ANGRY BLOG POST!

 I am writing about something that I feel is plaguing the Christian community.  Or perhaps, it stands out because I know that I myself have struggled with it...  Pride.  Cynicism.  One uppers and knowitalls.  Sermon haters and text critics.  If they didn't think of it first, they will find something wrong with it.  Our modern world of user interaction and mini-publications such as Twitter and Facebook have us thinking that everything that we say is God's gospel truth simply because 3 people Liked it. It makes me so angry - I feel like praying an imprecation.  Praying for God to wake us up, to snap us out of this nasty habit that we have.



We all know pride is the root of our sins.  That is, putting ourselves ahead of God, making ourselves to be gods is where we go wrong.  But what I'm talking about here is a specific type of pride.  While I was on Facebook the other day I saw somebody deem an entire field of art as junk.  Now I am no modern art lover, but I am also wise enough to know that you can't label an entire field to be nothing better than "what your camera phone takes in your pocket."  That kind of close minded approach to the world is not becoming of the Christian.  Yes, we are called to be separated from the world, but we don't have to do that by being above it.  I know this because I used to be that person who would find something wrong with everything and everybody and I know that it is rooted in pride.
       As Christians, we need to banish that.  Banish the thought that everything needs to be our idea before it's ok.  Banish the thought that just because it's the way you do things that it's correct.  It stops us from appreciating the simple, beautiful things in the world.  Why is this such a big deal to me that I would need to rant?  I mean, people are entitled to their opinion, right?  Not when it's matters of TRUTH and God.  
       That same attitude will keep us from hearing truth and will stop the truth from rooting itself in our hearts and effecting our lives. Since when does the Bible say that we should turn our nose up at things?  One of my professors (who is brilliant and one of the youngest Ph.D. teaching at a seminary level) once taught that the Christian has many tools at our disposal:  literary criticism, genre criticism, etc. but those are like power tools.  Jack hammers, chainsaws, and drill presses.  Sometimes we need to bring out the power tools to break through a difficult passage and apply it to our lives.  Pastor's go to school to learn how to properly handle these tools - if they don't use them properly they can hurt themselves or their congregation.  But most of the time we can get the job done with a screwdriver or a hammer.  Most of the time, all we need to read God's Word is a humble naivety and a credulous attitude.
       We need to simply read the Word and listen to what it says.  Don't look for the hidden meanings behind the words of the Bible - you'll end up like Origen or Dan Brown (google it folks).  Look for the beauty of a sunrise instead of complaining you need to wake up early.  Appreciate the creativity that God has given some people, don't look for ways to put others' work down.