No Compromise – The Hokey Pokey

Greetings Dear Reader,

For years my Sons and I have enjoyed a collectable card game together.  I have not played in some time but still have some cards.  One of them is “Knight of the Hokey Pokey” from a set of cards that lampooned the game.  I came across this card the other day and then I also saw a bumper sticker that said “What if the Hokey Pokey IS what it’s all about?”

Because of the way my mind works I pondered this question for some time.  The words to the song spun through my head and I remembered various weddings where I have participated in the dance associated with the song.  It is one of the few songs that tells you exactly what to do in terms of dancing to the song.

Here are the words courtesy of the Scout Songs web site:

You put your right hand in,

You put your right hand out,

You put your right hand in,

And you shake it all about,

You do the hokey pokey

and you turn yourself around

That’s what it's all about.

2) left hand

3) right foot

4) left foot

5) head

6) backside

7) whole self

Admittedly this is a silly song.  It does, however, reveal something about not compromising.  You see this silly song that I have known since I was a toddler requires at the end for one to put his whole self in.  Christ requires that from the beginning.  When we commit to following Christ it is an all or nothing commitment.  It is not our privilege to partially follow. 

I know that I can be very good at compartmentalizing.  I can cordon of an area of my life and take it out of following Christ.  The problem with that is that if I am to follow all of me must move along home.  I cannot indulge private sins or compromise things that I know are wrong through rationalization.

It is too easy to rationalize my way to practices that I know are wrong.  Eventually this leads to a life that is all compromise and no following.  This is the path to taking my whole self out.  Following Christ is an all or nothing venture.   I am either following or I am not.   

Compromising this is the path to abandoning faith.  Whether I do this through adopting actions and practices that compromise my faith or I reason and rationalize my way off of the path I am taking myself out of following.  If I am not following with my whole self then I am not following.  Apparently that is what it’s all about.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."