Honesty. Fact or Fiction.
It has been brought to my attention that I often sound depressed on online communication sites (i.e. facebook, twitter, etc). If anyone knows me, they know that I have some kind of profound optimism about me to find the good in just about anything or anyone. However, people do not like this "depressed levi" mood that somehow comes through my status updates. Preface.
With that said, how often are we honest with each other? I speak as a Christian, and when someone asks me how I am doing, I will often be very honest (and honestly it comes across as blah(technical term)). However, Sundays might as well be "lie day," because that is the day that I/We smile, and are happy. In light of the Gospel that we should all be hearing/preaching on Sundays (which should be joyful-differentiated from happiness) the message should come across.
Problem. We have lost ourselves. We do not know our true selves anymore. We play the part of how we are defined, we play into the stereotype. We need to be becoming who we have been created to be. What I mean is that we were created "good," and in "God's image," and by grace we are all on a journey of being restored and redeemed to those people. We have forgotten. We have forgotten our story and wonder why Sundays are flat. We wonder why worship music is too long, too short, too loud, and just plain flat. We complain about the message, or whether or not we got anything out of it. We have forgotten who we worship, why we worship, and even what worship is.
To be honest, let's not kid ourselves. Let's re-discover that to be true to self, we need to truly realize that our lives are not our own. We need to re-imagine our lives with a fresh perspective, enabled by the Spirit. Christ said to be first you must be last, and to be yourself you must lose yourself. A thought. A prayer.
With that said, how often are we honest with each other? I speak as a Christian, and when someone asks me how I am doing, I will often be very honest (and honestly it comes across as blah(technical term)). However, Sundays might as well be "lie day," because that is the day that I/We smile, and are happy. In light of the Gospel that we should all be hearing/preaching on Sundays (which should be joyful-differentiated from happiness) the message should come across.
Problem. We have lost ourselves. We do not know our true selves anymore. We play the part of how we are defined, we play into the stereotype. We need to be becoming who we have been created to be. What I mean is that we were created "good," and in "God's image," and by grace we are all on a journey of being restored and redeemed to those people. We have forgotten. We have forgotten our story and wonder why Sundays are flat. We wonder why worship music is too long, too short, too loud, and just plain flat. We complain about the message, or whether or not we got anything out of it. We have forgotten who we worship, why we worship, and even what worship is.
To be honest, let's not kid ourselves. Let's re-discover that to be true to self, we need to truly realize that our lives are not our own. We need to re-imagine our lives with a fresh perspective, enabled by the Spirit. Christ said to be first you must be last, and to be yourself you must lose yourself. A thought. A prayer.
posted by Levi at
6:31 PM
3 Comments:
i think i'm often in a similar place with online communications. and in person communication. =)
Honestly, I see a connection in your blog to Mary and Martha in the story of Lazarus (Jn 11). Their honesty is blatant, crass, and wide open yet, somehow, even in the midst of tears and doubt they see the glory of God. I have wondered recently if their honesty isn't their key to seeing Jesus' miracle?
Thanks for your post :)
last night bekah and i watched a movie and the main character was unavoidably honest with every single person he encountered, and met with resistance most of the time because the respondent was in one way or another in denial. There was one part where his bluff was called and he initially disagreed but heard what was being said, thought about it, realized the truth in it, and then apologized. Honesty wasn't the underlying theme of the movie just something that I caught onto.
but your post has encouraged pensiveness in this area. I don't know if it's just the south, but i feel like honesty is rare, and the honest are ostracized. It's an uneasy feeling to be torn between just getting along and bluffing through life, and being honest and finding resistance from every direction because people 1)don't care, or 2)don't want to be honest about their dishonesty.
sorry i'm talking in circles because i'm still processing incoherent thoughts. good stuff levi.
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