Today, the biggest challenge is finding truth and applying our choices to what is the right way to live and love. We live is a very diverse world, both secular and religious. It is a complex set of ideas that can leave anyone bewildered. Even the most educated and respectful people can wrestle to know how their ideas and responses to other ideas impact our neighbors and community.
Today we live is a society of extremes. The more active we engage the issues the more we are expected to comply to standards that are often leading down an unreasonable set of values. Without naming names, I think that anyone of us can see how much conflict there is in our social norms. Unless we become extreme we may feel the shame of not conforming. A new type of social pressure is building and the tension is to a breaking point.
You and I are being pressured to take a stand on detailed expectations. Reason and debate seems to be tossed out. While expected to listen more intently, we are pressured to decide and become an activist.
How do we engage in the hot topics of the day? Who can we learn about topics through critical thinking and not be criticized for not being expected to conform or become an activist? How can we advocate for social issues while not being restricted or pushed to comply to legalistic activities?
Today, my intent to ask everyone to hold their thoughts and reflect on your response through a filter of humility and critical thinking. Today, we need to be thoughtful.
In the age of far left and alt-right, it is really hard to find balance and provide a centrist persuasion. Reason is seemingly thrown out in exchange for emotionalism. While we are told certain facts, seldom do we have enough depth in the debate to for a healthy opinion. Most of us, including me, are not experts on many subjects. We follow slogans and catchy phrases. We read headlines but know few people who are impacted in real-time. Even if we can point to personal experiences, we thrive on personal painful examples that often do not mirror the actual context of any example.
So, today, I invite you to process differently. I encourage all of us to not become "arm chair quarterbacks." That is, forming public opinion because of what was captured in video. We, all-to-often can be tempted react through a social media "like", "Retweet", "share", or even "mimic" what we see without really using critical inquiry.
Can I encourage all of us to ask questions and to also walk alongside others so that we may gain a depth of understanding? What might happen if we look for Truth through God’s Word beginning with an ethic of love as God loves us?
Too often we allow fear to dictate our actions and our feelings. It’s so important to need through inquiry and not through an inquest. It starts by listening. Nelson Mandela has approved, time and time again how valuable his wisdom is, even in today’s society as we wrestle through conflict. He wants wrote, “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”
Perhaps finding balance is to gain understanding truth with grace. I believe that at the foot of the cross the ground is level. We all come to God through Jesus Christ equally given grace, hope, and charity (Love) of Grace. How can we offer any less to others we encounter?
What scriptures are your favorites that offer you hope? How can our response to pain and loss that others feel? How can our response to social injustice be hope-filled? How do we engage in the needs of others that promotes prayer, grace, hope, and transforming love in Christ; as we represent Jesus incarnate?
My friend once remind me on a social media post how important it is to win the human race, instead of the political race.
