Jumbo Shrimp and Other Oxymorons

In the interest of full disclosure, this has nothing to do with seafood. 

But wait!! 

Please don’t go just yet.  This is about something far more important than seafood.

A quick definition – oxymoron: a statement or phrase that seems to be self-contradictory.  Example: jumbo shrimp.  Jumbo: something very large.  Shrimp: something very small.

Here’s another example – good excuse.  Good: virtuous; righteous; honorable.  Excuse: an explanation offered for choosing not to live up to one’s obligation or promise.

(Okay, I’m taking some slight linguistic liberty here, but I think you’ll see why.)

Can there really be a virtuous, righteous or honorable explanation for choosing not to live up to an obligation or promise?  I’m not talking about circumstances where there is no choice in the matter.  I know I promised to be there, but I was receiving treatment in the emergency room at that time. 

No.  I’m talking about something like this: I know I promised to be there, but… but…, well, I just had something else come up that I wanted to do.  Not virtuous.  Not righteous.  Not honorable.  Rather than be so brutally honest, however, most of us would make up a little white lie.

Consider this example.  Different traditions use different words, but when one becomes a member of a Christian church (Methodist, Baptist, etc.), one promises certain things.  For example, there is the promise to support the ministries of the church with your time, talents and gifts. 

In my understanding, that is a promise to attend Sunday worship as the “rule” rather than the “exception,” unless physically unable to do so, of course.  However, “physically unable to do so” does not include waking up on Sunday morning and deciding to go on a picnic instead of going to church! 

 A person’s decision to neglect his/her promises to his/her church is frustrating and discouraging to all those who depend on them to keep those promises.  However, frustration and discouragement on the part of fellow church members are not the primary problems here.  Far from it!

When you made those promises at church, you did not make them to the church!  You made those promises to the head of the church!  Jesus Christ!  The loyalty and dedication you professed, was loyalty and dedication to our Lord Jesus Christ, not to any person or group or institution!  When you break these promises, you are not breaking your promises to the pastor or to your fellow church members; you are breaking your promises to Jesus!

I don’t know about you, but I want to do my very best never to break my promises to Jesus!

(By the way, I am aware that the proper plural for oxymoron is oxymora, but it just sounds funny.)

Until next time,

Pastor Mark