The Bildad in Me

10.27.12

Job 18.21 21 “Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him who does not know God.” NASB

I’m not sure where old Bildad was coming from; either he really didn’t know who the wicked were, or he really wasn’t sure what happened to them for their wickedness. I think he was thinking of the wicked poor who don’t have the cleverness or resources to hide in their wickedness like the wicked rich do. Bildad gave his little tirade about the wicked and summed it up with the words: “Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him who does not know God.” Which God would that be, Bildad; the real God, or the God of your own imagination?

There are lots of people who talk about God as if they’ve just come from coffee or lunch with Him. There are lots of people who see injustice and abuse and wish Someone would come and fix it all. There are lots of Bildads in the world. What they really want is to see vengeance exacted upon those who’ve little means to defend against it: the petty criminals amongst us.

When one thinks about the money we spend against the criminals who’ve the means to defend themselves and the effort we go to ‘get’ them; it’s no wonder the Bildads want swifter justice and crueler punishments for such societal scum. But Bildad, you’re fooled by the headlines: the ones who get caught are the ones who’ve no defense.  And the madness of your perspective is that Job – a really good guy – is the one upon whom you wish to dump all of your irritation about the wrongs of society that need to be dealt with, that you’ve no intention of lifting a finger to help deal with. Thanks Bildad, thanks a bunch. Just don’t get caught, right?

Bildad is the voice of the uncaring. Bildad is mad that something happened to Job and Job won’t own up to it. Bildad lives in a fantasy of belief where the wicked really get what’s coming to them. Uh, Bildad, can you show me how or when or where such ‘getting’ takes place? Most wickedness glides along so smoothly we hardly notice it and when someone really speaks out against it they’re shushed up by a society that wants to legalize marijuana use, applauds the destruction of the Defense of Marriage, and has stood by silently as millions of the unborn have been slaughtered. Some swift vengeance, eh Bildad?

My Job-lesson today is that I am called to wade into the fray to fight against such wickedness that goes along largely unchecked; where the wicked are those who staunchly defend a woman’s right to choose, whether or not, she’s going to stand up and accept her wrong and do what is right – or she’s going to abort her mistake and walk off free to make the same mistake all over again. How about that Bildad? My lesson is my calling – my test is will I answer the call or will I ‘Bildad’ my way out of it…?

Lord, what can be done is to speak up and speak out against the evils that are more cleverly hidden by society’s callousness. You have called me to that. May I recognize the Bildad in me that wants to sweep away the wicked poor into destruction rather than help them to maybe see that there is a God who loves them and desires they become His friends. Help me to avoid the temptation to be callous and cynical. Help me to do what is right – amen.