Missing Lines

I went to a concert with the Annie Moses Band performing last night in Greensboro, N.C. It was wonderful, as always. They performed a song that I has heard them do many times, but it gave new meaning to me this time. They wrote it and it was the idea of Benjamin Wolaver. Benjamin had spoken at devotion during FASA (Fine Arts Summer Academy) about the problem of "missing lines" in Christian's morality. The song went right along with that idea. Here are the lyrics to the chorus and second verse of the song "Blush":

When hands were gentle and words were kind
And love could wait a long, long time
And private matters held their hush
And grooms were gallant and brides would blush

Does it seem a silly dream played back in black and white?
Pearls and gloves and hymns of love

The lines of wrong and right

Well let's hush the cynic for just a minute
And let the dreamers dare
To dream of love that never fails
Oh won't you take me there

So it left me thinking about the "lines" of wrong and right. What if things were where they belonged? Now, matters that don't belong in the open are just spouted out. Even in the few short years since I was little, things have changed so much. It seemed more acceptable to be innocent then. These days even what some consider "cute" TV shows are brash and display lewd talk. The lines of childhood and what belongs there are blurred.

The big thing for me is relationships between young ladies and young men. The lines have nearly been washed away in this aspect. I've blogged about dating before but, this whole topic has resurrected my thoughts on it. Everything is so flashy and tacky and absolutely loose that is leaves me a little dizzy these days. I love the line in the song, "When love could wait a long, long time." When love waits it is strongest, mark my words. But waiting seems hard. Actually, it isn't as hard as imagined. It is actually enjoyable and peaceful to wait on that love for God's timing. But see, the lines has been broken for so many young people. And many are happy just to push the lines a little, just to have some "fun." But it is dangerous.

Lines are good. When certain things are reserved for certain things, each area is defined. The world says to break lines, that you are more free if you do. Well, have you ever seen a picture that a three year-old has colored in a coloring book? The lines are there but the child has simply ignored them. You can't tell what color belongs to what part of the picture. Every color is everywhere and it leaves a messy blur. That is what happens when we ignore the lines in life. God has placed boundaries that are revealed in His Word that are meant to be acknowledged and kept. It is for our own good.

Annie Dupre made a comment, "What if these ideas aren't old and outdated but really are the ways of Christ followers?"