Rev. Don Campbell
WHEN THE GUYS IN THE WHITE HATS LOSE
Those of us who grew up during the days of the singing cowboy were privileged to live in an era when truth, justice, and good manners always triumphed—at least on the silver screen on Saturday afternoons. We experienced dismay, and in some cases depression, when we discovered that in the real world, WHEN THE GUYS IN THE WHITE HATS LOSE and the guy in the black hat often rides off with the fair maiden, who turns out not to be so fair, and ranches go bankrupt. Beautiful white stallions often turn out to be gray geldings that have received several peroxide treatments to produce that snowy white coat.
We long for the days of Roy and Rex and Gene, but they will never return. In fact, they never really existed. Solomon wrestled with the problem of the good guys losing and the bad guys winning. He said, “In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing” (Ecclesiastes 7:15, ESV). Solomon does not offer a solution to the problem, but he does offer three principles to help us deal with life — real life.
Solomon assures us that God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). Until God brings every work into judgment, what do we do?
First, be realistic. We should be appalled by sin but never surprised by it. We live in a fallen world.
Second, “Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise—why destroy yourself? Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool— why die before your time?” (Ecclesiastes 7:16-17, NIV). Solomon is not exhorting us to mediocrity, nor suggesting that a little sin is all right. He is speaking in the context of the good guys losing and the bad guys winning. Godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:6), but all who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12).
God does not settle all accounts when the sun sets in the west, which brings us to the third point:
We must trust the Righteous Judge. If God suddenly executed justice now, he would be accused of being a cruel, heartless tyrant. An observer might cry out, “Why did God take this lovely couple, leaving their five innocent children orphans?” The answer might be, “They were living in secret sin.” When we cry out for justice, we are crying out for God to bring justice to all, not just those whom we know or believe to be evil.
I thank God that we still have his mercy.
