This morning I received a friend request from a person
unknown to me. Before I clicked on the “Accept” button I decided to check out
this person’s Facebook page. I found nothing that was of interest to me. In
fact I decided that the whole site was not going to add to my knowledge or to
my character.
This caused me to think about how a word that I rarely hear
today: edification. According to the
Merriam-Webster dictionary, edification, and its cognate, edify, means “to
teach (someone) in a way that improves the mind or character.” In modern
translations of the Bible, the word, that the King James Version (1611) translated
as “edify” is translated as “to build up.”
Reflect with me for a moment on the Merriam-Webster
definition of edify; are we really interested in improving our minds or
characters? Our American culture is hell-bent on trying to outdo itself in its
lack of character. We are so afraid of being accused of self-righteous that we
have decided that we would rather be “unholier than thou” than “holier than
thou.”
I am beginning to think about what and who builds me up in
knowledge and character. Who makes me a more informed person? What activity
will enhance my character?
St. Paul said it best: “Finally, brothers and sisters,
whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).
After some brief reflection, I clicked on “decline.”
Ronald Friesen © 2015
