I recently stumbled upon this quote from an official Japanese guide for English-speaking drivers: “Beware of greasy corner where lurk skid demon.”
After deciphering and pondering that little gem, I thought, “That’ll preach.”
Especially right now as folks in this neck of the woods are processing the shocking revelation that our governor was unfaithful to his wife and his God.
If Gov. Sanford had simply recognized and turned away from the “greasy corner” where the “skid demon” lurks, he wouldn’t be skidding right now. And we wouldn’t be struggling once again to keep our heads above swelling waves of cynicism and distrust.
Beyond the sordid media frenzy generated by the revelation of Gov. Sanford’s soap-opera-like, illicit love affair, and beyond the political posturing it has precipitated, the hurtful ripples of this betrayal sting us all.
Wondering if anyone truly is who we think they are, we go to the brick pile to add a few more rows to the walls we build around our hearts to keep hurtful people away.
But the problem is, we’re all hurtful. We all disappoint. We all have feet of clay. There is no such thing as a completely safe human relationship.
Our sins may not be so public or seem quite so devastating, but let’s face it – life is full of “greasy corners where lurk skid demon” and all of us spin out to various degrees. Sometimes our sinful spinouts are very hurtful to the people around us; always they are hurtful to God, who wants the best for us and knows that sin keeps us from His best.
But it’s important to note those who claim to follow Christ, and so have His power available to us and in us, CAN “just say no” to sin. We’re not at the mercy of temptation. The “lurking skid demon” has only the power we give him.
Moral nosedives don’t just happen in a moment. When we’re cruising down Temptation Boulevard, God always gives us chances to turn around before we cross the line into sin.
As the Apostle Paul wrote, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also…” (1 Corinthians 10:13)
At so many points, our governor could have nipped temptation in the bud. He didn’t have to allow a woman to become such a “dear, dear friend” (his words), or email her, or entertain romantic notions about her, or hop on a plane to Argentina.
The Bible is loaded with practical advice on how to avoid the kind of pain Gov. Sanford has inflicted upon himself and everyone in his world. The book of Proverbs, for example, is a veritable textbook for Wise Living 101 and is every bit as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago when it was written.
Even while instructing us on how to avoid sin, the writer of Proverbs recognized we would sadly sometimes ignore his advice, so he included this: “A righteous man falls seven times, and rises again” (Proverbs 24:16).
God is gracious and forgiving when we repent.
After the warning about the “greasy corner where lurk skid demon,” the Japanese driving manual goes on to say, “Cease step on, approach slowly, round cautiously, resume step on gradually.”
I pray the Sanfords – and all of us – can “step on gradually” now and move forward.