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Scapegoat

Scapegoat

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Scapegoat--goat lying in field, face to cameraHave you ever been a scapegoat? Something bad happened. It was not your fault, but you received the blame. Or have you ever scapegoated someone else?

A scapegoat receives all the blame or punishment for the wrongs of others.

The person may be innocent or only partially at fault. However, they receive total blame.

  • Family members accuse a relative for all their problems.
  • Company leaders condemn an employee for the company’s losses.
  • Team members blame one player for their team’s defeat.

We don’t like to be accused when innocent.

Neither do other people.

We find the background for a scapegoat in the Bible.

God gave Moses directions for the Day of Atonement. Aaron, Israel’s first high priest, took two male goats for a sin offering. One goat was sacrificed. The other (the scapegoat) had the sins of the people symbolically placed on it. It was then driven into the wilderness.

Rather than condemn others unfairly, let’s:

  • Take responsibility for our own actions.
  • Encourage one another to make wise choices.
  • Forgive the mistakes of others and ask forgiveness for ours.

Let’s not hang one another out to dry. Instead, let’s treat others like we want to be treated.

“He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task.  (Leviticus 16:21 NIV).

Thanks to Karen Atwood for the suggestion and to Lori Carmicle for the photo.

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What Goes Around Comes Around

What Goes Around Comes Around

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What Goes Around Comes AroundWisconsin’s House on the Rock owns the largest indoor carousel in the world. That merry-go-round is huge!

  • 269 carousel animals
  • More than 20,000 lights
  • 182 chandeliers

A carousel always returns to its starting point. So does anything that moves in circles. All demonstrate what goes around comes around.

We often see what goes around comes around in daily life as well.

  • If we hurt others, we can expect hurt.
  • If we help others, we can expect help.
  • If we ignore others, we can expect to be ignored.

We believe people should get what they deserve. We think rewards and punishment should be based on behavior. But life is not always fair. What goes around comes around is not always true.

  • We don’t always reap what we sow.
  • Sometimes people hurt us when we don’t deserve hurt.
  • Other times people help us when we don’t deserve help.

Therefore, we must decide:

  • Will we love people, regardless of how they treat us?
  • Or will we give them control by acting like them?

Let’s start more circles of kindness and forgiveness. What do you think?

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32 NIV).

Please comment below on ways you have seen people show kindness in recent days.

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