Right angles cannot be avoided without consequences. Plumb lines, (weights on a string, held up to show the true vertical in relation to horizontal ground), were important in building since ancient times because building at right angles to the horizontal ground was important and building vertically was and is important even if the ground is a slope. There is a more general concept of ‘right’. A right weight measurement helps fair trade by ensuring what is paid matches what is bought with that payment. The right price only has meaning if we know the right measure of what is bought. Rightness extends into our social lives. Right behaviour towards others can be determined because we have a level playing field and all of us people, with person qualities, are very similar. I can understand how to rightly adjust my intentions and behaviour towards you because I can assume you are similar enough to me for me to know what best suits you, because I know it would best suit me too. Differences can then be factored in such as our differences in age, so I do not address you as an adult like myself if I know you are a child. I can even assume if you are a child and are starving from lack of food and I know it, I can send you food but not necessarily money if you are too young to know how to spend it, and I can assume this is right for you and right for me if you are similar to me at the basic human level. If I know the situation warrants it, I can instead send the food or money to your parents. It all depends on knowing you are similar to me even if you are a child, despite me being an adult, and the general concept of right and wrong applies even though it needs adjustments to match the situation better. Right is best. Once it is adjusted. Wisdom is needed to adjust it well. My tendency to do right or wrong depends on influences within me. Empathy is a factor. Habitual behaviour is another. If I am an addict or gambler or selfish luxury hoarder I might be hindered from doing what is best for me and for you. My inner state impacts on my behaviour even if I know right from wrong and have empathy and compassion and love. If my love is cold I might care little about my addicted habits and never try to sober up, quit being intoxicated, or keep money aside for helping others. What can help the best way of living? The only way that I am confident helps with this in all situations is to believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ and believe in the God who sent Jesus and therefore dwell lovingly on the teachings of Jesus. The message of the Good Samaritan is a great example of these teachings. Keeping them at the back of our minds ready to come to the fore when their influence is needed and supplementing this with time spent with those teachings in focus and in direct view, this is how to add those teachings to our beliefs in Jesus’ veracity and fame in right living and teaching. Persistence and practical outworking of the teachings when possible, it all helps embed the influence within. Good company with like-minded people is important too. Being part of a community of practice of these things is great. It all helps. Eventually it leads to a sense of fellowship as we find such good company all set in our minds on such behaviour, honest about failings, genuine in intentions to improve. It all culminates eventually in a sense of fellowship with God who fosters all this and fellowship with Jesus who commands it in God’s name. This leads to genuine hope for a bright and loving future, with resilience to resist times of deterioration in social norms. Bad times are bound to come so setting this target and persisting towards it with full, whole-hearted determination is vital now in advance before the worst times come around. The return of Christ will deal with the worst times to come so there is always that hope to wait for as we seek to be steadfast about preserving what is right and eliminating our tendencies to fall short.
