Facebook Platitudes - Just Say No!

Okay,


So, I was having a bit a rough day over the weekend. I know the small stuff shouldn't bother me, but there are days when I've had enough. Saturday was one such day.


Honestly, if you're going to go to the trouble of hating me, I'd just as soon it be for something I actually did to you personally. I don't even mind those of you who violently disagree with my opinions and beliefs. But if you use gossip to form an opinion about a person, and then you use that "information" to destroy that person's reputation - well that behavior is quite honestly at the bottom of the dung heap.


The weekend brought new, unexpected drama to my life, and I wasn't happy. I posted my frustration for all the world to see on Facebook - never a smart thing. 


Well, I got more than a few responses. My cousin believes she's a prophet. Every few months she sends me a note detailing a new and ugly thing the Lord has "shown" her while "in the spirit". At first I tried arguing with her, but that didn't work. She said, "when you decide to see the truth, my dear cousin, I'm here." 


Then I tried ignoring my cousin's prophetic ramblings, but they got louder. She took my silence as proof that satan has control over me.


Sadly, I don't respond well to her prophecies and platitudes. I'm easily frustrated by her.


It's easy to see why non-believers see us as crack-pots and arrogant know-it-all's. We assume we know more than they do. We sometimes gloss over their concerns with religious gobbly-gook when a spiritual answer is not even needed.


I've included a snippet of my Facebook post, and a few of the responses, including those from my cousin. She seems to be making wild assumptions. Among them is her apparent belief that she has the answer to finding joy, but I don't. She also throws in the small fact that someone wants to kill her? What?


We've got to love people. Telling them that the way they're feeling is "not true" is probably not the best approach. Get off the pew, people! Love. Respond. Act.


Me (on Facebook):

Not gonna lie...some days are harder than others. Life has taught me that liars win, cheaters come out on top, thieves never have to pay restitution, a reputation stolen can NEVER be replaced, and there are NO defenders for the strong! Please don't respond with spiritual platitudes. Respond with action! #takingresponsibility

Saturday at 3:30pm · Privacy: 

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• Friend, Friend and Friend like this.
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    Friend:  It sucks when cheaters win.
    

    Saturday at 3:34pm
    
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    Friend:  I've told myself before, when I've had moments like this, "I know where I'll end up after death and at least I have a clean conscience when I meet my maker." I hope that isn't a spiritual platitude for you. It's what got me thru the tough time after my divorce when I wanted to sink down to my ex'es level. He seemed to win all the battles with his dirty play.
    

    Saturday at 3:45pm · 
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    Cousin: 
    
    

    This in NOT true! I am a perfect example ... certain people have lied about me but truth prevailed! People who have cheated in my circle have been spanked by Father God! There are people stealing from me right now but I dont care b/c the Lord will deal with them! Family members have tried to ruin my reputation but character and integrity won ... it didnt happen over night but every step towards Jesus has been worth it! There is someone in my life right now who wants to kill me but I refuse to carry a gun b/c God is my Defender and He does protect the strong! When I first became a Christian many said it wouldnt last and they called me a "Holy Roller" but now they call me for prayer ... so God is good ... ALL THE TIME! I know this isnt what you wanted to hear but maybe its what you needed to hear, because I love you and sometimes we just need to be reminded of the TRUTH b/c it sets you free!

    
    

    Saturday at 3:53pm ·
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    Me:   I'm expressing what LIFE has taught me. Not God, not the Bible, not Jesus - LIFE. TODAY is a hard day. TODAY is a HARD day. It IS true that there are no defenders for the strong (in my opinion).  I never said I was denying God's truth - I'm talking about LIFE!!!
    

    Saturday at 4:06pm ·
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    Cousin:  I wish you would let me show you how to find JOY on hard days!
    

    Saturday at 4:10pm · 
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    Me:   I never said I didn't have joy. I just said today is a hard day. That's all I said. TODAY is a hard day. That's all.
    

    Saturday at 4:35pm ·
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    Friend:  I love how honest you are about everything you're feeling because I have those rough days sometimes and it's good to see someone so refreshingly honest about things.
    

    Saturday at 4:38pm ·
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    Me:   THANK YOU!!
    

    Saturday at 4:39pm ·
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    Friend:   You're welcome. :)
    

    Saturday at 4:41pm ·
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    Cousin:  Ok, just trying to help!
    

    Saturday at 4:48pm 
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Unconditional Love

Facebook is responsible for connecting me with many long ago friends. Oh sure, it’s spawned its share of drama, but that’s because Facebook brings out the “junior high” in everyone. But I digress.

Today I had lunch with a friend I’ve reconnected with through Facebook. He’s smart, talented, kind, conservative, and he just so happens to be gay.

It was great to catch up with my old friend. We got to know each other maybe 13 years ago when we worked on a show together. He was so young when I met him and he’s grown into a kind, hardworking young man who’s faced challenges and sadness with grace.

My friend told me something I find heartbreakingly sad. He told me I was the only Christian he’d ever met who he felt truly liked him. He told me he remembers a time when I had his back and he appreciates me.

In 1994 I worked with a fabulous woman who happened to be gay. She said words very close to the ones I heard today—she told me I was one of the only Christians she’d ever met who treated her with respect and kindness. She told me she genuinely liked me, and she sensed that I felt the same about her. I did.

I find it incredibly sad that my gay friends do not readily see Christians as a community who love people unconditionally. These two people do not exactly live in a bubble. I mean it’s not like I’m the only believer they’ve ever met. But I’m the “only Christian” to ever love them—unconditionally love them.

Get off the pew of hate and love your neighbor. What would Jesus do? Who would Jesus love? Get off the pew!

Boycotts

Christians love to boycott! We march outside abortion clinics and adult bookstores. We carry picket signs and deliver passionate speeches on street corners in hopes of swaying voters. We boycott products and companies, movies and television shows. Back in the day we would send passionate letters and flyers to pastors and church deacon boards in hopes that they would warn their parishioners about reading a particular book, voting for a distrusted candidate, buying an ill thought of product, or seeing a morally bankrupt movie. Today we’ve got tools like email, Facebook, cell phones, and Twitter to get our message out to the masses in a nanosecond.

For years Christians have been encouraged to boycott anything Disney because, “Few companies have demonstrated as much of a callous disregard towards the concerns of Christians as Disney has” – this according to a “how to boycott Disney” website. The belief is that Disney promotes the homosexual lifestyle. In 1989 a woman named, Terry Rakolta led a boycott against the then fairly new television show, “Married With Children” after viewing an episode that oozed sexual innuendo (didn’t they all). She started a letter writing campaign urging advertisers to drop their support of the show. Ironically, it was her boycott that made more viewers aware of the floundering show and the ratings soured. In fact, “Married With Children” enjoyed high ratings from then on and was kept on the air until 1997. So then, the boycott was a bust? Yeah, I’d say so.

Listen, boycotts are not bad things. I often say that bad things must happen to good people so that good people will rise up and effect change. A boycott will often shine the light of truth on a particularly unjust situation or law. I love a quote from Jonathan Acuff from his blog, “Stuff Christians Like”. #149 addresses boycotting stuff and he points out that he’s not completely against boycotts. “I would rather have a well done boycott spread light on a real issue,” says Mr. Acuff, “than have hatemongers wearing Christian masks be the only thing the world sees when it comes to a boycott.” He’s right. The world tends to see us as hatemongers wearing Christian masks.

I submit to you that we ought to shine a brighter light on some of the junk that goes on behind the church doors. Let’s use our sign making skills to boycott gossip, judgment, divorce among Christians, name calling, and wars about what kind of worship songs we should be singing! It’s not a bad thing that we want to clean up our neighborhoods and cities, but our own house is a mess!

Get off the Pew and speak up! Speak up when the church busybody talks smack about the couple going through a rough time. Speak up when a high school student chatters on about the Sunday School “slut”. Speak up when the pastor preaches something that you believe is in opposition to the inerrant word of God. Speak up when the televangelist begs and cries for money then goes home to his multi-million dollar house on a hill. Speak up when the family with the incarcerated son is kicked out of church, or the single woman is told she must quit the choir because someone saw her at a bar! When we present a clean and orderly house, the visitors will be drawn to us, and ultimately to God Himself.

Get off the Pew, put down the picket signs, and clean up God’s house. Get off the Pew!