Maybe like me, you look for distractions to give your mind and body a break. Time out in the garden is a good one for me. It lets me be useful while not having to think too much. But I do have to be careful, even with gardening. Before too long I can find that I’ve been distracted by it for far too long. Even good things can keep us from more important matters. But let’s face it, some distractions are better left untouched!

So what does that have to do with chapter 29 of The Bridge from OneDayBow? If you remember last time around (Don’t Give Up! 8/4/2024), Tim and Emma had just finished making convincing arguments for trusting in the King’s love, but also for understanding His love as it really is. It should have been a moment of decision for the people who were listening, but instead, who shows up but the City Mayor!

Tim wondered if he’d listened. What would the mayor say?

“This rally is illegal,” he said. “You didn’t pay

The fee that is required for speaking in the park.

Section Twelve restricts such use, before or after dark.”

Ugh! He came to shut down the gathering! This is obviously bureaucratical overreach of government to restrict free speech!!! Okay, I had that rant last time so I’ll stop now. But notice the response of the people who were there listening:

Like scattered seed, many left while Tim tried to defend

The right of free assembly. But the tempters put an end

To any hope he had of continuing that day:

When they cried out, “Free bobbles!” everyone raced away.

Do you see what just happened? Tim apparently had a legal leg to stand on, but when the situation got a little dicey people didn’t want to get involved in potential conflict. Many would say that avoidance is sometimes wise, and that there are more pleasurable things to do than stand up for what is right. And speaking of “pleasurable”, when the tempters cried out “Free bobbles!” it was game over. They were blinded by the bobbles again.

But why not stay and take a stand? Even if the crowd wasn’t of the same faith-persuasion as the People of the Book, don’t they understand that there are forces that are opposed to their freedom? Don’t they realize that they may soon forfeit their own rights? Don’t they realize the bobbles are distractions that lead many away? I guess not.

As Christians we do have to be discerning about the distractions we allow to enter our lives. But we should also be careful that the distraction of living doesn’t keep us from seeing the opportunities to do what is right, and then do so intentionally.