Vain Jangling
“That’s not who I am.”

Sometimes people act or speak—or both—like a fool. Some more than others. There are those who usually require some type of stimuli to bring out “that side of them.” While others seem to have foolish behavior woven into the “very fabric of their being.” In any case, it is vain jangling to claim the outburst or hostility a person displays is somehow “not who I am.”

The fact is:
It is who we are; for it was [I] who acted unbecoming a moral, sensible, intelligent, adult, human being. True, it may not be “who I am” all the time, but it is very well “who I am” when, where, how, and why [I] want to be. It is a heart issue. A bad, wicked, evil thought, word, or deed most often blaming others, rather than to examine oneself to admit, repent, and apologize of fault, sin.

For “those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man.” [Matthew 15:18-20]

We must stop the vain jangling of denial and projection of guilt or fault onto others, acknowledge and repent of our word or action, cleanse our heart and mind, and refrain from repeating such foolishness. We would all be better for it.

Vain Jangling
Some crimes are okay. Victims need to forgive and forget.

There used to be a saying, “If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.”
However, the modern version seems to be, “No worry of time, do the crime.”

John Adams noted that, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” James Madison echoed that our Constitution requires “sufficient virtue among men for self-government” and that “nothing less than the chains of despotism can restrain them from destroying and devouring one another.” However, today, more and more of society seem to believe we can be immoral and irreligious without any negative consequences. At least until it happens to them or someone they care about. Then suddenly it matters.

Have we really degenerated so far from teaching our children the difference between right and wrong, to now allowing crimes in our society to go unpunished? Where is accountability? Is it now the responsibility of the victim (the moral, the religious person) to endure and pay for the sin of those who disregard God and neighbor? Where are our leaders who “are not a terror to good works, but to the evil?” “The minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” [Romans 13]

If we want America to be better, then Americans need to expect, educate, and encourage better from everyone. It is mere vain jangling to believe we can punish the victim and reward the criminal and remain a civilized society. That is pure nonsense and poor leadership, who should be the biggest defenders of good and punishers of evil. If laws are being used to unjustly hurt people or certain people groups, then work to stop the abuse and to remove those who do so from office. However, stop the vain jangling notion that somehow ignoring crime and punishment (and virtually the victims of such) is doing individuals or society as a whole any good.