Drew Anderson - Jeremiah's Vow

Selective Outrage and the god named “Social Media”

If you claim to be a Christian, and if you cannot separate your feelings about an issue from your feelings about a person or people, then we have a problem.

If you frequent social media then selective outrage is not a new concept for you, because you are constantly flooded with examples of it…

I actually posted on Facebook about this over a year ago. Remember when Harambe was killed? I bet you haven’t thought about that in a long time due the amount of outrage that has popped up since then. Well here is some of what I said:

“This new culture of selective outrage is about the dumbest thing since the Roman Coliseum. Basically our culture has returned to the ignorance of the masses that existed in the Roman Empire. We are the most school educated and socially ignorant society that has ever existed up to this point. We know a lot of things about everything, except how people should actually live together. Technology has simply reverted us to a place of base humanity. We’ve become barbaric in how we treat one another and react to our fellow humans. We can’t hold normal conversations about serious issues anymore. And that’s just sad. We should all be sad.

“I wish people were this passionate about things that mattered in life. Like their marriages, and families, and Jesus. If we had this sort of passion about seeing our world actually be a place where people are loved, supported, and matured – then maybe we wouldn’t have ever had this incident to begin with. Maybe we could redirect all this wasted energy into something productive? Here’s to hoping…”

Here is the common denominator in all our cultural social media wars:

Most seem to care deeply about our opinions on current issues (and boldly declare to everyone where we stand).

Few seem to care deeply about the people we disagree with about that issue (and typically try to demonize those people).

This is evidence of our worship of Social Media as we use it to promote ourselves at the cost of others.

Concerning the first 2 statements:

If you claim to be a Christian, and if you cannot separate your feelings about an issue from your feelings about a person or people, then we have a problem. And likely, you should be concerned that you may not have the Spirit of God in your life – or at least not leading your life. Before you go attacking me about this, let’s look at what God has to say.

Here is a quick overview of a few Scriptures that teach us about quarreling, fighting, being angry, and name calling – which are all aspects of our current culture of selective outrage:

Proverbs 20:3 [NLT] – “Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling.”

Matthew 5:22 [NLT] – “But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.”

Romans 13:9-14 [NLT] – “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law…Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ…”

2 Timothy 2:23 [NLT] – “Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights.”

So we must watch ourselves closely. Mostly because our selective outrage not only affects our witness as Christians to the world, but also reveals a lot about what is inside of us. And because too many of us think that just because we can do something, that we should – but that is false, and un-Biblical (1 Corinthians 10:23).

Concerning the 3^rd statement:

Christian, stop worshiping at the altar of your Social Media.

You might feel like that is harsh. But I am speaking to all of us as modern American Christians – myself at the top of the list.

We have bowed our knees and lives to the god of Social Media. How do I know?

Where do we run when we feel lonely?

Where do we look when we are seeking affirmation?

Where do we go to share our concerns, our needs, our desires, and our questions?

Where do we spend the majority of our time throughout the day?

You would think Paul taught us to check social media “without ceasing” instead of praying…

The root of our sin

If you think this is difficult to hear, I know. It hit me first! I am only sharing what I have been feeling God confronting me with in my own life. But we need to think deeply about what Social Media is doing to us and how it is distracting us!

The sinfulness of selective outrage is rampant among believers on Social Media. And if you think God is just overlooking these actions, you are wrong. If you think God is ignoring what you post, the anger with which you comment, or the condemnation you feel when you share or re-tweet, then you are sadly mistaken.

We have allowed this to go on for too long without confronting and rebuking this sin. And what is the sin at the core of this issue? Pride.

The desire to be heard. The desire to be seen. The desire to be right. The desire to be popular. The desire to be like God and stand in judgment of those we deem beneath us.

I know this sin well because I constantly have to identify it in my own life and overcome it by the Spirit’s power. It’s like a lion that we keep in a cage like a pet, when what we should do is kill it. But we don’t, because whether we admit it or not, we kind of like how it make us feel when we let it out to play.

Social Media, and more so your pride, is killing you from the inside out. And your use of social media might be influencing other people’s eternities, as they see someone who calls themselves a Christian and yet behaves like the Devil’s second cousin on social media. Watch out my brothers and sisters that you do not cause someone to stumble on account of your pride. Heed these words from Jesus’ own brother:

James 3:2-12 – “For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

“We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.

“But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

“People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.”

So what does Christian love look like in the era of social media selective outrage?

If Jesus had a social media profile, I’m pretty sure he would see all of the hatred Christians are spreading with their participation in the current culture of selective outrage and call us “white-washed tombs” (Matthew 23:27).

Matthew 23:28 [NLT] – “Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy…”

A Christian approach to what is happening has to look different than what we are seeing. It should look like taming our tongue: not commenting on someone’s status you are angry about, not posting about a divisive issue just so people can know your opinion, not sharing articles and memes that are clearly filled with hate, and so on.

It looks like compassionately listening to people and putting ourselves into their situation. Not immediately reacting based upon your own opinions, judgments, presuppositions, or preferences. But taking time to live as Jesus lived – “eating and drinking” (Luke 7:34) with those we disagree and are looking to understand.

It looks like laying down our lives, rights, and feelings, so that we might display for the world the same love that Christ displayed for us.

Will Anything Actually Change?

I’ll be honest, I’ve struggled with whether to post anything about the recent events in Charlottesville surrounding race.

Partly because so many have already posted wonderful responses.

Partly because I wanted to do more than just react.

But mostly because I have been wondering to myself: “Will anything actually change?”

Some of my skepticism comes from my awareness that the sinfulness of humanity is ever present in our world. But some of it also comes because nowadays there’s a lot of “correct talk” that is happening and yet still so little action.

I’m certainly appalled at the actions of white supremacists – just like I am at any group that seeks division based upon racial lines. But you know what I’m also appalled at: the continued and unquestioned racial division within our churches (especially those of popular and visible church leaders who have spoken out about this event).

I’m sorry, but it’s honestly difficult for me to take seriously the words of a public Christian figure who has shown little or no attempt in their own ministry context to help bring racial reconciliation to our country. It just seems like we are in a place where there are people who are saying the right thing (like the child who answers “Jesus” to the question in the Sunday School class) but don’t actually understand what they’re saying.

If we really believe that racism is evil (and it certainly is), then we would be doing everything possible to eliminate its effects from our churches. For example, we would work to remove the deeply ingrained effects of some denominations and congregations that were created based solely upon racial division!

Yet, instead, I continue to see the majority of our churches filled with mostly one race or another. I continue to watch leadership of these churches being unwilling to give up their spotlight in order to let someone of a different cultural heritage or ethnicity step on stage. I continue to hear from church people more concerned with keeping things the way they’ve always been or the way they’re comfortable with, rather than exploring the way it could be (or really should be) for a true people of God, genuinely filled with the Spirit, to join to together in one body. And I continue to see people who are merely too lazy or simply unwilling to seek the change they know needs to happen.

I guess that’s why I’ve held off until now to post. Because I’m still not sure whether Christians who have spoken out so far actually care enough to start doing something about a problem that’s been right in front of their eyes for their whole life.

I only recently entered into attempts in my own life and ministry to seek racial unity within the body of Christ. In our own little community there is a stark history with racial division (I mean “crossing the tracks” still means something here…). Well we have been seeking to create a new community of diverse believers that are willing to explore what it will look like for the future of the American church to no longer choose race as a valid division. Yes, there is the difficulty of creating a new shared culture, but unless we start that process somewhere then it’s never going to happen!

And the irony of the church being divided based upon race is that it’s the one group of people that have the key to this entire issue! The Gospel unifies humanity in a way that was never possible before (Ephesians 2). We become a people with a shared story, a family with a shared Father, and a place of worship inhabited by a shared Spirit!

This brings several tough questions to mind for me:

Will Christians and the church actually be the example of unity and love we talk about being? Or will we continue to stay in our comfort zones and justify it because of “racial differences”?

Will there actually be leaders bold enough to risk their popularity, job, size of the church and/or personal preference in order to really live into the “new humanity” described in Scripture? Or will we simply give the same party line about worship style differences (as if that in and of itself is not simply more evidence of unaddressed racial division in our society)?

Will churches finally repent of their sin, turn from their selfishness, and begin to partner with those who they have for so long perceived to be different because of race? Will we begin to create new unified expressions of church that actually represent our diverse God by displaying for the world a diverse people of God who are united in Christ by the Spirit? Or will we continue in our culturally created versions of the Christian faith that we deem meaningful when they might be perpetuating the divide that we verbally say we are against?

Maybe I’m wrong to be so blunt. Or maybe something in what I said is actually incorrect. I am open to being corrected and informed if so. But if not, if all we continue to do is say the right things and never actually change anything, then aren’t we all simply complicit in the racism that we have in this moment so strongly verbally opposed?

MLK Jr. challenged us in a similar way over 50 years ago (so why is it taking us so long to heed his words?!):

“We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history there is such a thing as being too late. Procrastination is still the thief of time. Life often leaves us standing bare, naked and dejected with a lost opportunity…Over the bleached bones and jumbled residue of numerous civilizations are written the pathetic words: “Too late.” …

We must move past indecision to action. We must find new ways to speak for peace…If we do not act we shall surely be dragged down the long dark and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion, might without morality, and strength without sight.

Now let us begin. Now let us rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter – but beautiful – struggle for a new world. This is the calling of the sons of God, and our brothers wait eagerly for our response. Shall we say the odds are too great? Shall we tell them the struggle is too hard? Will our message be that the forces of American life militate against their arrival as full men, and we send our deepest regrets? Or will there be another message, of longing, of hope, of solidarity with their yearnings, of commitment to their cause, whatever the cost? The choice is ours, and though we might prefer it otherwise we must choose in this crucial moment of human history.”

I’m gonna need to crush your dreams to give you faith.

That is one of the hardest statements I have ever had to type, and I typed it on my Notes app during the last session of Passion 2017.

If you did not attend Passion 2017, or have never attended a Passion event, simply Google Passion Conferences or 268generation and research what it’s all about. I have been a supporter and participant in this movement ever since I attended Passion 2005 in Nashville, TN. God has used Passion in my life in important ways. And I will never speak negatively about something that is so powerfully emboldening an entire generation of college students.
Continue reading “I’m gonna need to crush your dreams to give you faith.”

The irony of a “pop-culture church” in a culture where Christianity is not popular

It should be fairly obvious to any halfway observant Christian that over the last generation Christianity has gone from a religion that America endorsed, to a religion America ignored, to now being a religion that America is antagonistic toward.

From the news articles about Christian schools losing their accreditation, to the ones concerning the potential forcing of all Christian ministers to perform marriage ceremonies they fundamentally disagree with, to the removing of Christian campus ministries because of their attempt to require its members or leaders to sign a code of conduct, it has become evident that culture no longer believes Christianity is acceptable in the public sphere.

Another observation that is fully obvious over the last generation has been the trend in the church toward popular culture – or in other words, the trend in the church toward “popular Christianity.” From music labels, to book deals, to TV stations, to celebrity pastors, and on we go… It is now apparent, like never before, that while the culture is moving away from Christianity, the American Christian church is still trying to move toward the culture.

The most obvious arrival of pop-culture into the church has been thru the occurrence of what has been coined “the worship wars.” With mostly contemporary worship winning out, we have seen the embrace of secular music culture within the church. Lights, cameras, smoke, lead guitars and drum solos, “worship music” being sold for profit, and so on.

None of the creative aspects of secular music being brought into the church are necessarily sinful in and of themselves, but they do make the potential for sin (pride, greed, etc.) more accessible by elevating certain aspects of production in the church. And, let’s not forget the obvious downfalls to the celebrity pastor status and followership that has become common in popular Christianity as well.

All of that is true.

But what is most interesting about all of this is not the discussions about what has actually happened, but rather the discussion about why it has happened and continues to happen.

Then, Why?

Why does the church continue to bring pop-culture in when Christianity is clearly being rejected within pop-culture?

Why does the church look more and more secular when secular society continues to distance itself (and in some cases attack) Christianity?

The answer may surprise you.

Jesus.

Now I know what many of you may be thinking, “It sounded like this article was headed toward calling the church away from this trajectory. I thought you were about to crush the church for trying to be like a culture that hates it…”

And you would have been right – if you were expecting me to be like most American Christians who are for some reason scared of the reality that Christianity seems to be “losing ground” in our society.

But I am not like those Christians. I see our situation a little differently. I like to think I see it a little more like Jesus…

How’s that?

Isn’t it interesting that Jesus’ first act in the plan of salvation he was called to fulfill was the act of incarnation. And yet the last thing the church ever seems to talk about is what it means for us to be incarnate in our society.

If the first step for Jesus was to become like those who he was looking to save, then why is it that Christians are so surprised when he expects the same of us?!

In fact, I have started to believe that unless the church becomes more incarnate in the world and begins to actually function completely outside the walls it has created by going right into where those who need us most are living, then the trend of antagonism toward Christians will only continue.

What I am not saying is that we should act like the world – Jesus did not. What I am not saying is that we should compromise our integrity for the world – Jesus never did. But what I am saying is what Paul said:
“When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ… When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ… When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.”

So what?

None of this removes the fact that there is an intense irony in a reality where we continue to pursue a culture and a people who continue to push us away. But by doing this we act like our very Savior who did the same for us.

In fact, we should strive to be incarnate just like Jesus – where we do not expect others to somehow get to us but rather where we do whatever it takes to get to them. We must stop trying to invite the world in, and start going to where the world is…

Are people seemingly “too busy” to come to a church event? Then go to where they are busy. Has the culture begun to value sports, and concerts, and bars, and other events more than the events of the church? Then get involved in those events and take Christ with you!

Our call is to be the church, not simply build a church.

So if the church we build looks like the culture and even goes to where the culture is (exciting events, etc.), as long as we are still being the church that God calls us to be (light, salt, etc.) then we are fulfilling exactly the call God has placed on our lives: to live like Jesus. And remember Jesus lived incarnate.

Pigs, Pearls, & Pretense

I love obscure passages in Scripture because they always force me to dive deeper into the potential meaning of the text in order to understand what is actually being said. Continue reading “Pigs, Pearls, & Pretense”

The Top 5 ways Americans read our culture into Scripture

If you did not know, reading Scripture is a difficult endeavor at times.

Since we do not share our language, culture, or literary nuances with the authors of these writings, at times we read aspects of our American culture into the words of Scripture. And many times it’s not always obvious… Continue reading “The Top 5 ways Americans read our culture into Scripture”

Self, Schedule, and Stress

I would like to welcome Drew Anderson to the site. He will be contributing to Jeremiah’s Vow as time allows and when inspiration hits (which I hope is often). He is the Discipleship Pastor at Cordele First UMC in Cordele, GA. I hope you enjoy his thoughts and insights as I have. I am glad he will be expressing his writing talents here with you.

I’ve been reflecting a lot recently on the reasons why I don’t grow closer to God.

Mostly I’ve noticed that there are a few basic barriers in my life that keep me from looking and acting more like Christ. All of them are related to priorities. And they all stem from issues of brokenness deep inside my soul. They are self, schedule, and stress.

I divide my struggle into these three categories for a couple reasons. One is that I think many people will be able to relate to these three areas of the Christian life. Another is because I do believe that, while technically all of my struggles are related to sin, some of it is not blatant and intentional sin. In describing the everyday struggles of life, some would simply find sin in every action or a demon under every rock. I instead see much of my struggle as not related to direct disobedience to God, but indirect influence of the world around me. And I actually think that distinction helps attack the problem at its roots.

Self

Most of my life is about me. There, I said it. And don’t pretend as if yours is not the same.

I find myself constantly thinking about what I have to do. What I need. What’s important for me. What people think about the things I do. And while that is certainly a natural and sometimes necessary way of thinking, it should not consume my thoughts like it many times does.

I’ve found that the main reason I cannot break this habit of thinking about “me” is directly related to the influence of the world around me. And that influence is most evident within the use of social media. Social media by its very nature draws attention to me. Even in my best attempts to utilize it to draw attention to important things (God, problems in our world, my child, etc.), inevitably the desire that drives my social media use is directly related to….me. Not altruism. Not others. But me. My curiosity. My need for information. It ends up being about self…

And the only thing I’ve found to counteract this influence on my life is…worship. Focusing all of my attention on someone far more valuable than me—God. It sounds simple. But it’s extremely profound. That God designed us to worship, and that only my worship of Him will correct the tendency in my life to worship myself, is not simply a Biblical principle—but a practical reality.

Schedule

Is your calendar your task-master too? Because it is for me. There is nothing I can do nowadays, it seems, that cannot be done without first consulting my calendar.

Maybe this is a “necessary evil” of life. Or maybe its a result of our culture’s influence that simply goes unaddressed.

The real struggle is not whether or not to keep a calendar. I actually think a calendar is important to control the craziness…but just like thinking about self at times is a necessity. But, just because a calendar might be a necessity for certain reasons it should still not run our lives.

My schedule is constantly packed, and I am sure yours is too. I am constantly adding things that seem important at the time but that soon run me ragged and start to feel less important over time. My schedule has become a huge barrier in my life to growing in Christ. The world around me is constantly moving and is pulling me in tons of different directions. People need me over here, someone else needs me over there, and I need to be back there…my schedule quickly begins to drive my life.

The Bible prescribes one thing to fight against the tyranny of our schedules: Sabbath rest. Intentionally not “doing” work in order so I can acknowledge who actually accomplishes things in my life: God. The only thing that can truly free me from being controlled (and constantly stressed out) by my schedule is Sabbath rest. Not just a nap. Not simply a “day off.” Not an American vacation. But Sabbath rest. Resting, recreating, and relating with others and God in such a way that it reminds me of what’s truly important and who’s truly in control of my days.

Stress

If you are like me, then you have a love/hate relationship with stress. Some times stress causes me to “do my best work.” Many of us perform best under pressure…especially those of us who grew up playing sports…

However, while stress in and of itself is not particularly sinful, it typically causes me to react in such a way that creates distance from God. Stress overwhelms me, destroys my trust, makes me irritable, distracts me from the real purposes of life, and even at times can make me want to be lazy instead of doing my best.

When my life becomes stressful in a way that is hindering my relationship with God I know that I have forgotten a basic aspect of that relationship: prayer. Just like the issue of self actually has to do with worship and the issue of schedule actually has to do with rest, the issue of stress actually has to do with prayer.

I stress because God’s desires are no longer mine. I stress because my plans don’t line up with God’s plan. I stress because my relationship with God becomes based upon my performance for God and not upon my intimacy with God. I stress because in practice I am no longer trusting in God, but am rather trusting in myself.

As I spend time in prayer—listening to him, aware of his presence, talking to him—the less the stress of this world influences me. In prayer, I lay my concerns at his feet and know that he will do what’s best for me. In prayer, my desires become like his desires because I am reminded what his desires are and can trust him to conform mine to his. In prayer, I become once again a child trusting a Father and not a teenager trying to prove my independence.

So what now?

None of this is news to a Christian at the end of the day. These aren’t profound truths that no one has ever taught before. In fact, it’s actually just a basic version of a “rule of life”—something that has been around for centuries. However, it is the real truth of where we all typically struggle each and every day.

Do you find yourself in the same place? Do you find yourself making excuses for your own lack of spiritual growth because of these things too? Do you find yourself, like most of us do today, in the midst of the swirling influences of the culture around you without a sense of what to do to fight against them?

Then join me, as I am joining all of those who have gone before me and all of those who walk beside me, in re-instituting the basics of a relationship with God: worship, rest, and prayer. And as we commit ourselves to meet with God, with our families, and with other believers, on a consistent and daily basis in the practice of these things, God will transform us in the midst of our struggles of self, schedule, and stress to look more like Christ thru the power of his Spirit.