The Sin Of Dissentiousness

Harry and Lisa were husband and wife,
Married for years, and hard to find apart.
They couldn't talk without contentious strife---
Any remark from one brought its retort.
Lisa might say, "It looks like rain outside."
Harry: "It's much too humid for a rain!"
The pitch of her voice rising, Lisa cried,
"The paper said it would!" But all in vain;
Harry rejoined, "Don't start with the whining!
I've told you, and told you, I don't like that!"
Screeching, Lisa yelled, "The sun's quit shining!"
"It won't rain enough to fill my golf hat!
That crying voice will be the death of me!"
Speechless, she decided to let it be.

An occasional dissent uttered to a friend, co-worker, or spouse, which is courteous and deferential, is not a sin. However, habitual dissent to a spouse that is dogmatic is sinful, because it violates Jesus' command to "love others as you love yourself". It is especially hurtful to a spouse; its effect is to "put down"; it makes him/her feel like a booby, and it comes dangerously close to breaking the marriage vow to God. When a person is invariably dissentious to everybody with whom he communicates, it is a very grievous sin. It has no place in a Christian's behavior.

In today's sonnet, we see Lisa's reaction to Harry's dissent. Her blood pressure and emotional stress immediately begin rising at his reply to her casual and non-threatening remark; these effects are revealed in the rising pitch of her voice. She has likely been rebuffed in this way many times before; she becomes agitated and her desperation to win his approval causes the pitch and volume to rise. Harry is insensitive to her reaction; he probably meant no disrespect, but his response conveyed it nonetheless. Sadly, if his son or fellow Christian attempts to call his attention to the fact that he has unconsciously developed a sinful habit, he is likely to become angry (which is another sin) and refuse to consider (a third sin) breaking the habit. Jesus expects His followers to accept a brother's advice and to rid themselves of all the sins they know they have.

Harry and Lisa have one righteous behavior which they conspicuously display to the world---they are still married after many years, despite their failure to communicate. This is what Jesus expects His Christian brothers to do: Keep your marriage intact, despite serious problems of communication.

I just learned that the Obama White House is not having Christmas trees this year. Instead, they are having Holiday trees. When candidate Obama asked voters to elect him for change in America, he didn't specify what things he wanted to change. Now we know; I don't like taking Christ out of Christmas.