“Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.” (Proverbs 4:26 English Standard Version)
In the late 1970’s I would occasionally travel to Washington, D.C. to search out grant possibilities with various federal agencies, such as the Department of Energy, as well as the National Science Foundation. The trips paid off as the university I was working with actually received grants to help subsidize the cost of a year-around minority engineering program. While in D.C., I stayed at a downtown hotel, not an expensive one, but one that fit the school’s budget or perhaps my dean’s management of the school’s budget. During those days, the concentric circle principle that we were taught in Sociology in the 1960’s proved to be accurate.
Here is how I came to that conclusion. One afternoon, instead of taking lunch, I thought I would go walking. I headed wandered east from my hotel location. The further I ventured out from downtown, the more the areas changed. Where I started walking from, from my hotel, I felt very safe, and I was surrounded by a lot of stately looking businessmen and businesswomen who had yet to depart for their homes in the suburbs. Eventually, as I kept walking, I found myself in a neighborhood where there were no stately businesspeople in sight, and the persons I observed hanging on the streets, let’s just say, they practiced different kinds of businesses. The high price retail stores were not surrounding me anymore. Pawn shops and poorly lit budget stores dominated the area. At that point I knew that I had entered another concentric circle surrounding the city. Being unfamiliar with the environment, I did an about face and headed back to the center of town.
Now, D.C. was not the only city where the concentric circle principle was obvious. The same was true, at that time, for the city of Indianapolis, the city I where I was raised, often referred to as “Naptown.” That was then, back in time, but now the “flight” that took place in those far-gone days is being feverishly reversed, yes, at a rapid pace. Ghettos have been replaced by gorgeous homes and gigantic condominiums. Vacant lots have been filled with recreated Victorian-style homes. The old concentric circle principle I was taught is no longer accurate, no longer applicable, at least that is my social science observation. Change of the principle has taken place indeed, from a metropolitan layout perspective. Probably, if you live in a big city, you see the same phenomena, and it is labeled properly by some title that falls under the umbrella of progress.
Look, I know you did not start reading this meditation for a history or sociology lesson, so let me get to the point. There is more than one concentric circle principle found in the Scriptures that might be edifying to you or at the least serve as a reminding counsel for the righteous. But for time’s sake, let me present you with some concentric circles I saw in just two verses from the Bible, each providing you with a wealth of wisdom to ensure your safety and your steadfastness as you walk on the path of righteousness. See what you think! I hope my wordiness was worth your being more God-conscious and Christ-centered today! Find yourself residing in the right concentric circles below. Be blessed!
Concentric Circle #1: “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly…”
Concentric Circle #2: “…nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”
Concentric Circle #3: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King