Choices.

We live in a culture that surrounds us with choices. It is strange, really. How many options we have at any given time. This, of course, has been well-documented by many astute observers of American capitalism and democracy. "The tyranny of choice." And I am often paralyzed by it. Particularly in the grocery store. Particularly in the cereal aisle of the grocery store. Of a grocery store. Since that in and of itself is a choice. I like so many different cereals. And they all cost about the same, which is not really that much. So how do I decide? I know--it is a melancholic despair that besets you, the reader, in this very moment.

Choices are tough. Which might be why many people like to think or suggest that human beings, when it really comes down to it, don't have a choice in the most fundamental matters of life. I am always surprised when I hear someone talking about the Bible mention how little choice we have in matters of great importance. I mean, I've heard it so many times you would think that it would cease to amaze me. But it hasn't. It hasn't ceased, that is, ceased to amaze. It continues. Probably because I can't imagine coming to that conclusion from reading the Bible. I think immediately of texts like Deuteronomy 30:11-20 (which is quoted by the apostle Paul--the supposed ring leader of this no-choice philosophy in the Bible--in Romans 10). The whole point of that passage is that the Israelites had a choice. They could choose to be obedient to God, and therefore receive the many blessings he had promised to bestow upon them, or they could choose to be disobedient. And there were consequences for being disobedient. Crappy ones. Consequences like being the victims of siege warfare (which is not fun, by the way--read anything ever written about the practice of siege warfare in the ancient Near East, and you will know... Oh, how you will know). And as far as I can tell, not much has changed for the Christian in America today. I mean, siege warfare doesn't exactly seem to be in God's chosen repertoire of curses these days. At least not here in eastern PA. But the general situation of having life and death being placed before each one of us, that hasn't changed (if the New Testament is trustworthy--see Hebrews 6, for example). Ezekiel 18 is a perfect example of the responsibility of choice facing each (capable) person who has ever lived.

Choices are tough. But that doesn't mean they don't exist.