HEY! YOU'RE MISSING A MONKEY

The three wise monkeys are the visual representation of the Japanese proverb, “Hear no evil.  See no evil.  Speak no evil.”    The monkeys, or rather, the apes are named Kikazaru, covering his ears, who hears no evil;  Mizaru, covering his eyes, who sees no evil; and Iwazaru, covering his mouth, who speaks no evil.

Our culture has embraced the 3 monkeys motif, putting them on posters, statuettes, t-shirts, and of course internet memes, because they give ancient philosophical support to our very contemporary desire to not get involved. 

We mind our own business.  We stay out of it.  We let it go.  We don’t snitch.    But not because we’re cowardly, or selfish, or heartless.  No, it’s because we are enlightened with the ancient wisdom of “Hear nothing.  See nothing.  Say nothing.” 

Blah, blah, blah.

The truth is we like the 3 monkeys because we really don’t give a Shizaru.

Shizaru is the name of the 4^th wise monkey, the one with his hand on his hand.  Yeah, the real ancient Japanese pictorial shows four, not three apes.  

The proverb actually goes:

Hear no evil.

See no evil.

Speak no evil.

Do no evil.

That last one?  That last one throws a monkey wrench (Sorry, couldn’t help myself.) in your passive, isolationist plans.  At least he does if you’re a Christian.

Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. (James 4: 17)

Christians who do nothing when we could do something to help are, according to our Bible, doing evil.

It’s not enough for me  to not hurt people.  As a follower of Jesus,  I HAVE TO actively help people. 

Doing no evil means helping my brother and sister Christians.

Whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? (1 John 3: 17)

Doing no evil means helping the wounded and abandoned “neighbors” outside of my culture.

But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. (from Luke 10: 31-37)

Doing no evil means helping means turning toward the needs of the hungry, homeless, strangers, incarcerated, and sick, as if I were helping Jesus Himself.

And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ (from Matthew 25: 31-46)

And it doesn’t count if I just throw a tract and a cliché at them and send them on their way

 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (James 2: 15-17)

I don’t listen for evil things about people. (Kikaru)

I don’t look for the evil in people.  (Mizaru)

I don’t go around telling the most evil things I can about people. (Iwazaru)

That doesn’t mean that I have to be the naïve or stupid Christian who doesn’t know when I’m being played.

But it does mean that no matter how much people disappoint, I have to give a Shizaru.

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.  (Galatians 6:10)

  

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Miles Chapel CME Church in Fairfield, Alabama;  executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO);  and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

Subscribe to my personal blog  www.andersontgraves.blogspot.com .

Email atgravestwo2@aol.com

Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

You can help support this ministry with a donation to Miles Chapel CME Church.

You can help support Rev. Graves’ work by visiting his personal blog and clicking the DONATEbutton on the right-hand sidebar.

Support by check or money order may be mailed to 

Miles Chapel CME Church

P O Box 132

Fairfield, Al 35064

A WORD TO THE WISE. Proverbs 29: 24 "Community Guilt"

Proverbs 29: 24     Whoever is a partner with a thief hates his own life.  He swears to tell the truth, but reveals nothing.

Proverbs 29: 24.  If you keep quiet about the crime in your community, then you are part of the problem.  Or, to put it in Biblical terms, you are “a partner” with the problem.  This thing we have in some of our communities, where we protect the people we need to be protected from------ that’s stupid, ; it’s sinful; and it’s self-destructive.   

Destructive social mechanism come into play in a neighborhood that enables criminals to operate with impunity.  But, do you understand how the culture of silence activates destructive spiritual mechanisms?

Sin, particularly the collective and unrepentant sin of a people whom God has delivered out of great trouble and into great promises, cries out for judgment.  If basically everybody in a community collectively does the same wrong then, it sets off a spiritual chain reaction that explodes in Divine wrath----- in this world, in our physical, financial, biological, academic lives. 

Deuteronomy 8: 19     Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the Lord your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish.

But, of course you might respond that “Everybody in the neighborhood isn’t a criminal.  Most folks aren’t partners and accomplices with the criminals.”

Well, let me ask: Is the lookout for a group of murderers considered an accomplice to the murder?

Yes. 

And what does a lookout do? 

He/she watches, sees, does nothing to stop the crime, but uses his/her voice to protect those who commit it.

When the culture of a community becomes so twisted that people see crime every day and do nothing; that they  watch and know the evil being done, but they say nothing, and when they have the chance to speak out, they speak only of what others owe the neighborhood and how the criminals (closest to them) should not be held to account------ that’s not the behavior of a neighbor.  That’s the work of a lookout.

Through the whole “No Snitching” culture, we make ourselves accomplices, partners, and co-conspirators with the people who are destroying us.

Ironically, in these same communities, we talk about and tell everything else.

We share everybody’s sins, but report nobody’s crimes.  In other words, we gossip; but we won’t testify.

Everybody knows who slept with whom behind closed doors last night, but nobody knows who shot that kid out in the middle of the street in broad daylight?......?

You can pick up an lookout, but as long as he refuses to be a witness, he remains an accomplice.  Even under oath, and accomplice swears to tell the truth, but reveals nothing.

In the eyes of God, an accomplice, whether an individual or neighborhood, is inviting wrath upon himself/ themselves.   The silent and unrepentant accomplice is self-destructive.  Despite loud protest to the contrary, his/their action say  that they want their community to keep getting worse.   The partner with a thief hates his own life.

What am I implying?  

I’m not implying.  I’m reading.

I’m reading the Bible, and the Bible says that God wants you/us to STOP GOSSIPPING, and START SNITCHING.

---Anderson T. Graves II

 

Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

Call  334-288-0577
Email atgravestwo2@aol.com
Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

To hear sermons, read devotions, and learn more about the ministry at Hall Memorial CME Church, visit www.hallmemorialcme@blogspotcom.

If you enjoy our work, please help support our work in the community. Send a donation of any amount by check or money order.
Mail all contributions to :
Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Road

Proverbs 29: 24 "Community Guilt"

Proverbs 29: 24     Whoever is a partner with a thief hates his own life.  He swears to tell the truth, but reveals nothing.

Proverbs 29: 24.  If you keep quiet about the crime in your community, then you are part of the problem.  Or, to put it in Biblical terms, you are “a partner” with the problem.  This thing we have in some of our communities, where we protect the people we need to be protected from------ that’s stupid, ; it’s sinful; and it’s self-destructive.   

Destructive social mechanism come into play in a neighborhood that enables criminals to operate with impunity.  But, do you understand how the culture of silence activates destructive spiritual mechanisms?

Sin, particularly the collective and unrepentant sin of a people whom God has delivered out of great trouble and into great promises, cries out for judgment.  If basically everybody in a community collectively does the same wrong then, it sets off a spiritual chain reaction that explodes in Divine wrath----- in this world, in our physical, financial, biological, academic lives. 

Deuteronomy 8: 19     Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the Lord your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish.

But, of course you might respond that “Everybody in the neighborhood isn’t a criminal.  Most folks aren’t partners and accomplices with the criminals.”

Well, let me ask: Is the lookout for a group of murderers considered an accomplice to the murder?

Yes. 

And what does a lookout do? 

He/she watches, sees, does nothing to stop the crime, but uses his/her voice to protect those who commit it.

When the culture of a community becomes so twisted that people see crime every day and do nothing; that they  watch and know the evil being done, but they say nothing, and when they have the chance to speak out, they speak only of what others owe the neighborhood and how the criminals (closest to them) should not be held to account------ that’s not the behavior of a neighbor.  That’s the work of a lookout.

Through the whole “No Snitching” culture, we make ourselves accomplices, partners, and co-conspirators with the people who are destroying us.

Ironically, in these same communities, we talk about and tell everything else.

We share everybody’s sins, but report nobody’s crimes.  In other words, we gossip; but we won’t testify.

Everybody knows who slept with whom behind closed doors last night, but nobody knows who shot that kid out in the middle of the street in broad daylight?......?

You can pick up an lookout, but as long as he refuses to be a witness, he remains an accomplice.  Even under oath, and accomplice swears to tell the truth, but reveals nothing.

In the eyes of God, an accomplice, whether an individual or neighborhood, is inviting wrath upon himself/ themselves.   The silent and unrepentant accomplice is self-destructive.  Despite loud protest to the contrary, his/their action say  that they want their community to keep getting worse.   The partner with a thief hates his own life.

What am I implying?  

I’m not implying.  I’m reading.

I’m reading the Bible, and the Bible says that God wants you/us to STOP GOSSIPPING, and START SNITCHING.

---Anderson T. Graves II

 

Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

Call  334-288-0577
Email atgravestwo2@aol.com
Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

To hear sermons, read devotions, and learn more about the ministry at Hall Memorial CME Church, visit www.hallmemorialcme@blogspotcom.

If you enjoy our work, please help support our work in the community. Send a donation of any amount by check or money order.
Mail all contributions to :
Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Road