To conform, or not?

Who is wise, and he shall understand these things?
Prudent, and he shall know them?
for the ways of the Lord are right,
and the just shall walk in them:
but the transgressors shall fall therein.

Humankind is an illogical combination of rebellion and conformity. We value the person who can stand on his own and is brave enough to try something new. The sailing captain, the cowboy on the range, the research scientist, are all seen as innovators who break new ground and show us all a new, better way.

And we also pressure our peers to conform. We gossip and whisper about someone who wears clothing just a little out of style. The person who likes opera or brussel sprouts is seen as odd.

Some concepts seem similar, but are really quite different. In the verse above, the transgressor is someone who is in rebellion, who breaks away from God’s way. And the prudent are people who separate themselves and stand apart. The difference is that the transgressor separates himself from God, and the prudent stands away from anything that is not of God. Independence is good, if we have the resolve to stay away from evil. Conformity is good, if we conform to God’s desires.