A friend recently posted in his personal blog a reprint of the 1998 London Times post below called “An Obituary”. I know I’ve read it before, but his reprint stirred me to want to share it with you now. Perhaps you’ve seen it before too. I’ve attached some of my own personal thoughts at the end, and I’d love to hear your thoughts too.
An Obituary
(printed in the London Times in 1998 by Lori Borgman)
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years.
No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
– knowing when to come in out of the rain;
– why the early bird gets the worm;
– life isn’t always fair;
– and maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’t spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as churches became businesses and criminals received better treatment than their victims.
Common Sense took a beating when you couldn’t defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault. Common Sense finally gave up the will to live after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason. He is survived by his 5 stepchildren; I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else Is to Blame, I’m A Victim, and Pay Me for Doing Nothing.
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.
I suspect many of you, like me, resonate with this commentary on Common Sense. There are more than a few people who wonder what happened to common sense in our day. If you are an older person, you probably think it’s the younger generations who killed Common Sense. And yet, I wonder if we even understand what “common sense” means.
The meaning resides in that word ‘common’. In other words, common sense is about the ‘common’ convictions that have been assumed throughout human history about relatively ‘reasonable’ expectations which make it possible for people to live together in a responsible and productive society. Certainly, there has been a certain common understanding of Common Sense in our society over the years, and while we might lament that much of that has died, perhaps Common Sense is not actually dead. He may only be in a deep coma and there might still be hope for resuscitating him.
The problem, however, with Common Sense is the limitation of the word “common”—in other words, what is ‘commonly’ considered sensible by the general population of the day, which, by the way, tends to shift with the wind of public opinion. Unfortunately, common does not necessarily presume wisdom or truth. The greater loss and danger may not be ‘common sense’ but a scarcity of wisdom. Even so, wisdom requires the admission that there is only one true absolute source of wisdom—which is not human sensibilities. True wisdom can only originate from the ultimate Source of wisdom—God the Father, Almighty and Sovereign Creator of all that exists. If we don’t take that to heart, then it will be difficult to find common ground that truly makes sense.
While we like to think that “common sense” is for the common good—and it often is—the “common” component of common sense, unfortunately, does not always have its compass aligned with True North. Only God and His Word can keep us aligned with the Source of true wisdom to guide our sense of those things that allow societies and families to flourish. That’s why the Bible says, “My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment. Do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you” (Proverbs 3:21-22). Wisdom is able to resuscitate and regenerate Common Sense so that it becomes Correct Sense. And only the Gospel of Jesus Christ can transform hearts and minds to conform to such wisdom.
So, while we may agree with some or all of Lori Borgman’s observations about the death of Common Sense in our day (which, by the way, is a whole lot worse than it was in 1998!), there is still the opportunity to introduce Correct Sense into our world through lives lived with grace and a loving-our-neighbor attitude in which the wisdom of God in the Gospel of Jesus Christ is visible in us and impacting those around us. Correct Sense will flourish when we are walking the truth and being what Christ redeemed us to be in this world—salt and light. That’s the best Common Sense I know.
So, what are your thoughts about ‘Common Sense’ and wisdom in today’s world?
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