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.

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