other), and it canbe the same reason in your parents’ home, only you have to act on it as aChristian.

This is a rather strong letter. I hope you receive it inlove and get with the Lord and take action. Give my love in the Lord to theother believers.

In His love,

Jim Wilson

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Relationships with Parents

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may livelong in the land the Lord your God is giving you” (Exod. 20:12).

Of the many talks I frequently give, those which havereceived the most favorable response and the most fruitful application amongyoung and old alike are “How to Be Free from Bitterness” and “Relationshipswith Parents.” Right now, I am sitting in a study room at the Illinois StreetResidence Hall at the University of Illinois. Last week, at Urbana ’93, Iconducted a workshop on relationships with parents. Only about 50 studentsattended the workshop. The shock, the incredulity, the rebellion, and the impossibilityof putting this teaching into effect showed in the tears, the questions, thecomments, and the follow-up conversations. That is why I am here writing itdown.

I would first like to draw your attention to two passages inthe Old Testament. I will comment on them, then make a few suggestions forapplying these Scriptures in your life.

“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form ofanything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. Youshall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am ajealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third andfourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to thousands who loveme and keep my commandments” (Deut. 5:8–10).

“Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of hisfather?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful tokeep all my decrees, he will surely live. The soul who sins is the one who willdie. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father sharethe guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be creditedto him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him” (Ezek.18:19–20).

When we read in Deuteronomy 5:10, “punishing the childrenfor the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hateme,” we could conclude that this is not just. However, throughout the entireeighteenth chapter of Ezekiel, we see that children are not held responsiblefor the sins of their fathers. So what is the second commandment saying? It issaying that sin flows downhill. The sinful influence of our ancestors affectsus, overlapping and passing through several generations. This is generationalbad news.

However, the sentence does not end with verse 9; itcontinues with “but showing love to thousands who love me and keep mycommandments.” The word “thousands” is really “thousands of generations,” incontrast to three or four generations. How do we know it is “thousands ofgenerations”? First, it is the only way the sentence makes sense, and, second,two chapters later we have an explicit statement to that effect: “Knowtherefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping hiscovenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep hiscommands” (Deut. 7:9). Sin and hatred of God cause the downward movement tothree or four generations, and obedience and love of God cause the upwardmovement to a thousand generations.

I have heard this many times: “I decided I was not going tobe the kind of father (or mother) who raised me. I would become a Christian,marry a Christian, and do it right. I became a Christian, married a Christian,and I am doing it wrong, just like my parents. I am in the second bad-newsgeneration; do I have to wait for two more bad generations before it ispossible to turn this descent around?”

No, you do not have to wait, but unless you change yourrelationship with your parents and grandparents you will have to wait two moregenerations. Becoming a Christian and preaching the gospel to your parents doesnot change the relationship. Home, with parents, is one of the places whereChristians think that they are allowed to lose their temper. That makes therelationship get worse.

About 400 years before Christ, the prophet Malachi gave anegative conditional prophecy. It is found in the last two verses in the OldTestament. “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great anddreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to theirchildren, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will comeand strike the land with a curse” (Mal. 4:5– 6).

The angel Gabriel alludes to this prophecy in Luke 1:17:“And he [John] will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah,to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to thewisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Notice that to stop the curse from happening, hearts must beturned both ways. Although most of my illustrations are speaking to and aboutchildren, I am really speaking to parents about their relationship with theirown parents. If you are a Christian parent, turn your heart toward yourparents, and turn your heart toward your children.

Now look at the second instance where the Ten Commandmentsspeak of generations. “Honor your father and mother, as the Lord your God hascommanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you inthe land the Lord your God is giving you” (Deut. 5:16).

Application is next: love God (Deut. 5:9); obey God (Deut.5:9); honor your father and mother (Deut. 5:16); and turn your hearts to yourfathers (Mal. 4:5–6).

Because we have not obeyed the two passages in the TenCommandments, we may be in the third- and fourth-generation promise, and wewill not live long on the earth (cf. Eph. 6:1). The land is in danger of beingsmitten with a curse. The Malachi text is a call to repentance, a turnaround ofthe heart.

Here are a few suggestions on how to have a heart repentancethat will 1) stop the curse, 2) cause long life, and 3) turn the three or fourgenerations of bad news around to a thousand generations of good news.

First, there are a few things that are very important inthis turnaround, though they alone bring no automatic guarantee of halting thecurse.

1. Become a Christian. Without a conversion to Christ, it isimpossible to love and obey God.

2. Marry a Christian. Without a Christian marriage, you haveno assurance that you will have Christian children.

3. Stay married: “To the married I give this command…. Awife must not separate from her husband…and a husband must not divorce hiswife” (1 Cor. 7:10–11).

Without these three, you can expect more bad generations.However, with them, the bad generations may still happen. Why? Because yourprior generations still affect you and your children. Leaving your father andmother and cleaving to your wife does not mean that you have turned your heartto your father. Until you do, you are asking for another generation of badnews. You cannot expect to be a good husband or a good father if you have notturned your heart to your own father.

In turning your heart to your father, four elements arenecessary. Preaching the gospel to him is not one of them; do not do so, forthis subverts his authority over you. Instead, you may write a letter him thatconveys each of these four elements. I recommend covering one element perparagraph as follows:

1. If you have confessed to God your previous rebellion toyour father or mother, also confess it to your earthly father with no excusesor accusations.

2. Tell your father how much you respect him. If you do notrespect him, of course you cannot write it without being hypocritical. But youmust write it. How?

First confess to God this disrespect for your father. “Whyshould I? He has not earned it!” The Scripture says, “Honor your father andmother.” It does not say “only if they deserve it.” Your father is to behonored because he is your father. You are commanded to honor him. This is notoptional. If you do not honor him, then you have sinned. The same is true withyour mother. Sin is forgivable, and repentance is required.

After you have confessed your disrespect or lack of honorfor your father, and you are sure you are forgiven, choose to respect him. Youmay ask, “How? He is not respectable.” Respect has nothing to do with therespectableness of the person to be respected. It has to do with the respecterand the respecter’s close fellowship with and obedience to God.

Now with freedom and sincerity, write to your father howmuch you respect him in this second paragraph.

3. In the third paragraph, tell him how much you love him.If you do not love him, that has to be corrected first. Your reply may be, “Hedid not love me, so I do not love him.” It is true that, as a father, he shouldhave loved you so that your response would have been a loving response. But wecannot go back to childhood and start over. Even if we could, that does notguarantee that your father would do it any different the second time. Weaddress the problem from where we are, not from where we should be. You are nowan adult, and as a Christian you have unlimited access to love and forgiveness.If you do not have this access, there is a very real possibility that you arenot a Christian. As a Christian, you may have to confess this lack of love foryour father to God. Is it sin? Yes, it is sin. It is disobedience to thecommand of God. We have been commanded to love our neighbors, love thebrothers, and love our enemies. If you do not think your father fits in one ofthese categories, then perhaps you should study the unconditional quality oflove and the biblical relationship of obedience and love.

After you have confessed and have been forgiven, choose tolove your father. This love requires expression, so tell him in this paragraph.

4. The next paragraph is the place to express yourgratefulness to him. If you are not grateful, then as with respect and love, itis your problem, not his. The procedure is the same. Confess yourunthankfulness to God. When you are forgiven, express your thankfulness to yourfather.

These four elements are necessary and required. The next twoare suggestions for further ways to convey respect.

5. Ask your father to tell you or write you hisauto-biography, his life history. He might not do it, but he will be glad youwant to know about him.

6. Ask him for advice and counsel, in general and onspecific matters. This is part of honor.

Write the same kind of letter to your mother, but with onechange. The first paragraph should express your love to her, and the secondparagraph should communicate your respect for her. Both sexes of the human raceneed love and respect from both sexes. Of the two, women need love more thanthey need respect, and men need respect more than they need love. However, eachneeds both, and they should not have to earn it in order to receive it.

This letter should be followed up with other kind personalletters, hugs, and other physical expressions (e.g. handshakes, if they arewarm, firm, and exuberant).

The letter can be followed up with an explanation, as longas the explanation does not include excuses or accusations. Here is asuggestion: “Dad, I know that you love me very much. You have not been the bestexpresser of your love. So growing up I did not think you loved me. Even now Ihave had to take it by faith. If you wondered why I was boy crazy from juniorhigh through college, it was because I was looking for male affection. Ofcourse, I did not get it. I was getting taken. Now you are wondering about myletter to you and all of the hugs you are getting from me when I come to visit.Although I now have a husband and children, I still need my father, and youneed me. That’s why I am here hugging you. I thought I would prime the pump.I’m giving to receive.” Adjust this example to fit you.

When your parents receive these two letters, several thingswill probably happen. The letter will be read more than once, it will not bethrown away, and you will receive some sort of favorable response. If you donot receive a response, do not think that you did something wrong. Be patientand keep on giving. Some cultures (e.g. those of Northern Europe) are notexpressive with their emotions, except for lost tempers. This kind ofexpression from you may be embarrassing for your parents. But they still wantto receive this expressed love even if they do not know how to return it.

One man in his late fifties wrote this kind of letter to hisfather. His mother replied. “I have been married to your father for sixtyyears. When he read your letter, that was the first time in our marriage I sawtears in his eyes.”

In the early 1980s, we held a summer school of practicalChristianity at Delta House of the University of Idaho. About 40 studentsattended. Respect for parents was one of the subjects. The following fall, in anoon Bible class at Washington State University, I was teaching on the samesubject again. One of the students spoke up. He gave us a story that wentsomething like this:

“I learned this last summer at the Delta House. When I wassixteen, my father kicked me out of the house, saying that he would never seeme again. I left home. I later became a Christian and married a Christian. NowI am a graduate student in economics at WSU. In the meantime, I had not seen myfather. My parents were on the brink of divorce, living in separate bedrooms athome (in one of the Great Plains states).

“When I learned this material, I wrote two letters, one tomy father and one to my mother. It took me several days to write each one, sothey were sent several days apart. For some reason, the letters arrived on thesame day, and both my parents were at home. Seeing that the letters wereaddressed separately, my mother took her letter to her room, and my father tookhis letter to his room. After reading the letters, they exchanged them and wentagain to their separate rooms and read. When they came out, my father had tearsin his eyes and said, ‘I’m flying out to Pullman to see my son.’ I have seen myfather since last summer, and my parents’ marriage has been saved.”

There are two problems, the heart problem and the actionproblem. The heart problem is first. Your unlove, your disrespect, yourungratefulness have to be taken care of in repentance toward God. To write aletter without being forgiven by God only ensures that your letter will beinsincere and hypocritical.

You may have a long wait if you wait for your father to turnto you first. You cannot afford the wait.

After you are clean, write the letters. Then continueletter-writing, telephoning, and visiting, expressing respect, love, andthankfulness.

Doing these things will change you. You will become a betterhusband, son, and father, or a better wife, daughter, and mother. Your love andobedience will bring love for a thousand generations.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Psalm 102

The 102nd Psalm has some wonderful truths:

“Let this be written for a future generation, that a peoplenot yet created may praise the LORD” (v. 18).

We are one of those future generations.

“In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, andthe heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; theywill all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them, and theywill be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end” (vs.25-27).

Isn’t this wonderful? The heavens are going to wear out likeold clothes which we throw away or give to Goodwill.

 

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How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

So That You Will Abound

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that inall things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in everygood work” (2 Corinthians 9:8).

Notice the alls in the sentence:

·      all grace

·      all things

·      all times

·      all that you need

Pay attention also that all grace abounds and that youwill abound in every good work. This is either true or false. If true, thenthank God!

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all weask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him beglory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for everand ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21).

We cannot write a check on God’s bank account that He cannotcover. His checks do not bounce.

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How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Attitude and Triumph

As we celebrate the many wonderful stories of Olympic triumphand victory,* I am reminded of God’s teaching about attitude and triumph.

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphalprocession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of theknowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who arebeing saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death;to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike somany, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christwe speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God” (2 Cor. 2:14-17).

Paul teaches an amazing truth! He says that God always(not sometimes or even most of the time) leads us in victory. This is what ourattitude should be. This is how we can “give thanks in all circumstances” (1Thes 5:17). Just as the Olympic athletes overcome adversity to compete andtriumph, God does not want our circumstances to render us unproductive andwithout hope.

The fruit is that we will possess a fragrance that will attractthose interested in truth. That fragrance will also repel those uninterested inthe truth. Are you struggling in the midst of uncomfortable and unwantedcircumstances? Seek God’s truth and ask Him to give you a victorious attitudethat is a blessing to those around you.

*Written August 1996.

This post coordinates with tomorrow's reading in the Tothe Word! Bible Reading Challenge. If you are not in a daily reading plan,please join us at TotheWord.com. We would love to have you reading with us.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

A Bible Study Assignment

Today, I am giving an assignment. You do not need to turn inyour homework or papers for grading. It is an open-book assignment.

1. Read chapters 1 through 3 of Ephesians several times,listing everything that the believer has in Christ. Thank God for eachof them.

2. Do the same thing with Colossians 1 and 2.

3. After you are fortified with all of this wonderful truthand are rejoicing in it, then read Ephesians 4-6 and list all of the commands.

4. Repeat with Colossians 3-4.

You will find that the commands are not impossible becauseof where you are in Christ.

This post coordinates with today's reading in the Tothe Word! Bible Reading Challenge. If you are not in a daily reading plan,please join us at TotheWord.com. We would love to have you reading with us.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Chaos at the Center

Douglas Wilson

Credenda Agenda Vol. 10 No. 2

Rumorthrives in two environments. The first is obvious. When men who love to wag thetongue are so undisciplined that they refuse to confirm what they pass on, theninth commandment is clearly broken. The environment is that which isestablished by the lying tongue. The world has always contained many who haveloved to live in this way—and Christians condemn all such gossip, slander,libel, and wild speculation, particularly when it has to do with a"ruler of your people" (Acts 23:5).

Butanother breeding ground for rumor exists as well, and this is why we have seensuch a remarkable explosion of astounding reports in recent years. Thisenvironment for rumor is created when the courts of justice have beenhopelessly compromised and corrupted, and have been turned aside from theirordained and appointed use. When this happens, it means that those who havereasonable grounds to make an accusation are prevented from doing so by aconspiracy of factors—awareness of the futility of the endeavor, knowledge ofthe widespread corruption and bribery, real fear of being dismissed as a crank,concern about physical harm, and so forth. The throne of iniquity has nofellowship with God, and the righteous know that these guys are good at framingmischief through a law (Ps. 94:20). Anyone who believes that unbelievingsecularism can have become the established faith in our nation without a grosscorruption of the courts of justice simply does not understand the biblicalteaching of antithesis. This is not written as a warning of things to come, butrather as an explanation of what has already occurred to us. Res agitur.

Whensomeone cannot lawfully be charged with wrongdoing—even when plain and evidentproof of that wrongdoing exists—then the available information seeks anotherroute. Meantime, the one who is officially "bulletproof" believes hemay conduct his affairs with a high hand because he knows he has the officialsystem in his back pocket. This creates an abundant demand for information fromthose who disseminate it through the new channels. In our day, when the courtsno longer settle anything that looks or smells like justice, the new channelsare books by alternative publishers and internet newspapers.

Whensomeone is bold enough to mention such things as will be mentioned below, hewill be indignantly told that these are all unconfirmed internet rumors, none ofthis has been established in a court of law, no controlling legal authority…etc.Quite so. We're sorry. So may we be permitted to present all this evidence in acourt of law? No?

Ourpresident iswell-known for his sexual immorality and financial corruption. Tragically, thisconsidered by itself does not make him unique among our presidents. But it musthonestly be said that he has brought an old game to new levels of performance.In addition, in the minds of those whose understanding goes past what they hearfrom Peter Jennings, he is also under reasonable suspicion of drug trafficking,cocaine use, obstruction of justice, perjury, and serial murder. These arereasonable charges, with enough evidence to bring a biblical charge in a courtof law, provided that the court has not been previously subverted. But here is ourdilemma—the courts have been.

Nowthe loyal opposition is of no use in such situations. The Republicans believethemselves to be conservatives, but they have an ineluctable problem beforethem. Scandal of the garden variety helps them out, helps them considerably inthe next election. Then, if everything goes well, they can be king ofthe hill. But scandals of this magnitude call into question the legitimacy ofthe entire regime, that entire interlocking power grid which we call theWashington establishment.  This includesthe media and Congress, lobbyists and presidents, cabinet officers and bigbusiness, White House interns and Starbucks employees. If such charges aretrue, then that whole sorry ganglion on the Potomac needs to go.

Our"national greatness" conservatives are of course appalled at thecorruption and mendacity of the current administration. But for the most partthey remain quiet about it—why? And those who are not quiet are attacked by thetamed conservatives with a ferocity which can only come from fear. This is notthe same kind of corruption as was found in the administrations of UlyssesGrant or Herbert Hoover. Our national life now lingers between a strugglingconsciousness and the collapse of final surrender. We are afflicted with thekind of disease which attends great republics, hacking pitifully on theirdeathbeds.

Nevertheless,we pretend otherwise, which calls to mind a comment from Pirates of Penzance,where it is said that there are "the remains of a fine woman" aboutRuth. The vestiges of blessing which we still enjoy these days are enough toconvince many that these problems are transient and will pass away. A cancerpatient may truly enjoy those times in which he denies everything he knows. Butreality is not optional, and truth haunts.

Whenan accuser is refuted in open court, we may all rejoice at the defeat ofslander. But when potential accusers are found dead in an open ditch, ourthoughts turn in another melancholier direction. The silver has become dross,the wine is filled with water, the bread is made with sawdust, and Lady Justicehas taken to sleeping around.

"Hearthis, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house ofIsrael, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity. They build up Zion withblood, and Jerusalem with iniquity" (Micah 3:9-10).

Written under Clinton’s presidency.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships