Anti-Social Media

It never ceases to amaze me at how passive aggressive we have become as a society. 
O.k., before you get too deep into this post, I offer a brief warning...  I typically try and keep my posts uplifting and constructive, at least in some way, but this post is just a flat out rant!  
So, brace yourself...


I used to see social media sites as useful tools, by which we could; 
- stay connected with friends and family, from whom we are separated by many miles.
- network and build community with those with whom we have a shared interest.
- catch up with long lost friends, classmates or acquaintances.

- strive to encourage those who "follow" us or who are a part of our network of "friends".

The unfortunate reality is, that though we may have entered in to the realm of social media with good intentions, too many of us have been sucked in to the passive aggressive realities of "anti-social media".

We have used social media as a means of staying "connected", while keeping one another an internet distance apart.  We post obscure, cryptic ramblings on Facebook and Twitter, looking for attention, with no intention of doing anything but stirring up controversy and racking up comments.  (believe me, I am as guilty of these things as the next guy.)

By their insecurities shall you know them...

We bait people into meaningless conversations based on our need for attention and feelings of insignificance or insecurity.

We have taken these and otherwise useful tools and subverted their usefulness with our own need for selfish gratification.

(I told you this was going to be a rant...)

The really depressing part is, I don't know that this will ever change.  Human nature and it's destructive tendencies seems to be more powerful than maintaining the purity of most institutions and their intended use.  But that leads us down a much deeper rabbit hole.

So, thank you for a moment of your time, that you will never recover.

Be careful how you use social media!  Be safe, be respectful, be responsible and above all, seek to help others benefit from your presence on those sites.

Good-day.

On Purpose

Do you ever think about how many things you do over the course of a day that just sort of happen?  
Like, when I drive to work...it's not completely involuntary, but it often seems like I just point the car and it goes...  
Eventually, coming to a stop at my office...scary, I know. 
But the scarier thing yet, is when I get in the car to intentionally go somewhere and find myself heading home or to the office, when I intended to go to a completely different location.
Now, I know there might be some logical explanations for how this happens...fatigue, distraction...me simply being naturally a little scatterbrained...


However, it is interesting, given the little anecdote you read a moment ago, that we do so many things semi-intentionally, but don't really give much thought to what we're doing or where we are going.  Or, we get distracted from what we intended to do, because we've done something similar so many times, we kind of just go autopilot in the middle of it and just mail it in, so to speak.


Now, I could go a lot of different directions with this little post... leadership, pastoral ministry, business, relationships... you might even write a more thought provoking and poignant post after reading what I've written.  But, let's take this thought in the direction of love.


How often do we love on purpose?  We say we love people or things often without much thought.  We do things out of love, like taking out the trash, or lifting the toilet seat, or emptying the dishwasher and on and on...
But how often do we do those things with the intent of showing love.
Choosing to ignore the attitude that says, "if I didn't love you I wouldn't do_____."
Instead, let's take the attitude that says, "because I love you, I do this..."


You know, that reminds me of a guy named Jesus, who, many centuries ago, said something not unlike that.
"Because God loved the world so much, he gave his only son to die.  So, that we, (the world) could know God and if we believe in him and have relationship with him, have eternal life."
It wasn't a haphazard, involuntary or thoughtless rambling that motivated God to do that for us, it was love.
Intentional, on purpose love.
If we took that attitude that says, because I love you I do... How would that color the action itself?  It might mean we really think about what we're doing and for whom we do it.  We might actually, on purpose, love more deeply and beautifully than we ever thought possible.  
Our love might actually take on a life of its own and begin to do just what Jesus intended when he said, "by this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love one another."


Let's love each other today.  On purpose...

Common

So, I'm back after a several month hiatus from the blogosphere...again...determined to do this at least once each week.
Not so much for your benefit as the reader, but for me to get in the habit/discipline of journalling.


I was reading a few days ago in the Old Testament book of Leviticus.  I know, right?  Leviticus...
Seriously though, there are some tasty little morsels tucked in to the laws and rules and regulations and animal sacrifice carnage.
In chapter 10 of Leviticus, two of Aaron's sons, (Aaron is the brother of Moses, and is the "father" of the line of priests who serve in the temple of God),
Nadab and Abihu, go in to the holy place of the tent where the presence of God dwells and they offer "unauthorized" fire before the LORD.


I don't quite understand what made it unauthorized, so I need to do a little more study in to that, but none the less, it was unsanctioned and God sent fire from His presence and consumes these two dudes.  Burns them to a crisp.


After this rather grisly display of the Lord's holiness, as you continue to read in chapter 10, you see the Lord is speaking to Aaron, telling him;
"you must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the clean and unclean...and you must teach the Israelites all the decrees the Lord has given them through Moses."
I'm grateful that God has moved on from this, I've got to make an example out of these punks mentality, into grace.  I'm sure I would have been smoked a long time ago.


There are several directions my mind wants to go as I think about this passage of scripture...one being how we tastelessly obscure what is holy or to be revered with things that are irreverent or common place.
I'm not saying we need to be strictly Levitical and legalistic, but there is much to be said for the attitude with which we serve both as vocational ministers or as volunteers in a ministry in the local church.  Words like humility, excellence, and loyalty come to mind. 
I think the big idea is this:
As we consider Nadab and Abihu, we must be careful how we go about God's business.  We can't just go charging in and do whatever we like whenever we like...  Remember, we exist for Him and not vice versa.