Out of Plumb


 

At first, I thought it was my eyesight that was off. Or perhaps an optical illusion produced by surrounding objects. Then I considered it to be the result of having walked several miles at a brisk pace. But I backtracked and took another look. I took a picture to assist me in the investigation. I came to the conclusion that it was not my eyesight. I came to the conclusion that it was not the object’s relation to any other object. I came to the conclusion that is was not a result of my huffing and puffing a bit on my morning walk. No, this light pole really is NOT straight. And it is off more than a few degrees. I felt as if I had solved some great mystery.
Where I grew up, one often heard the phrase, “half a bubble off plumb”. That saying came from the use of a level to determine if whatever one was building was square. Whether laying out a stone wall or nailing studs in place, the goal is for everything to be plumb in relation to everything else. As you can imagine, the phrase came to be used about people that were a little eccentric or different. When said with love in a good spirit, such a phrase can be endearing. When spoken in judgement, it is demeaning and cruel.
Truth be told, when it comes to our relationship to God, we are all ”half a bubble off plumb”. The traditional language for this is the “human condition”.
As “good” a person as we are, we are a little crooked. As “bad” a person as we are, we are not quite plumb. We are unable to remedy this condition on our own. This is one thing all of us share in common.
John writes, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This is the good news: God loves us completely, however out of plumb we may be. God knows we cannot straighten up on our own, so love and grace cover us all. Let us stop judging one another and embrace together our common need for God - and for the wonderful diversity of our human family.
Peace.

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