“11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 12 We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor 5:11-21 ESV)

Off the cuff decisions, wearing your heart on your sleeve: the Integrity of the Man or Woman at the helm means wonderful Character of Decision on display, means unexpected patient investments in the life-affirming, in the educated or educating. Even if all this is under the weightiest thumb, the harshest climate for any dissonance or discord. To be in a Position to sally forth with this selfsame Integrity, is never to fuss around being ultra clever or reinventing one’s personality and heart-on-sleeve Demonstratives via fashion or utilitarianism or experimental denials of the Principal.

Yet to be crafty as serpents, this means all together to Think through how an enemy is hiding behind dastardly, unprincipled, children and innocents, lower rung Representatives, in ways that though not of Integrity may be still Genius. We do not concede to Genius; we envelop the Healer’s Ways, the no-pressure zone, the Plain life-affirming thuggery nonetheless. We are no longer Heavy for Christ, but do things of Necessity for Christ.

To be crafty as serpents, this is a Message for all of us vis-a-vis Attaining to a high level of sheeplike love, joy, innocence, and celebratory Niceness. Do you realize you have Enemies? Do you realize your sins are still of import and making impact on your decisions? Be cynical! It is said in scripture to Be Cynical! Embrace the calculated false flags and ingenious-beyond-measure Ruses. Yet see how pathetic they can seem, too couched in fashionable Psychologies rather than in Christ and a Sincere and Genuine conversion experience. So, wear your heart on your sleeve! Decide in off-the-cuff Fashion! Let the gods of Time and War, of Circumstance and Evolution, reward the genuine soul and punish the Aggressors and Peace-Breakers.