Editorial May 29, 1978 Issue

The dotted line

Naomi Price

"Never sign your name on the dotted line at the bottom of the page unless you've read the fine print above." Sound advice for people who are prone to rush into business and financial agreements. Headlong plunges into contracts can be costly. In fact precipitous action is seldom desirable in any situation.

Perhaps people are now more alert to the need for prior thought. It seems that some have an increasing tendency to be cautious about committing themselves to long-term causes and relationships. Despite loneliness and an innate longing for real friends, they back away from marriage vows and even from any intimate relationship. Many apparently prefer a seat on the fence to a frontline position in a religious or worthwhile social movement. Rather than affirm their loyalty to a particular cause, they take the stance that they believe in it now, but who knows what new ideas may be just over the horizon? They are afraid to commit themselves and would rather wait and see.

Was this the attitude of the Christians of the church of Laodicea, who received such a harsh rebuke from the "one like unto the Son of man"^{Rev. 1:13;} in the message John recorded in the book of Revelation? The great voice thundered: "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."^{3:15, 16;}

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