Hot Springs

I have never been to Hot Springs.

But, I really want to go.

To bask in self-indulgence,

And relax my tense-filled soul.

Yessiree, I want to see,

What good ole Arkansas.

I wish to go to soothe the self

Transcend the troubled now.

Such a trip, it must take place,

So I can relax and how!

My troubles placed upon a shelf.

Suspended in such ease.

That I might go, and there relax,

I can only beg, Oh, please!

My muscles needing kneading.

Spastic, twitches needing spas.

Ah, thoughts of healing waters,

As I sense tension in my jaws.

I could return so tension-free,

With calmness as my guide.

My soul restored, my mind at rest.

For such, my self does plea.

Upon return, I can only guess,

What I would surely feel.

Imagination assuring me,

I would no longer be a mess.

Yes, I am certain as can be,

I would feel so very swell.

I am pretty confident,

I would feel artesian well.

Richard L. Brewer

10.13.10

I have been a long time considering my final entry on the book of Job. I have not wished, and I do not wish, to limit my writings to my own simple understandings. I have not wanted, and I do not want, to fan into conflagration my limited personal experience and private interpretations. That concern has constrained me and postponed my last Job entry. I have read Scripture, prayed for understanding, as well as for an appropriate boldness. I wanted to be, and I want to be, honest, fair, and faithful to God. So, here goes.

We have been told about the patience of Job. To a degree, yes. But he also poured out his heart. He raged. He did not mince words about how he felt. He engaged in a very bold and candid outpouring of his desperation. “Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face” (Job 13:15, ESV). Job was the first to break the silence in chapter 3. The heated interchange goes back and forth between Job and his friends until chapter 31. It is a captivating read. They eventually fall silent. Then, Elihu rebukes them all and extols God’s greatness (chapters 32-37). Another captivating read. Finally, God breaks His silence. A significantly captivating read. Job’s sin was in demanding an answer from God, which he never received. His understanding of God went from “hearing about” to “Now mine eyes have seen Him”. In the end Job and his friends are forgiven and restored to relationship with God and each other. What a challenge. In the end, there were no grudges. If only reconciliation were possible in all situations. As Paul wrote: “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good“, (Romans 12: 18-21, ESV, italics mine).

“And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money and a ring of gold. And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. He had also seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job’s daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, four generations. And Job died, an old man, and full of days’” Job 42: 10-17, ESV).

Praying for one’s detractors, a clear New Testament command, is illustrated by Job. The Reformation Study Bible suggests that Job foreshadows Christ who requested that His Father “Forgive them, for they know not what they do”, (Luke 23:34). The sequence in the last chapter is thus: His friends are brought back to God by Job’s intercessory prayers. They are forgiven for not having been there for Job in his darkest hours. Job’s restored relationship with God is the impetus for Job’s actions. Job is then further blessed and honored: double what he lost, except for his children. He would be eventually reunited with his lost children.

Job proved true as God said he would. Satan was proved a liar. As we are told, He is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). Suffering occurs. People suffer. Oh, to be like Job, who never cursed God. Yet, I too have experienced God’s forgiveness and I “see” Him in a grand and glorious way. Ultimately, God was glorified. That is the bottom line. May God be glorified! Like Job, I want to see Him and not just hear about Him.

The last several verses of the last chapter of Job are quite remarkable. Job repents! He makes a profound confession as to seeing, not just hearing about, God. Nary one of his questions was answered. And, in the end, God described Job as representing Him honestly in contrast to the misrepresentative folly of his “friends”. Not just one time, but twice, God recites the comparison! “The Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.’ So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the Lord had told them, and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer” (Job 42: 7-9, ESV, emphases mine).

So, what gives? Job spoke with boldness, rawness, and honesty out of the midst of his agony. His response was one of utter desperation to his God, who he knew would hear  him in the time of his need. Job never threatened to disown God, but rebuked his wife at the very suggestion. An act of confident worship, reflective of Hebrews 4:16! “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

The three “friends” thought they were “spot on”. They used the “right words” to defend God but were way off base. They assumed Job was being punished for his sins and they deemed him guilty. They arrogantly assumed; not just about Job, but also regarding God. They must go to Job and offer a sacrifice. Not only a sacrifice: they are told that “my servant Job will pray for you” and God will hear Job’s prayers! Oh, the irony. They judged wrongly and misused Scripture in doing so. The lesson? Beware how we view, conclude, accuse, judge, and condemn. Beware how we wield God’s word. Job could be any one of us. And, Job’s friends could be one of us, too!

God finally ends His silence in chapter 38. God neither mentions Job’s suffering nor the reason for it. Job does not even receive the indictment he requested in 32:35; “Oh, that I had the indictment written by my adversary!” (ESV) Rather, God holds court. Rather than Job confronting God, God confronts Job. According to the ‘Reformation Study Bible’, “Job learns he must rest his case, including his desire for vindication, in the hands of a sovereign and good God, who is not his enemy (1 Peter 4:19*). God has come not to stand in the dock but to preside over the court. Job does not confront God; the Lord confronts him.” *“Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good” (1 Peter 4:19, ESV).

I was devastated when Evan was killed by hitting the side of the van of a negligent driver. I did not “indict” God or roil in anger. (If you remember from an earlier blog, I had already done that after the divorce from my children’s mother). I cried more during the year after Evan’s death than all the years before and since. I remember crying out to God for assistance. I did not even cry out in anger at the one who did not stop at the T-intersection. I had no place to turn except to God who had loved me through all of life’s hardships and tragedies. I vividly remember being aware of three questions that I continue to ask myself: “Who do I turn to? What can I learn?” And, “How can I use what I learn; not only for myself, but for others.

Interestingly, God never answers even one of Job’s questions. God confronts Job: “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” (38:2, ESV). Then, God begins to ask Job questions that he cannot answer. After two chapters of questions, God said to Job: “Shall a fault finder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.” (40: 2) Job, confronted by the Almighty God, promises silence: “Then Job answered the Lord and said: ‘Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further.” (40:3-5) Again, God challenges Job: “Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: “Dress for action[a] like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. Will you even put me in the wrong? Will you condemn me that you may be in the right? Have you an arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like his?” (40: 6-9)

I find myself like Job, unable to utter a response. How can I contend with God? He is Lord God Almighty, sovereign, beyond comprehending. And yet, He spoke to Job. He created all who was, is, and will be. He made provision for sin before the foundation of the world. He became the man, Jesus, and dwelt among us. He gave up His life on a cross that we might have forgiveness of sin and eternal life. How can I respond considering His greatness? I (we) live on the short sliver of eternity. Some might be appalled at God. I know those who feel so betrayed by Him that they do not know how they could ever recover their trust in Him. I do not judge or condemn them. I know a bit of their story. I have no right to condemn or look at them with anything but empathy and compassion.  And, I don’t hold a candle to God, who loves and longs for them.

Thankfully, I have a sense of Job’s wonder. After being confronted by God, having listened to God’s questions and responded to God’s challenges, Job confessed: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me. I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” Truly remarkable. May I be like Job.

The Paradox

Trust the current,
That of the water.
Also, of time.
To fight one is to be dashed.
To fight the other is to live in the past.
Oh, what a ride.
To lose control is to gain it.
Oh, the paradox
-Richard L. Brewer

Response to Job’s charge that God is unjust (5-9) His vindication of God (10-30) God does not act unjustly. God is sovereign over His creation. It is improper for man to criticize God. God’s judgment is impartial – He is omniscient. God’s judgment is irresistible – He is omnipotent. God strikes down the wicked.

Before we focus on God’s response, let’s spend a bit of time with Elihu. I am a bit hard-pressed as to what to do with him. He spoke as he “burned with anger” (Job 32:5, ESV). We can listen to Elihu speak in chapters 32-37. He directed his first rebuke to the three “friends”. Let’s pick up in Job 32: “So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. Then Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, burned with anger. He burned with anger at Job because he justified himself rather than God. He burned with anger also at Job’s three friends because they had found no answer, although they had declared Job to be in the wrong. Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were older than he. And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, he burned with anger”, (vs. 3-5, ESV).

He, being the youngest, sat patiently listening to Job, Bildad, Zophar, and Eliphaz. He observed, he listened, and when silence and opportunity presented, he spoke: “And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said: ‘I am young in years, and you are aged; therefore I was timid and afraid to declare my opinion to you. I said, let days speak, and many years teach wisdom. But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand. It is not the old who are wise, nor the aged who understand what is right. Therefore I say, listen to me; let me also declare my opinion. Behold, I waited for your words, I listened for your wise sayings, while you searched out what to say. I gave you my attention, and, behold, there was none among you who refuted Job or who answered his words. Beware lest you say, ‘We have found wisdom; God may vanquish him, not a man.’ He has not directed his words against me, and I will not answer him with your speeches. They are dismayed; they answer no more; they have not a word to say. And shall I wait, because they do not speak, because they stand there, and answer no more? I also will answer with my share; I also will declare my opinion. For I am full of words; the spirit within me constrains me. Behold, my belly is like wine that has no vent; like new wineskins ready to burst. I must speak, that I may find relief; I must open my lips and answer. I will not show partiality to any man or use flattery toward any person. For I do not know how to flatter, else my Maker would soon take me away’”, (Job 32:6-22, ESV).

As a younger man, he would not have wanted to butt-in. But, once Job and his three “friends” stopped speaking, Elihu spoke. And, when he spoke, it was with a tremendous amount of energy and (in my humble opinion) not a small degree of impetuousness. Yet, he never accused Job of horrific wrongdoing as the others had. In addressing Job, he prefaced it by acknowledging he was not superior to Job. I love the image he used: “Behold, I am toward God as you are; I too was pinched off from a piece of clay”, (Job 33:6, ESV). A model for me to remember. I, too, am but a “pinch” off a piece of clay. In fact, we are all “pinched” from a piece of clay! Note to self: I must balance my sense of self-importance with that awareness and be humbled!

Elihu did not condemn Job as the other three “friends”, but to share his “wisdom”. To me, He sounds “ballsy’ and “salty”. But, he was not rebuked by God as Bildad, Zophar, and Eliphaz were. Elihu referenced Job’s words, but not to accuse him. Rather, Elihu defended God’s sovereignty, justice, and greatness. Though Elihu speaks with some condescension, there seems to be some empathy, too. He seems to stress the disciplinary and redemptive roles of suffering. He may also have concluded, that due to his suffering, Job was in no frame of mind to listen to anyone. I, too, must be careful not to condemn. Rather, I should listen and remember that I am but just a “pinch” of clay, as are you.

If you do not feel close to God, guess who moved?

Job was the first to break the silence in chapter 3. We have been told about the patience of Job. Yes? No? Faithful, absolutely! But he also poured out his heart. He did not mince words as he spoke to God, as to how he felt. He was very candid in his outpouring of desperation, even to the point of saying, “Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face” (Job 13:15, ESV).

There are many other very raw utterances from Job. I offer but a few. Job 23: 1-9: “Then Job answered and said: ‘Today also my complaint is bitter; my hand is heavy on account of my groaning. Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat! I would lay my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments. I would know what he would answer me and understand what he would say to me. Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No; he would pay attention to me. There an upright man could argue with him, and I would be acquitted forever by my judge. Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him; on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him; he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him’”. (ESV) Go back and read carefully: “that I might find him” and “he is not there”.  I am reminded of cutesy sayings that are untrue and can do damage to those who are in the midst of trials and suffering. One such saying is, “If you do not feel close to God, guess who moved?” Tell that to Job. Tell that to others, who in their times of agony call out to God and do not sense His presence.

It was sometime after Easter of 2001. I was sitting amongst a group of men whom I loved and trusted. I was recovering pretty well from the prostatectomy. Life felt better than it had in a long time. I made the comment that life was good and that God was good. I was rebuilding relationships with my children. My son and I had enjoyed several motorcycle rides and had grown quite close. My daughters lived near Kansas City. Evan and I had ridden our motorcycles to visit them over Easter. Evan wanted to ride. I was not keen on it, but agreed we would do so. What a great trip. Shortly thereafter, his best friend committed suicide. Then, three weeks later, Evan was killed on his motorcycle: an event recorded in an earlier blog entitled, “The Perfect Day”.

A few weeks after Evan died, I returned to my Sunday morning Bible study group to complete the book of Job.  Thereafter followed additional painful life events, causing me to reflect all the more deeply about Job and his experiences. I could not honestly compare myself to Job. God described Job to Satan as thus: “… there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil”. My slate was not so clean. I learned a great deal from that study that has profoundly impacted me in ways that continue to this day. I will be writing a bit more about the book and, especially, the ending. There is significant irony. Read the entire book. Spend time to ponder. Do not read quickly. Listen to Job, his “friends”, Elihu (who is a puzzle), and to God after He breaks His silence. Next time!

Job’s depression was very extreme. Similar accounts of depression can be found in the psalmist’s lamentation (Psalm 88) and by Jeremiah (20: 14-15). God’s servants have expressed grief for millennia. Lamenting and complaining are acts of worship. Where did we lose the awareness that feeling and sharing our emotions is appropriate?

I read an article by Michael Pulley this morning in the Springfield News-Leader, he wrote: “Then the darkness of depression, a malady many of us face and recognize – sometimes daily, sometimes suddenly and intermittently. William Styron, in his memoir, ‘Darkness Visible’ wrote that depression ‘is a true wimp of a word for such a major illness.’ We who are being treated for it often cower in its darkness, hoping no one will notice or, at least, not comment upon it. Sometimes the dark is so encompassing we wonder if light exists only for others, not us. Yet, I’ve discovered entering dark periods could possibly be transformative. Richard Rohr: ‘Wise people tell us we must learn to stay with the pain of life, without answers or conclusions, and in some days without meaning.’ Perhaps somewhere embedded in dark is the yearning for light, maybe a path to light.” What an apt description. Kudos Michael Pulley.

Based upon the description of what Job suffered, it is quite reasonable and understandable that he was depressed and very close to a total breakdown. Though Job does not curse God, he does take God to task regarding God’s wisdom in allowing him to be born. It is very clear that Job wished he had died at birth and would gladly die if God were to allow it (3:20-22). I am very glad that God inspired the writers of scripture to pen the many accounts of suffering in the bible.

Many people have suffered grievously. Too often they receive responses that are very akin to those provided by Job’s “friends”. Like the “friends, they use scripture to support and bolster their opinions: that suffering is the direct result of sinning. But, remember, God described Job to Satan as thus: “… there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil”. Though what his friends said sounded convincing, and even included defenses of God, they got it very wrong. We will visit that in more detail later.

Let us be very careful in the ways we respond to those who are suffering. It may just be that we do additional damage to the poor souls. Sympathy, empathy, support, and encouragement are certainly warranted and helpful. If you do not know what to say, remain silent.

I vividly remember the times I poured my heart out to God. I was angry and even begging Him to end my life. I was less appropriate than Job. I was hostile in my reactions to God. I have told a very few people the extent of my outbursts. They were raw. I let God have it. I was fearful at first that He would turn me into a “grease spot”. I was then angry that He did not. Remarkably, He loved me. That experience was very instrumental in helping me learn that I only hurt myself if I am not honest with God. He is omniscient. If I do not speak to Him, I hurt only myself.

Recently, I talked with a person who asked if it would be appropriate to ask God for an apology. The individual has suffered excruciating losses and abuse. My response: “You are only hurting yourself if you do not have a conversation with God about your feelings. The individual was soundly scolded by a couple of other Christians who did not think it should be done. Being honest with God was pivotal in healing for the individual.

More later.

“Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven.  And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great” (Job 2: 11-13, ESV).

After the seven days and seven nights his so-called friends stopped “ministering” to Job. They attacked him with accusations. Surely, in their minds, he must have grievously sinned. Job had only his wife. She was seemingly absent during this time. I can only imagine that she was doing her own grieving. Both Job and his wife had lost not just possessions and their children; Job also lost his very health. He sat upon an ash heap and scratched his sores with a piece of broken pottery. He had sympathetic company for seven days and nights. Then, his so-called friends lit into him with vicious fury. Their attacks were merciless, but not so unbelievable. There are times when the very people we would expect to support us, do not. They look for something to explain the suffering. Surely, he/she must have sinned terribly and God is punishing. God, help me not to do that!

Another meandering before I return to the account of Job. Allow me to digress and include some information as a kind of backstory. Then, I will write more about Job and his experiences.

I knew something was not right in late summer of 1998. I scheduled an appointment with a doctor. A full exam, even the dreaded rubber-gloved prostate exam. Nothing appeared abnormal. All the results came back negative. (Interestingly, in some cases negative is positive.) I felt progressively worse. A few weeks later, I returned to the doctor again. Diagnosis: infection of the prostate, also known as prostatitis. Another digital exam would be risky because it could spread the infection. So, an antibiotic was prescribed. Yet, there was no improvement. Rather, my symptoms progressively worsened. Another follow-up appointment in two weeks. Another antibiotic was prescribed. No improvement on that antibiotic either, but continued worsening of the symptoms. Another visit after two more weeks and an additional antibiotic was prescribed, with instructions to see the doctor in a week.

I knew the situation was not good, but I trusted the doctor. I am sure there was also some fear and denial. Prostate cancer?! Hardly, I was only forty-five. The symptoms continued to worsen. I was in tremendous pain and barely able to urinate. I was going to the restroom often during the day and getting up many, many times during the night. I was unable to experience relief. I could only accomplish a mere trickle. I was extremely miserable. During my final appointment with the doctor, I requested a referral to a urologist and for a digital exam. He agreed. The exam was extremely painful. He assured me there was no mass or lump that would indicate anything unusual or serious, but he agreed to refer me to a urologist. Later that day, I passed a significant amount of blood and what I knew were chunks of tumor. At least I was able to urinate freely and experienced a reduction of pressure and pain.

I saw the urologist and presented him a page-long listing of history and symptoms. He also asked a number of questions and performed a cystoscopy. He rather somberly stated: “There is shaggy growth on your urethra. He sent me home with a container for any ‘chunks’ that might have broken loose during the exam, so he could order a biopsy. Sure enough, there were several more chunks that I was able to collect. I took the samples to the doctor. On the Thursday after Labor Day, over a year after sensing that all was not well, a call came from the doctor’s office. The biopsy was positive for cancer. (Interesting that sometimes positive means something very negative.) Within the week, I was in the hospital for more scans and biopsies. Serious, to say the least. As soon as it could be arranged, I was scheduled for a radical prostatectomy. I remember the date vividly: I went under the scalpel on October 1, 1999.

More next time.

The very name Satan means adversary. Satan rebelled against God and has been in battle against God and mankind ever since. He is at his best with his attack on Job. The first several verses of Job 1 talk of Job’s wealth and righteousness. He sacrificed on behalf of his children, just in case they might have sinned. Job was that devoted and proactive! Satan accused Job of honoring God only because God had been good to him and put a “hedge around him”.

So, Satan lived up to his name and reputation. He saw to it, with God’s permission, that Job lost everything he had (livestock, servants, and children) with the exception of three survivors who reported the dreadful news. Unfathomable; even his children were killed. Job’s response was nothing short of remarkable. As we read, “Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’ In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong” (Job 1:20-22). Double-take: In spite of his horrendous losses, Job worshiped and remained steadfast in his belief that God is good.

God again draws attention to Job’s continued faithfulness in a subsequent meeting. “Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. And the Lord said to Satan, ‘From where have you come?’ Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.’ And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.’ Then Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.’ And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life’” (Job 2: 1-6, ESV).

Satan struck Job with “loathsome sores” from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. Job sat on a trash heap and scraped his sores with a piece of broken pottery. He maintained his integrity and his confidence in God’s goodness. His wife suggests he “curse God and die”. R.C. Sproul (The Reformation Study Bible) suggests Job’s wife is unaware of God’s guarantee that Job’s life would not be taken, that she does not doubt his integrity, and might have been speaking out of sympathy believing death would be better than prolonged suffering. Nonetheless, Job maintains his integrity. “But he said to her, ‘You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips” Job 2:10, ESV).

That is nothing short of remarkable. I cannot fathom the depth of Job’s confidence in and devotion to God. I challenge all of us to reflect upon Job’s reaction, especially in light of society’s tendency to expect God to provide and protect. We are prone to see God as a “sugar daddy”. We are told if we “name it”, we can “claim it”. Job certainly did not hold that perspective. We would be wise to reconsider how we view God.

In the next meandering I will write about Job’s so-called friends and offer some observations and warnings against responses and platitudes that Christians can, and do, readily fall into. As suggested by a previous meandering, Job was slandered and accused of things he did not live up to. Oh, the temptation to assign meaning and fault to things that happen to people. Stay tuned.