18th August 2020

I wish I could find a supportive scientific paper to warn others about the danger of knuckle-cracking. So far, all I’ve been able to find is a small study involving one parent and two children. In this study, which has been in progress now for approximately three years, the children are called the “irritants”, and the parent is called the “irritated”. Admittedly the statistical pool is on the small side, but I sense that the findings will be of immense interest and value to all parents everywhere.

I’ve no doubt that the wise-crack mentioned above resonates in all groups and societies that involve people. We irritate each other, and wish that we could find more solid grounds for exposing and eliminating the irritating behaviour. Churches too are not immune from the phenomenon, and Christians at times search valiantly for some proof text to deal with the problem. But alas, the supportive text is as elusive as the scientific paper on knuckle-cracking.

Augustine gave the church some sage advice in the fourth century in his famous dictum: “In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity.” St Peter expressed it this way: “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” And St Paul put it this way in one of his letters to some Christians who were struggling with unity, liberty and charity: “Love is patient. It is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered. It always hopes.”

DM 18^th August 2020