A recent terrorist attempt brought to the forefront a subject called radicalization. A growing number of people, mostly men, appear to desire violent actions and express hatred due to a philosophical change in their worldview. Moderation by definition is keeping within reasonable limits; not excessive or extreme. While freedom from excess or extremes can be a good thing, an average may not be perceived as good when discussing quality. Yet, Philippians 4:5 says “Let your moderation be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.” “Moderation in all things” came from Aristotle’s Doctrine of the Mean, as presented in his Nicomachean Ethics. It is not stated in the Bible.
It can be argued that the middle ground between two opposing extremes is moderation, but the same can be said for the difference between two positions that are considered extreme by the majority. Al Qaida members may have two varying training methods that moderating would be a mixture of both. Moderation is not the same as compromise, but a viewpoint. Many people start a new year with a list of resolutions, usually things they want to improve. Often, the list has the extremes of how we perceive what we should do. Moderation gets to the point: Resolution- BE HAPPY.
In my lifetime, consumption of coffee has been mostly perceived as unhealthy. Yet, in December of 2009 the Archives of Internal Medicine reported that 3 to 4 cups per day reduces chances of developing Type 2 diabetes by 25%. In that same month Harvard researchers found that drinking less than 48 ounces of coffee per day lowered the chances of men developing aggressive prostate cancer by 60%. Most of these benefits are not from caffeine, so decaf works fine. The key is the moderate amount.
Previous entries of the blog have suggested moderate exercise and diet provides a positive effect on our health. Peter Whitehouse, author of “The Myth of Alzheimer’s” says socialization and feelings of belonging are critical to brain and physical well being. He says “our brain health has as much to do with the environment we create as our genes”. Our minds work somewhat like a computer, in that what is input is what comes out. With over 100 million blogs on the web to go with the multitude of books and movies your views are being affected, so choose wisely what you input.
The quote from Philippians came from the King James Version. Other translations of the Bible use words like graciousness or gentleness for the word moderation. The Living Bible uses the term unselfish and considerate in all you do. In Matthew 22 Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was. “Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Jack Rowe, chairman of MacArthur Research Network, and professor at Columbia University says “factors predicting aging are not dominated by heredity but by lifestyle.” Radicalization and moderation both come from and are caused by lifestyle. Lifestyle is the result of your worldview. Moderation is the resulting lifestyle when one accepts the RADICAL idea Jesus presented as a command. It provides happiness, purpose, and a sweet spirit, not violence and hatred. It’s also how you will inherit the earth.
