NRA

NRA

Nope! Not the National Rifle Association. I am a member of that organization. I own guns and have a concealed weapons permit. I enjoy my 2^nd Amendment right to bear arms. If you ever visit our church you will be quite safe because a number of congregants are packing.

The NRA I want to talk about is Not Right Always. I have lived long enough to know that even though I would like to be right, many times I am not. Although thinking I am right has a nice feel to it, I have learned the hard way to think before I speak. On occasion I have had to rise above my strong convictions and admit that I was wrong.

My need to be right has more to do with perspective than reality. I don't always get the facts straight before I speak. That has led to egg on my face followed by apologies. My fact checker runs far behind my vocal skills. Consequently, humble pie is a frequent meal.

By adding a short suffix onto “right” you get “righteous.” Interestingly enough, the derivative of this compound word carries the meaning of right wiseness. Wisdom, a rare commodity in the public forum these days, takes into account not only truth but also relationships. I am embarrassed to admit the number of arguments with my wife that I felt I won based on the truth, at least as I understood it, did damage to our relationship. Truth without wisdom erodes relationships.

We are living in a culture where people not only have an opinion but have the freedom to express it. It’s when there is disagreement that relationships can start breaking down. Have we lost the art of agreeing to disagree without tearing the fabric of relationships? Are healthy relationships more important than my need to be right? I thought that was what civil discourse was all about.

A reminder from the Bible: “Grow a wise heart, you'll do yourself a favor. Keep a clear head, you'll find a good life.”