Life is Black and White — There Is No Gray

Either you accept the title statement, or you attempt to tell me there are “degrees” of wrong. I am not buying it. God’s Word, the Holy Bible, does not blur right and wrong, therefore neither should we.

I have spent many years showing my students how things all stem from a clear concept of right or wrong, black or white. The result has been phenomenal — I am blessed with offspring who can tell in an instant whether or not they should be involved in activities that their peers may deem worthy.

After years of hearing my life-is-black-and-white-there-is-no-gray speech, my children found themselves in a test of that philosophy. The church youth group was holding a lock-in, an overnight party held at the church, complete with games, videos, junk food — everything teens would want for a night of fun and fellowship. When the time came for all good children to settle down to sleep, the girls collected in the nursery room and the boys were corralled into another classroom on the opposite side of the fellowship hall. One of the married adult chaperones thoughtfully laid his sleeping bag in front of the door to the girls’ quarters, just to prevent any shenanigans.

At some point during the night, my son was awakened by one of the rather mischievous boys tiptoeing out of their room, attempting to sneak over to pay a visit to the girls. A quick debate in my son’s mind about the situation resulted in his repeating my oft-quoted speech to himself: “Life is black and white, there is NO gray,” and he woke the youth leader next to him to report the missing boy. At the same moment, a slight ruckus was heard as the offender attempted to step over the doorway chaperone, whom he had mistakenly assumed to be a heavy sleeper. Discipline was affected and all was well with the party, but I later rejoiced heartily at hearing the ease with which my son had made his decision to “tell on” a fellow student. Right is right, and wrong is never right.