Gray Areas

Aside from any definite decisions that we make there are in a sense “indefinite decisions”⎯the tampering with, the flirting with, the neither one thing nor the other sort of situation. There is much said of “gray areas” with an assumption that a little compromising of principle isn’t too serious. It may not seem so, but in a sense all choices are significant. We cite the sentence from Jean de la Bruyire who said: “A man reveals his character even in the simplest thing he does.”¹ We cannot always live in gray areas. Some things either we do or we don’t do. Consider, for example, signing a contract. The moment a name is on the dotted line a commitment has been made. At some point the situation has changed from saying “no” or saying “maybe” to saying “yes.” It is true that there are some half steps, that there are degrees of commitment in some things. It is true that a person may join something or agree to something in and be halfhearted about it. (It is true that a person may make a mistake and either quickly pull back and repent, or persist in repeating his mistake.) Such circumstances may all be taken into account. But at some point decisions may be likened to entering a car on a roller coaster. There is a point at which we can get out⎯or not get in at all. But once on, and once the car has moved forward to the chain that takes it to the top, at that point, in a sense, we are committed for the full ride. We could take a halfhearted attitude toward anything in life, and endeavor to live in a gray area altogether. But every decision is significant, and every choice leads in a definite direction, and there comes a time when either we do or we don’t⎯when we sign or don’t sign, consent or don’t consent⎯and we must have standards and convictions, and courage to do what we should do wholeheartedly⎯and not to do what we shouldn’t do⎯not even halfheartedly.