Character Assassinations
In June 1638, in Puritan Boston, Massachusetts, a crowd gathers to witness the punishment of Hester Prynne, a young woman who has given birth to a baby of unknown parentage. As an apparent adulteress, she’s required to wear a scarlet "A" on her dress when she is in front of the townspeople to shame her, to continue to assassinate her character.
What Is Character?
Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us. [2] Merriam-Webster defines character, in part, as “moral excellence and firmness.” To Webster’s definition I might add that my word and my promise, even my friendship are all part of me, making up my ethos. Character is a word most ppl desire to have credited to them - yet the standards and achievement are becoming rather vague in our modern age. Being of ‘good character’ is not as popular of a description, as it once was.
Assassination.
Toxic people will try and destroy those who are and think differently than them. The current practice of using personal attacks and character assassination and shame to advance agendas & prove points is one of the great evils of our time. It slashes people’s spirits and reputation like emotional shrapnel. If it doesn’t absolutely destroy them, it hurts them so profoundly, alienates them so deeply, that most will never be the same again. This is trauma on a deep, social/psychological level.
Restoration
Someone spoke poorly of me; they slammed me; they lied. They assassinated my charter. Nothing's new under the sun. Character assassinations are not unique to our current society. What’s next? When we feel attacked, we often experience an instinct to strike back, to defend ourselves. However, replying in same generally does little more than solidifying the aggressor’s view of us.
Consider this piece of incredibly sound advise: ‘…When you talk, don’t say anything bad. But say [declare] the good things that people need—whatever will help them grow stronger. Then what you say will be a blessing to those who hear you…’ [1] Declare good things; Proclaim a blessing. Easy to say harder to do, especially when you feel attacked, but to do otherwise is not love. It’s not the love that was shown to us by the Eternal. It’s risky to try and restore, to take the high road, but it’s how we, who call ourselves believers, must reply.
#Pkes #MetroLifeChurch #MinistryinMotion
[2] - Thomas Paine