Acclimatizing to Pollution

“‘So leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good,’ says God. ‘Don't link up with those who will pollute you.’” (2 Corinthians 6:17 MSG)

I used to live in a big city filled with pollution. As a child, my lungs became acclimatized to factory emissions, car exhaust fumes, and cigarette smoke. I thought this environment made me tough and cosmopolitan. For the last twenty years, I’ve lived in a rural area. I have become accustomed to breathing clean air now. These days, whenever I visit an industrial area, I find it difficult to breathe. Those who are accustomed to pollution may conclude that my lungs have become weak--but that is not the case. As an endurance runner, my lungs are stronger than ever. In the past, I would get light-headed just driving up mountain roads; now, I enjoy running in higher elevations!

Just as acclimatizing to pollution doesn’t make us tougher, conforming to a culture of corruption doesn’t make us better. Living in a landfill of deception, manipulation, condescension, and power-seeking simply numbs our conscience. Desensitizing oneself to decomposition does not equal strength. When we compromise our convictions for the sake of fitting in and getting along, we become part of the problem. If we influence others to join us on the trash heap, we contribute to their degradation as well. There is another option. Let us separate ourselves from that which defiles us, from those who pull us down into the muck with them. Instead, let us link up with those who lead pure lives, lift us higher, and encourage us to be better.