fool

Some people are amused by them, perhaps, sometimes entertained by them. But, generally, people do not befriend a fool. If the wise choice is jumping up and down if front of them, screaming and waving its arms, the fool will nod in salutation and walk right past it to the astonishingly unthinkable one, and lock it in a shameless embrace.  While they are thinking they have tapped into some superior intellectual stratta, those watching are shocked, annoyed, or perhaps deeply disturbed by the decision-making they have just witnessed. Oh, the looks on faces that have beheld fools in all their glory. I have seen it more times than I care to admit. For this reason, I think fools must be the loneliest people in the world, fools and geniuses. No one understands them, or wants to. You may be thinking how I would know. Well, I do not know if I am fool. I am pretty sure I am not a genius, like 92.3% sure. But I have a list of things I have done that I will never, ever be close to comfortable about disclosing to anyone.  I think we all have a list like that.  I think we tend to think the other person's list is more egregious.

This is the greatest disconnect of humanity- discerning the flaw in another while thinking nothing of the kind resides in, us, the discerner.  Easy as falling off a log, we can see the foolishness in others clearly, but we never think of ourselves as "the fool."  Take the proverbial 'Prodigal Son' for instance: it seems so obvious how foolish he was to leave such a plush, comfortable life to go out and live riotessly.  And we say piously, "Don't be like the Prodigal Son..."  with no thought that is exactly what most of us do, at least spiritually, if not in many other ways.  The Pharisees in the time of Jesus made a career out of it, pointing out and setting snares for fools.  But Jesus revealed them as the biggest fools of all.

Here is an example of how we fool ourselves:  When I was 20, everyone told me I needed to eat more.  I ran everywhere, felt great, ate when I was hungry, slept when I was sleepy.  I was indestructible and life was grand.  Two years after marriage, I still ran hard, but there was more of me to move.  By age 35 I knew deep down I had to stop eating so much.  But I was 35 and indestructible-ish.  I told myself it wasn't how much I ate, it was that I had stopped moving.  And the rouse began to grow.  By age 40 I felt like a tired, fat, cranky old man, worrying about every little pain.  I could only remember what it was like to feel indestructible, and thought to myself, "Well, I'm 40 and its all downhill from here.  I guess this is what it feels like."  And resolved to not care.  At age 42, I became angry that the bigger pants I had to buy the last few years were tight in the waist, and that I never felt like playing with my children anymore, and that I routinely disappointed my wife in the chore department (and other departments) because I was always tired. 

You see how easily we lie to ourselves?  Someone else has the flaw, ooooh, and its bigger than any of mine.  Its easier than breathing.  We do it with our health, finances, relationships, and responsibilities.  We let things slide "just this once," and then "only once more-what's the difference..."  People who fool other people are not to be trusted, but, those who fool themselves... shouldn't the same logic apply?  What if we realized the huge messes we find ourselves in are due to very subtle, layered self-deceptions?  We fool ourselves to our own demise.  Why?  Its easier.  Period.  You know its true.  Path of least resistance, not good with confrontation, wanting to keep the peace, add your own; they are all the excuses we use to not do what we know we should.  What most of us do we do, simply, because we want to.  Happier for the moment devolves into bad habits, and a growing self deception which results in depression, failure, and other things that make others very wary of us.  Enter loneliness.  Lie to yourself long enough, and when you finally come clean, you will realize all that you missed, that should  have been yours,  is now gone.  Enter depression.

 1st Corinthians 6.9 in the Bible says "Do not fool yourselves!"  These are real, sober words of warning to the Believers in Christ about the sin we refuse to deal with in ourselves.  But the true antidote to this pitiful state of existence is what John, the Beloved of Jesus, described as fellowship.  He said it like this:

⁵ This is the message which we have heard from Him (Christ Jesus) and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.  ⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.  1 John 1.5-10

When we are in real fellowship with Christ and one another, we can be honest about our own shortcomings, we have to be honest.  Sometimes its uncomfortable, but it is necessary.  Maybe we can fool ourselves, but if we are in true, safe, wholesome fellowship, a brother or sister in Christ will gently show us our inconsistencies.  It is heartless to speak the hard, cold truth if it is not done in authentic, compassionate love.  Its a responsibility, a safeguard, and a blessing.  We are sinful creatures, and we need to help each other live in the best of what God has.  Only genuine fools surround themselves with people who tell them only what they want to hear, or no people at all.  And unforgiveness is the first step toward real foolishness.  That's a pitifully lonely trail to be on.

Once a person becomes adept at fooling their self, its only a matter of time before self sufficiency morphs into full-blown selfishness, then the need for God goes away.  Psalm 14.1 says "The fool has said in his heart, "there is no God." "  Jesus gave us an easy illustration to help us remember the biggest fool we know is the one staring through our eyes:  "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not percieve the plank in your own?" -Luke 6.41

The next time you catch yourself thinking what a fool someone is, help a fool out and don't turn around too fast.  You could take someone's head off with that two-by-twelve sticking out of your face!!  I know.  I have had to bandage up lots of people standing too close to me at the wrong time!