A Little Latitude…

There come before us some further facets of the question as to how far can a person safely depart from a principle: How far can he go and still get back when he wants to? At what age is character so set that a person can take a little latitude and be safe and assured?

There is an ancient saying, variously said by many sages, to this intent: “Account ye no man happy till he die,” said Euripedes. “Judge none blessed before his death,” it is recorded in Ecclesiasticus. “Measure not the work until the day’s out…” said Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Sophocles summed it up by saying: “Therefore wait to see life’s ending ere thou count one mortal blest; Wait till, free from pain and sorrow, he has gained his final rest.”

In the thought-provoking play, Time Limit, the authors have one of the chief characters say: “Your son was a hero, General. Yes sir, I give you my word. Hundreds of days he was a hero. On only one day did he break. Don’t all those other days count for anything?”

Yes, it would surely seem that a kind and just Judge would take the whole record into account, and the days and hours of courage and consistency would surely count. But it is true also that a penalty is paid when there is departure from principle, departure from keeping the commandments. And we take unto ourselves unnecessary risk when we step into any area of evil, when we set out to sample the steamy and sordid side.

There are none so old and none so young but who pay a penalty for departing from sound principles. There are none so old or so young who may safely relax their standards⎯for, as a matter of physical fact, one never really knows when he has leaned too far until he has fallen. At that point at which he finds out how far he can go, he has gone too far.

Surely there is the blessed principle of repentance. And surely with real repentance, the Lord God will forgive. But surely also, it is a fool’s kind of foolhardiness that tempts temptation, for no one ever really knows when his character is solidly and safely set, when he can safely get a little out of line, when he can safely take a little latitude.

Peace and self-respect, a quiet conscience and a sweetness of assurance inside, come to him who has conquered himself, who has the wisdom to stay well within his own strength and standards and not foolishly tempt temptation.