Sin begins as a stray thought
February 15, 2011 Tuesday)
A week or so ago I saw Shakespeare’s tragedy, “Othello,” on T.V. In 1604, long before the word, “psychology,” was in vogue, Shakespeare’s works demonstrated its reality. At the end of the play, all the main characters lie dead on the stage, so it definitely qualifies as a “tragedy.” How this came about is the theme of the play. The culprit is the “green-eyed monster” (a phrase created in this play) known as “Jealousy.”
In the early 1950’s, I took a drama course at Baylor under Dr. Paul Baker, who was considered a genius in theatrical innovation. His theater on the campus had swivel seats so that the patron could view several stages. His treatment of “Othello” required three stages and three actors for each main character in the play. Each actor displayed a specific facet of the character’s personality.*
Back to “Jealousy.” We don’t hear many sermons exclusively about “Jealousy.” I don’t remember ever preaching on the subject without including other topics as well. This is a sin no one wants to admit, not even to the self. We consider ourselves bigger than that, fairer than that, more sensible than that. It is an insidious sin. As in “Othello,” in which all die because of it, it is a subtle, poisonous, deadly sin that can be akin to madness. Let us learn to recognize its initial stages, admit its existence in our minds, and, as Barney Fife said, “Nip it in the bud!” “Nip it!” “In the bud!”
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*While I was still a student, the Baylor Theater was demolished so that the Tidwell Bible Building could be built at that location. I remember the day in 1953 that giant machines began digging a big hole for construction. Above a machine was a banner–possibly placed by upset drama students–with a Scripture reference, “Prov. 26:27.” That’s all it said. When I looked it up, I found that it read, “Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein!”
Ten years later, in 1963, Dr. Baker left Baylor when Dr. Abner McCall, Baylor’s president, closed down a Eugene O’Neill play, “Long Day’s Journey Into Night.” Dr. McCall ordered Dr. Baker to delete the profanity in the play as “not in good taste for a church-related university.” Dr. Baker refused. When he quit, his entire drama school faculty quit with him.