Quit excuses, live by reasons . . .

As a boy there were times (quite often actually) I would seek to get out of “potential for discipline situations.” My default mode of communication was to offer my ‘ever loving father’ an excuse. It was a common move by me; just not a good one.

He also had a default mode, (a speech actually) which went . . . 

“Johnny, don’t offer me an excuse; an excuse is merely the skin of a reason stuffed with a lie. Offer me an explanation of the truth; it might work.”

So often robbed of excuses and searching for reasons, some of Isaiah’s Easter words (53:7 c.f.Acts 8:32) ‘reflected my reality’ . . .

". . . as a lamb before its shearers is silent, so  he did not open his mouth”

Silent as I searched for reasons (which had seemed good at the time of my actions), ones I just knew would not survive parental-inquisition. They got me into situations; but they would not get me out. I began to learn two truths; live life by reasons not excuses, and silence is a prerequisite for truthful speech. Truths Jesus modelled.

It’s Easter again, and I’m ruminating . . .

In Easter-season we give renewed focus to Jesus and His sacrifice for human sin. Jesus as an eternally-dynamic member of the Trinity was a participant in the creation of humanity, yet did not make excuses for His action in our creation or our repetitious failures. With the “rationale of the Divine” Jesus lived, died and rose again. Jesus lived by reason.

Here’s some of the things I’m chewing on this Easter . . . 

• In silence and reflection, I can engage in the processes of truthful reasoning

•  If I have clear reasons, I can be silent in situations as I structure truthful reasoning and reason 

• With silence-formed reason I break silence for the reasons of truth 

• “Johnny, don’t offer excuses; an excuse is merely the skin of a reason stuffed with a lie. Offer reasoned explanations of truth; it works” 

• Yes Dad, I still hear you . . .