While sitting in the food court at the West Acres Mall (the largest mall between Minneapolis and Spokane!), watching numerous people mill about with Christmas gifts and weary looks, I noticed one man with a bright orange T-shirt on (yes . . . it was about 10 degrees outside) that read, “Orange is the New Pink.”
Hmmm. I’ve heard that brown is the new black or that pink is the new black. But orange is the new pink?
Of course, this reminded me (for some reason) of the weather here in Fargo. Even as I am writing it is -25 outside with a wind chill of -36 (note the dashes in front of these numbers). Interestingly enough, late last week it got up to a balmy 28 degrees. And you know what? With temperatures having been well below zero for many days now, having a day in the upper 20s truly felt, well, warm. Or at least tolerable.
I suppose this is what acclimation can do for a person. As each fall day gave way to another the opportunity existed for my family and me to acclimate to the dropping temperatures. Little by little did we get accustomed to the lower degrees. So much so, in fact, that 28 can feel warm when -10 has been the norm.
Thus, if orange is the new pink or brown the new black, then 28 is the new 60.
Now for me this brings up an entirely different matter. Do I allow my soul to acclimate to unrighteousness in ways that make matters that would previously be intolerable now tolerable? Are the lower degrees of foolishness now somehow comfortable in my life? When it comes to temptation, and the correlated sin and shame, is 28 the new 60?
How about for you?
Jeremiah 10:23, “O Lord I know that a man’s life is not his own. It is not for a man to direct his steps.”
If one is born again, the Spirit will not allow him to call evil good and good evil. So no need to worry; we are not of the world and so cannot condone actions of worldly people. We simply forgive them for they know not what they do.
If 28 is the new 60, I feel really old!