Random question time.
Do you think it’s ever okay to be dishonest, or not forthcoming, for the end of a better good?
To protect someone else’s well being?
To save another?
Ever?
Ahhh, “situational ethics.”
I look forward to the conversation this weekend.
There are six billion people in the world.
Give or take.
Each with a purpose.
A dream.
A fear.
A place.
And I’m learning that there is an increasing need for love and hope and faith in each of these six billion people.
And as someone once said…
“I can’t change the world…but I can change the world in me.”
In fact, by doing it the other way around, I’m actually quite hypocritical.
Plain and simple.
Serving the world while serving myself?
Heal the broken while I hide my own brokenness?
Impossible.
Inconsistent.
Action without personal transformation is empty.
And transformation without action is impossible.
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At the National Pastors Convention, I had the chance to sit on a panel and discuss the use of technology and social media within the church. You can actually see our pixel-shaped heads here if you’d like to see what went down (Thanks, DJ).
Anyway, over the last couple of months, the brain contained in my own pixel-shaped head has been doing a LOT of thinking. A lot. And if you were to have seen the interview I did at the I3 Conference, you’d see that I literally contradict myself within a week’s time.? Cynthia asked if I believed in the phenomenon of Online Community to which I eagerly argued, “yes, yes, a million times yes!”
At the NPC panel just a few days later, when I met Skye Jethani (remember, whose book Divine Commodity is the most profound thing I’ve read in a long, long time), we continued this “online community” conversation on the panel.
Out of Ur, which is a Christianity Today blog, posted a video of Shane Hipps (author of Flickering Pixels, another brilliant book) talking about virtual worlds and suggesting physical proximity is a factor in community.? Scot McKnight responded with a slightly differing opinion. Skye asked me to respond as well. And so I did.
Here is an excerpt…I’d love for you to post your thoughts over on Out of Ur, so I’m closing comments here.
In some instances, these online conversations have translated into personal communication (by email, chats, or phone) and some have even turned into face-to-face meetings. The platforms of social media certainly give these personal interactions a “jump start” so to speak, because you do, in some regard, know bits and pieces of the other person’s life.
But this is where it gets muddy for me. Is it community?
Given my experience living in both worlds, it may be surprising to hear, but I am beginning to lean on the side of no?what happens online is not community. Before you send me an army of frowning emoticons, please hear me out:
I believe what happens online is connection…not community.
People can be vulnerable and honest online. And at times these online connections can be more life-giving than many of our offline relationships, but they are not the same.
You will read an announcement in the full post on Out of Ur that might surprise you.?= Once you’re done over there, come back over here and you’ll get the full scoop.
See you over there!
Then back here.
Phew! I’m getting tired with all this running around.
In November, I have the amazing honor of speaking alongside Don Miller & Francis Chan (yeah, how the heck did THAT happen?!) at the incredible Right Now Conference.? If you live near Dallas, please come to this conference. I have gone as a volunteer before, and it was amazing.? If you don’t live near Dallas, you can simulcast the event at your church.
Marc, who heads up the gig, emailed me today and is trying to help shape this event.
You see, we are on this weird generational edge of transition of thought and action.? And we want to process this together.
So here is a list of random questions for you…feel free to answer as many or as few as you’d like.? We just want to get in your head a little bit.? Because I have a feeling we’re feeling alone in some of these things, when really, we’re not.
1. What do I wish to be remembered for?
2. Is this really as good as it gets?
3. How was it that I could be so successful, so fortunate, and yet so frustratingly unfulfilled?
4. If your life was absolutely perfect, how would it look to you?
5. What is my passion?
6. How am I wired?
7. Where do I belong?
8. What will I do about what I believe?
9. Who am I?
10. What do I value?
11. What gifts has God given me? How can I use them?
12. What would I be willing to die for?
13. What injustices do I see in the world, that I simply cannot stomach anymore?
14. What is it about my job that makes me feel trapped?
15. When you are in bed at night staring at the ceiling, what questions are you asking yourself?
Which ones from the list below stand out?? How would you word them differently?? What questions would you add?
i’m guilty of name dropping.
i’m guilty of only feeling confident when (insert important person’s name here) tells me i have value.
i’m guilty of saying one thing and doing another.
i’m guilty of not following through.
i’m guilty of being so self absorbed, i make you think i care…but i only care because i’m getting something out of it too.
i’m guilty of saying i’m going to pray for you and i don’t.
i’m guilty of pretending i don’t know the answer, when in reality, i just don’t want to help you.
all this to say, i’m guilty of being selfish.
a lot.
and it kind of hit me today, when pete was talking about whoever is the least…
i know i can get caught up in the junk of caring about who i’m associated with.
because the right people take you to the right places.
and those right places will leave you satisfied.
which is a load of bull.
and i think of who jesus associated himself with…
failures. sinners. the outcasts. the sick.
the untouchables.
nobody that would ever win a popularity contest.
or help him win a popularity contest.
but that’s why he was here.
that’s why we are here.
to be
and to be with
the least.
This morning I was skimming through the conversation on this post and there were several people who seemed to think that to question God is out of line.
Granted, I am no theologian, but I personally disagree.
I think if we don’t question God – if we don’t ask Him why he does the things he does sometimes – we will never come close to understanding the nature of God.
Because why he does what he does reveals His character to us.
I think about some of the things Jesus asked.
“If this cup can be taken from me…”
“Why have you forsaken me?”
Will we find all the answers?
Not in this life.? But I do think it’s important to ask, and to be open to exploring our faith on a much deeper and personal level.? Sometimes, maybe even a desperate level.? Because I truly believe God wants us to discover his character.
What do you think? Should you question God?
Can we have a serious conversation for a moment?
I realize this post may be controversial in nature, but that is not my intent.
The other day I was having a conversation with a girl I know. She’s a believer, and she’s gay.
She realizes what the Bible says about homosexuality, and she has decided the gay lifestyle is not for her. It’s a struggle. It’s not like she can flip a switch and all of the sudden “be straight.” She even started blogging about what she’s wrestling with. You can read it here.
As we were talking, she asked…
“Why?”
“Because the Bible says so” isn’t the answer she was looking for. That’s kind of a given.
It’s pretty easy to see why sins like murder or adultery or what-have-you-that’s-evil are sins. It’s because they ultimately involve hurting someone.
Why is being gay a sin?
“Because you’re hurting yourself” isn’t the answer either. When you’re gay, you love, just as straight people love. You want the best for someone.? Someone wants the best for you.
I told her outside of these plug and play answers we kind of just hand out when we discuss these things, I didn’t have an answer. Because I don’t. I can talk circles around hypothetical circumstances but when it comes down to it, I simply don’t have an answer for her. Neither did another friend who was with us.
And maybe sometimes there aren’t answers. We talked about that too.
So I asked her if I could pose this question to you. She said yes. And she’ll be reading these answers, so please keep that in mind as you write your response. If anyone gets out of line I will delete your comment.
So…why is being gay a sin?
