absolutely, sincerely, wrong

Stuart: Oooh! Sheldon, I'm afraid you couldn't be more wrong!

Sheldon: "More" wrong? Wrong is an absolute state and is not subject to gradation.

Stuart: Of course it is. It's a little wrong to say a tomato is a vegetable. It's very wrong to say it's a suspension bridge!

I heard this dialogue on a sitcom rerun.  When it was delivered it tickled my funny bone a bit.  It came back to me later and I used a standing still moment to give it further thought.  Is there such a thing as being ‘a little wrong’ as compared to ‘very wrong’?  Either way it’s still wrong ... right?  When it comes down to final definitions, the correct statement is that “wrong is an absolute state and is not subject to gradation”.

I do believe though, that it is possible to be ‘sincerely wrong’.  If a child was raised all his life being taught the sky was orange, he’d grow up thinking that anything the same hue as the sky is the color orange.  He’d genuinely, honestly, earnestly believe and communicate to others that the sky is orange.  But he’d be wrong.  This happens more and more in society with false belief systems, poor health practices, shaky morals ,..

I’ve been sincerely wrong.  It can and does happen.  Even though I was ‘sincerely wrong’ I was still absolutely wrong while sincerely believing something true (by the way, the phrase “in front” is actually two words – not one… “infront” – lost a bet on that one).  At this point then, it becomes important for me to discover why I was wrong and to learn what the truth is. 

When confronted with another who is sincerely wrong, it is time for ‘speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 1:3). As I’ve aged, I would like to hope I have somewhat overcome (or make an effort to overcome) things like being judgmental, pride, or negativity as I deal with wrongfulness.  I try to apply concern, care, patience, understanding, forgiveness and gentleness in declaring the truth and stating right.

I also hope that as I’ve aged, I am more willing to accept the truth spoken in love when someone points out ‘wrongness’ that I need to own – be it sincerely wrong or otherwise.

Wrong is an absolute state.  

I take joy in knowing a different absolute – God’s love and grace - “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God”(Ephesians 2:8).  Salvation and heaven don’t come through being a good person or doing good things – there is no way to work my way to it or earn a degree of either because – “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  I am human, broken and have a inherit sinful nature.  Praise God, Christ is an absolute in my life that will never falter or be taken.

John10:28  “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”