The Target of Opinions

Christ is Risen!

Opinion:  noun    A view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge;  the beliefs or views of a large number or majority of people about a particular thing;  and estimation of the quality or worth of someone or something.

When I was much younger, I had a plaque on my engineering office wall that showed the picture of a crotchety old man, fist waving in the air, and the caption said, "Everyone is entitled to my opinion!"

In the world around us today, we are bombarded I think more than ever with "opinion" - as opposed to fact or knowledge.  News (regardless of which political side presents it as news) is more opinion than fact.  Were it not so, there would not (and could not) be such polarization of the news reported.  

Unfortunately the "opinions" don't stop there.  Because we then, as "informed people," take the opinions broadcast to us, and we adopt them as our own, defending opinion as if it were in fact either knowledge or fact.

But what attitude toward opinion is proper today for this much older engineer-now-priest, who today appears in the mirror as that crotchety old man?  

If humility means anything in my own world, it must come to mean that no one should CARE about my opinion, and in fact, I should keep my opinions to myself.  For if I cannot speak from a basis of fact (meaning truth) or knowledge (meaning wisdom), then there is no purpose to my speaking.

Blessed Theophylact wrote "The Lord does not forbid us to desire to become His favorites, for He wants us to desire advancement in spiritual life.  But He does not want us to grasp for honors and privileges, but rather to acquire the heights by humility." (Commentary on Mark 9:33-41)

But even more importantly we learn from the words of our Lord directly.  "Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes', and your 'No' be 'No'." (Mat 5:37)  But the closing words from this passage are yet more important to this discussion - "For whatever is more than these is from the evil one."

One final thought before closing.  Looking back on a life spent too much in elevating self at the expense of the neighbor whom I'm called to love AS myself, I can now judge that crotchety old man, repent for his errors (as I have, and as I continue to do in my own repentance), and attempt finally to tame my own tongue and ego.  For "Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent." (Prov 17:28)

Indeed, the only "proper" target for my own opinions is my own sinful nature, so that I might repent and confess in sincerity.

Indeed He is Risen!

21May21/FrB