Did you know that statistics show that...life is terrible? They also show that people die. They also show that people hurt people. That we are corrupt. That we are lost. That we are broken.
And I've noticed (though I don't have any statistical information on it) we are really good at pointing fingers and talking about how things are wrong, and...inevitably spiraling ourselves downward into a desensitized sleepwalk. While writing this might not be a far cry from the pot calling the kettle black, try to stick with me on this. Something I've observed recently, and it might just be my church and circles, but Christians are really debbie-downers. If we don't believe in the Good, what are we even doing?
I feel like we're selling God incredibly short, by buying into statistics and constantly highlighting the brokenness of the world...but not doing anything about it, or at the very least speaking truth into it. Again, this could be just following suit, but I have found myself strongly discouraged by the things that fellow believers talk about, rant about, and post about. I've been repeatedly toiling with the idea of eighty-sixing my facebook account, partially due to all the depressing garbage I get inundated with from my friends who supposedly share my beliefs. [Might I insert a short-but-sweet aside: politics will not save you or anyone else.]
Maybe it's on me to try to find the root to these issues, and dig into these peoples lives to bring light, but part of me just wants to preach: What the heck is wrong with us? I don't feel like we are a reflection of a redeemed and hopeful people! I don't at all mean to say we should ignore the brokenness of this world by not addressing it; that would be no better, but if we are the ones who know a point behind this all to make it bearable, heck, even enjoyable! why aren't we living in that hope, consciously?
I preach this to myself, just as much as to anyone else.
Throughout my life, in and out of the Church but always with the Lord, no matter my circumstances He has brought me back to His Goodness. I am so frustrated with the lie that intellectualizing everything is better. It is a lie. One of the biggest and most basic pieces of our theology is that God is bigger than our human minds can imagine. Intellectualizing says to put things in a box, and believe me as an analytic person, I get wanting to find a pattern. The lie there is that in being intellectual there is security. The lie in only talking about how broken the world is, is that evil was victorious. I'm tired of it, aren't you tired of it? Our intellect is created and given by God, just as we would with our finances, it should be given back to Him and not held above Him. I would go so far as to say it's a sin that many of us are unconsciously guilty of. Does our intellect serve us, and therefore God, or does it rule us and call the shots?
It takes a conscious effort and it will likely be one that goes against our nature - one that calls for us to live in that trust we claim to have in God.
Again, give me a week, I'm sure I'll make a blatant hypocrite out of myself, but I think it's worth talking about; it's worth noting that from what I can see, Christians are being really bad at talking about the good. All the facts in the world are only going to drown you in doubt. If our eyes are fixed on Jesus and bringing the Kingdom, that should pour forth from our lives as a life-giving spring for others.
Sometimes I wonder what the world would like if we were to re-direct the time spent on ranting on Facebook, instead praying for God's hand in the injustices and brokenness of the world. Furthermore, what would our hearts and lives look like? How much more would our walk with God and the effect of Jesus be intriguing?
