One of the most maligned figures in history was slandered and attacked more than any other leader of our times even repeatedly burned in effigy in American cities across the country,yet he held his tongue and refused to answer evil with evil. He had started a mercantile business and it failed forcing him to file business bankruptcy as well as personal bankruptcy. To his great embarrassment he ran for politics in several races and failed. Throughout these devastating events he refused to speak in defence of himself for he said,"Better to not speak and be thought a fool than to open ones mouth and remove all doubt". The only time he did speak was not in personal defence or explanation but he rose and cried out when injustice to others was occurring even at the expense of further ridicule and persecution.His name was Abraham Lincoln and his name represents the best virtues in character .
The glorious thing about losing everything including ones reputation is that it makes us small again.My diary entry oct 8,09 while camped on the Stillguamish river "When I seek and live so as to become small I see God pictured everywhere and in everything with clarity,wonder and great beauty. When I live large or seek my own expansion I take up the whole frame and the picture is blocked by my increase in stature."Smallness is thrust upon us by a loving God who desires us to get back to basics. I wrote in my diary elsewhere..." I seek to be small...in my own eyes as well as in the eyes of others. I have spent a great deal of my life seeking to be large and live large but it is all futility and now I only seek to be small and walk in love and live love loving and and being loved.......I feel health and strength whenever I return to this place and mindset of humility,submission, and grace. Striving and pain always reappear when I seek to be large again seeking expression through reputation,possession,power and image. May love be my virtue,my defence,my attitude and practice"
Henry David Thoreau wrote..."public opinion is a small tyrant compared to what a man thinks of himself" I have spent almost the entire year working and living outdoors as a contractor in North Puget Sound area sleeping near wherever I was working along rivers,near homeless camps under bridges and in campgrounds. It has been refreshing being amongst nature for she is a friend always to be relied on. I share Rosseau's sentiments when he wrote "We feel most comfortable amongst nature for nature has no opinion about us"I have enjoyed immensely returning home on Sunday to share what I 've learned during the week with those who care to listen to man of deep brokenness.
Another conclusion I share with you from my diary while camped along Flowing lake in Snohomish Wa," Everything God allows is an act of love whether rain,pain,suffering or even death for he does all things well. Abraham said,' Will not the God of the universe do whats right?' We measure all things by our own small and selfish perspective. God does everything as an act of love from a different vantage point."
I wrote on ," The rain we curse is the blessing of God acting in a greater capacity of love for a thirsty countryside though it brings us discomfort it is his wisdom acting in love for a greater good.Cannot the same be said of much or all of our suffering that he allows even for death itself? For Jesus was glorified in the premature death of Lazarus because he had a greater good to display,therefore death was an act of love. Everything God allows is an act of his love.I think our difficulty in reconciling that reality with our experience with suffering is that we tend to personalize or individualize and isolate ourselves from Gods greater truth. Our perspective is limited,self serving, tainted and unreliable."
Therefore whatever has befallen you whether loss of business ,loss of home ,loss of loved one, loss of job,loss of reputation or in loss of all the above.Do not respond with anger or answer back with hatred.Romans ch 9 says," don't be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good ". If you're a victim of slander be a victor over evil and let humility do its work.If you're a speaker of slander repair your own soul. If you're a listener to slander you pull the trigger as well.
