It seems that young people in China are beginning to forget how to write
the characters that comprise the beautiful calligraphy of their traditional
language. Some are calling the phenomenon “character amnesia.” Heavy usage of
computers and smart phones often means that writing is neglected and some can
no longer remember the characters they learned in childhood. One young man
said, “People don’t write anything by hand anymore except for [their] name and
address.”
Some people appear to have “character amnesia” of a different sort. When
faced with a dilemma, they seem to “forget” the right thing to do and instead
choose the easy way out.
God called Job “a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns
evil” (Job 1:8). God allowed Satan to take everything
Job had—his children, his wealth, and his health. But despite his
heart-wrenching circumstances, Job refused to curse God. “In all this Job did
not sin nor charge God with wrong” (v.22). Satan had challenged God’s assertion
of Job’s blameless character, but he was proven wrong.
Character amnesia? No. Character is who we are; it’s not something we
“forget.” Those who have a loss of character make a choice.
When wealth is gone, little is lost; when health is gone, something is lost; but when character is gone, all is lost! (RBC)
