Pearls before Swine

There's a popular comic strip with this title, and I often wonder if the people I know who like it and follow it even know that it's title is Biblical. I imagine if some of them knew, they might not even read it any more, due to their extreme distaste for the Bible, even though the comic itself is not Biblically based in it's content. So I don't mention that it's title is from a quote made by Jesus, because I like the irony of those who refuse to believe enjoying a comic under His very words of wisdom.

All of that aside, because it was just that... "a thought on the side". Yesterday, the real meaning of pearls before swine came up. I was playing my favorite game, essentially my only game: World of Warcraft. "Wow" for short. There are different ways you can chat in the game. You can send private messages (pm) with one person, get in a group and chat, chat in your guild (gchat), or chat in general. There's other ways, these are just a few examples that apply to this story.

In general chat, in the area of the map where I was located at the time, a heated conversation was going on between several people who probably didn't know each other very well, if at all... because that's how general chat tends to work. It's a place where people spout off on just about any subject. For that reason, I tend to give very little attention to general chat. I noticed there were comments being thrown around about how bad religious people are, and I saw one of my guildies, a character named Armaggedon, try to throw in a comment. Rather than jump in this "public" arena with him, I peeled him off with some of those pms (private messages ~ not P.M.S.) and asked if he believed in God. And then our conversation went on to just who this God was that he believed in...

As our conversation was coming to an end, I noticed another guildie, Furyian, had entered the wow arena of public debate. Furyian, who's real name is Dylan, and I prefer to use real names when I know them, was hot on the subject. He was defending the position that there is a God and that just because religious people do bad things in the name of God that does not make God bad. He was not getting anywhere with those who were ridiculing and heckling him. So I pm'd him and noted that sometimes you just can't throw your pearls before swine.

Jesus is quoted in Matthew 7:6 as saying "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces." (New International Version)

I actually like the New King James usage of the word "swine" instead of "pigs". And today, in my dual translation Bible, I looked over at The Message version, and I actually don't like it as well as I usually do. "Don't be flip with the sacred. Banter and silliness give no honor to God. Don't reduce holy mysteries to slogans. In trying to be relevant, you're only being cute and inviting sacrilege."

While The Message does actually convict me in that I may be turning this verse into just a slogan "Pearls before Swine", I think it's about much more than being flip or silly with what is holy. I think it is actually about trying to bring to the public arena that which is holy and special. If a particular public arena is a place under the control of those who have no respect for God or don't believe in him, I don't care to try to bring God in and throw him out there for them to trample on... and because when I do... this is true: they turn and trample me.

So I pointed out to Dylan, the possible futility of what he was trying to argue, because they are swine who can't comprehend the value of his "pearls". Now I don't call them swine to degrade them. Not to open up the debate on whether it is right or wrong to eat pig here, but I happen to love bacon. I call them swine because that's their condition... their position... at this time. They can certainly come to a point where they can appreciate a fine pearl. However, when they do, it will be a life changing event, and they will no longer be swine. To be clear: I once was a swine myself.

Anyway, I point this out to Dylan, and then I sense God catching me in the midst of that thought, and I add, "However, maybe what you're arguing is getting the attention of someone who needs to hear it, so I don't mean to say don't do it... I just want to caution you because it may just be a case of casting your pearls before swine." I went on to tell him that if he was going to continue, I was feeling compelled to jump in and support him. Which I eventually did. An unknown person, Swampmoose, pm'd me saying essentially what I'd said to Dylan, though he left out that good slogan about "pearls before swine". I let him know that I was only in it because of Furyian, and that I thought it was good for Furyian to be fighting for his faith, even if it was a somewhat futile attempt as far as the opposition went.

After that, Dylan and I had a awesome chat about our Awesome God and his son Jesus. It's so good to have someone to share your pearls with. <3