Innocence

Hear my plea of innocence . . . 

 - From Psalm 17

If you're innocent, you'll know it.

That's not the same as being right, or correct. Innocent is not the same as factual. A person's status as innocent, or not, is not something that is tested and proven, scientifically.

There are things that transcend science, and fact. Innocence is one of them. Purity is another one, and it is related to innocence. Morality, also derives from the concepts of innocence and purity.

Science can "prove" a lot of things. Science can prove that innocence is highly subjective. Science, in the context of sociology, may find purity to be a changing social construct, designed by the power structure to keep masses in line. It can be proven, via a legitimate scientific process, that morality may be leveraged as a way to cause harm to people.

That is not the same as being right. Things that are factual may be held to be right. Your data may become more and more accurate. The more accurate your data, the more sound your conclusions.

Innocence is like pornography. It is hard to define it, but you know it when you see it.

Social agitation in 2020 is more linked to the idea of being right, than to being pure. Even the rioters, themselves, make no claims of being pure, or innocent. At our core, we know that morality, or purity, is too high a claim to make for ourselves.

Innocence, purity, and humility. They are above Science. Science doesn't know what to do with them.

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How is it, then, that the Psalmist maintains, throughout, that he is "innocent"? What about Job, who was steadfast in asserting his own purity before a just and powerful God?

Nobody's perfect. We all are sinners.

But in society, and in human conflict, it is possible for one to be innocent. You'll know when you're innocent. It's alright to protest against others coming at you . . . that you have done nothing wrong.

This thread runs through the entire Bible. Good people doing their best to be honorable and charitable - always, always having to defend themselves from people that don't claim to be pure, but that do claim to be right.

Look the mob in the eye . . . and see if there's a hint of compassion, purity, humility, love. When they look back into your own eyes, if they can even bear to do so, be sure that compassion, purity, humility, and love, are exactly what they see.


© 2020 Gordon Darr