What has happened? No one points a finger any longer. It used to be that if someone had a disagreement or something to say with emphasis to you, they’d project their bony index finger and wag it a little. Now everyone does what I call the lawyer point. You bend the index finger at the first knuckle, press your thumb up against it and move it carefully up and down. It just looks contrived to me.
You can point your finger at me any time you want. And be ready because I’ll point at you just to let you know I can. I hate all this PC stuff. Being American is about being borderline in the nicety area. And for some reason we want to be cool and up on things. So we adapt almost any anemic deflation of masculinity and juvenile behavior we can. I like a little juvenile myself.
I think unchurched people are not nearly so sensitive about church things as the seeker movement has purported. I don’t think they are so concerned about our talk about most sensitive stuff. Its nominal reactionary Christians that struggle with discussions about money. And it’s mainly because they have little intention of going with God’s program no matter what it is if it crosses their comfort zone. The latter needs some finger pointing.
I have been practicing my finger pointing again. I am just sitting here positioning the right curve on my finger. The finger pointing is really like the tone of your voice. It’s the subtlety of the movement that gives it its level of shrillness and volume. I can’t keep myself from laughing now when I see the first knuckle bend with the lawyerly careful movements. Its down right cute.
Finger pointing is worthy of some care however. Jesus warned us about pointing too many fingers. My mother taught me that when you point your finger at someone else you have four pointing back at you. So take care with your finger pointing.
I recently heard that they are now going to remove tax deductions for charitable giving. Nice move. Its worthy of a finger pointing. It requires a big wag in the face. It’s one more sure step that will lead the U.S. church into being like the European church. A weakened church financially in the U.S. will leave society even poorer spiritually and morally.
Right now 17% of the church’s folks carry 80% of the expenses. In the future we will have to have everyone step up or there will be huge setbacks. Its time someone dug out a wagging index finger at the non-participating majority.
I had a friend in a band in high school that had the longest fingers I have ever seen. I connected with him for the first time in thirty years two weeks ago over Facebook. He told me he still has a ponytail. I would like one but my head is so big it would look strange. And my hair is a washed out red that looks kind of a dingy blonde. And some of the hair cover is fleeing the center part of my head. I asked my hair stylist if she saw that I was losing hair. She said, “No you have lots of hair.†My wife said to ask her the month after I didn’t tip and see what she sad.
Anyway my high school friend wanted me to go to my high school reunion. I am not going. I have never been to one. As I have said before I just don’t do looking back very well. I am a pressing on into the future kind of a guy. But I do remember my friend could really stretch those fingers in some descriptive ways.
I think the worst way to communicate to someone who is struggling is finger pointing. I had an English teacher in the eighth grade that was a real finger pointer. She could put some real force into the movement of that thing. It was terrifying. I saw her once press that thing into a friend’s chest until he nearly cried.
I had occasion to be concerned with someone close to me who wasn’t working like they should. I got my pointy finger out and wagged it hard over the phone. He was stressed and I only added to it. But there was some relief for me in forceful index finger use even though he couldn’t see it.
It struck me that though I felt better about my finger pointing it didn’t really help anything. I wanted to get out the lawyerly finger point and call him back. But I decided not. I put my fingers totally away and pulled out my heart. An idea of asking a family member to hire him came to mind. I made the call and he got the job and we were all happy. Its better to be part of the solution to a problem than pointing a finger when the heat is on.
We need to ask ourselves is this a heart situation or an index finger occasion.
