Aug 5, 2022
It is in human nature to be self-serving, dating all the way back to the Fall of Mankind. The default setting for any person is “comfort.” As such, anything that makes a person uncomfortable is equated with “wrong.”
This is where we, both as a society and as Christians (or really, any religion), utterly fail. Just because we may not LIKE something doesn’t mean it’s WRONG. Do you think Jesus LIKED being crucified? It specifically states in the Bible that he was praying for God to give him a pass and was so incredibly terrified of what he knew was coming that he was literally sweating blood. Yet, he still went forward and gave Himself in an utterly devastating fashion in order to gain the ultimate victory.
This is why I am so incredibly disillusioned with churches that raise a stink over things like music, volume, service times, appearance, etc. Make any and all arguments you want about sound doctrine, theology, etc., but at the end of the day, many of these arguments are the results of man-made rules, not God’s direction. This is why we see so many churches side-by-side, many of which are at MAYBE half-capacity.
It’s also why we are so divided as a society. When someone disagrees with us, it makes us “uncomfortable.” Again, we are equating “uncomfortable” with “wrong.” To be fair, it may be wrong FOR US, but it’s not necessarily wrong AS A WHOLE. This is what we fail to see. Each person is unique and has unique needs, ideas, strengths, and weaknesses. In a time where individuality is considered to be “celebrated,” it’s our individuality that is causing us to put such a focus on ourselves that we fail to take anyone else into consideration.
Recently, I chastised my son for breaking a decoration over our front door because he was throwing a toy around the house. When I asked why he did that, he said, “I didn’t think it would hurt anything.” I asked him if he stopped to think about what was around him before he started throwing, and his response was, “no.” He wasn’t thinking about anything or anyone around him; just himself. It was a teachable moment for him, and he now realizes that he needs to be aware of what is around him outside of his individual “bubble.”
This would go a long way towards addressing the seemingly-endless debates in churches. If one man can willing give himself over to be beaten beyond recognition and left literally nailed to a tree to die, then I think Brother Joe and Sister Jane can suffer through 15-20 minutes of electric guitars that they may not otherwise listen to in their car, because at the end of the day, the church service isn’t about focusing on only Brother Joe or Sister Jane. At least, that shouldn’t be what Joe and Jane are seeking, anyway…
Jul 29, 2022
I have looked at “alternative platforms” to Facebook, but an disheartened when I see they are essentially bubbles of like-minded individuals. I have no desire to live my life in such a bubble.
I enjoy healthy dissension. It’s how we learn. If we were never challenged in our beliefs, we’d never grow as individuals and as a society.
The fundamental flaw with modern social media is the ability to filter, censor, and actively ignore differing opinions. This is the opposite of growth. It’s stagnation as a society. It’s also divisive and dangerous.
Instead of finding our preferred isolated sand dune and burying our collective heads, why don’t we find out WHY someone thinks, acts, looks, or believes differently than you? Have conversations. Come to an understanding, even if that understanding is, “We just disagree.”
May 6, 2021
I know, on the internet, the question of “is it OK to be wrong,” is almost always answered with a resounding “no,” but let’s dig a little deeper…
We all see those inspirational sayings of affirmation that make you feel good about yourself and what you’re doing, but while I’m all for a positive self-image, I feel like we’ve taken it to the point that we have an abundance of denial.
There are times where, yes, we DO need to be torn down a bit. We DO need to be told when what we are doing is wrong. When all we hear (or all that we acknowledge) is how right and good and perfect we are, we not only get a false sense of security, but we also can’t understand why something truly DOES go wrong.
Life is not all sunshine and roses. There are storms. There are droughts. There are catastrophes. If all we know is an artificial perfection, then how do we expect to handle instances where perfection does not exist?
That’s not to say that there aren’t folks with malicious intent. That’s why we need a trusted support system. We need people who will no just lift us up when we’re down, but who will also keep our feet on the ground. I feel like we are seek out the former and ignore the latter.
That’s not to say that I have all (or any) of the answers. I’m not one that has it all together. I NEED people to keep me on even ground, because (like most people), I can sometimes go too far in one direction or another. It’s not always fun being reeled back in, but it is very often needed.
And you know what? It’s OK to be wrong. It’s ok to make mistakes. And it’s GOOD when people you trust call you out. It means that someone loves you and wants what’s best for you. Before we crawl into a hole or go looking for false affirmation from others who don’t know your situation, we should probably ask ourselves…could they be right? More importantly…could I be WRONG??
Mar 7, 2021
Part of being an entertainer is the two-way connection between the artist and the audience. When an audience responds (or doesn’t respond), a good artist will adjust to accommodate that audience. If an audience like what they see/hear, the artist will pick up on that and give them more.
Since the shutdowns last year, many of these entertainers who have chosen to keep working have been forced to work in a vacuum with no audience feedback. They have no clue if what they are doing is “landing” in that moment. Their entire rhythm is off.
Some artists may take this to mean that everything they say or do is good. They have no way to gage what they’re doing until after it’s done. They’ve lost their ability to adjust in the moment for an audience.
I suspect some of these individuals will struggle once audiences come back. They will be under the assumption that they have been 100% right for the last year, and will either be unable to adjust again, or even blame the audience for not being at the same level.
This is probably why some artists have chosen to just stop until conditions improve. These artists know their strengths, and rather than squander their brand, they’re trying desperately to wait it out.
I am genuinely curious, however, about what entertainment will look like once these artists who have kept working in said vacuum are once again back in front of an audience….an audience that may not respond the way the artist thinks they should….
Jan 13, 2021
If companies like Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, Google, and Apple can not only silence a sitting president (Trump) by deleting all of their accounts, but also silence his supporters by shutting down an entire platform, all with no consequences, what’s to stop them from doing the same with future presidents?
Before you go off about Trump inciting violence, let’s seriously think about the big picture here…
Since March of 2020, we have been limited in our face-to-face communication. We’ve been essentially forced to use the above-mentioned companies as a means to talk to each other. Now, said companies are determining what you can and can’t see or hear. If they don’t like what someone says, they can instantly and unilaterally block you from seeing it. It doesn’t matter if it’s Trump or your aunt Mary.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but is this not censorship? The scary part is that the powers that be don’t seem to care (some even encourage it).
Now, some of you may say this is an extreme situation that requires extreme measures, and that this is basically a one-time deal. The problem there is the precedent being established; if they can do it once free of consequence, then why couldn’t this happen again with pretty much anyone they want to block?
In addition, when a group of people say they are fed up with these companies and want to start a new platform, said platform is shut down because its being hosted on Amazon servers. This is even scarier yet; now it’s not just individuals being silenced; it’s entire groups of people.
And yes, I know that many of you are fine with this “one time” deal because you view Trump as being inciteful and his supporters as being extremists. The end justifies the means to you. That’s fine. You’re entitled to your opinion. They’re just not entitled to theirs because it’s not the same as yours, right…?
Let’s not miss the forest for the trees in this situation. We are being controlled, not by government, but by corporations. That it is being done in the same of “peace” is irrelevant.
