But then again, I also appreciate that there are Christian circles that don’t hold to some of these ‘accepted positions.’īut the real point is not really about what is said but about how the current atmosphere around the world is ‘doctoring’ what people actually say.Īnd this is applicable to us as Christians. It has somehow achieved unprecedented coverage. For one thing, the conversations I was referring to above cut across religions, geographical locations and in some ways ‘class’. You may say that this is not really the case for Christians, and I would partly agree. For instance, wearing a BLM(Black Lives Matter) t-shirt, even if you are not ready to face the privileges that exacerbate the issue. It is also interesting to note that the support for some of these causes are often cosmetic, it’s more about being perceived as in ‘the know’ than actually knowing. “How can people not care about the environment, how dare they use plastic?” they say to you, and you nod again, even though you still know people who can barely eat two meals a day and are aware that use of plastic is not the priority for many. You nod, smile and applaud their courage and their voice for change. I’m also going to get a flag, we need to celebrate the LGBTQIA community!” they say, looking intently at you. “Did you see the 12year old marching for pride month? So cool. More importantly, you must be in support of all. You meet people who seem to agree with everything you say even if it’s balderdash. You are also expected to do likewise… though, whatever is said must also fall within the ‘acceptable topical issues’ – climate change, gay rights, feminist sentiments, black rights, “diversity” etc. You can often sense how careful and inauthentic most conversations are. But I can surmise that the unforgiving nature of the social media world has probably led to people living double lives, more so than in the recent past. You may be wondering where I am going with this (I am also wondering myself). It is this public that dictates our actions. There were other superpowers and authorities who forcefully policed their territories.īut I believe it is different this time around.įor one thing, it is a digital battle, and it is the public or the ‘collective’ who determine what happens. At one time, it was the Roman Catholic Church that held sway on what was acceptable, dealing swiftly with dissenting opinions. History will tell us that this is not the first neither will it be the last time that a group takes on and enforces this role. We have deemed somethings acceptable and given almost no room for dissenting opinions. No, I’m talking about how we have, in many ways taken on the role of the judge and executioner in these public trials. The Bible is filled with many warnings about the power of the tongue and its ability to give or take life. Now, this is not a post promoting insensitivity nor am I proposing we get a blanket prescription to say what we like when we like. In many such instances, they may lose their jobs, their friends and even their families. The public outcry, if we can call it that, often leads to this ‘antagonist’ being blacklisted for the foreseeable future. When I scroll through social media or the news, I’m often inundated with stories of people who said or did something, which resulted in a public outcry, and demands for their blood. Why?īecause many times, the repercussions from what is said often undermine the fight to be heard. The call to speak our minds, to air our opinions has become the biggest trick of all time. The underlying narrative is not really about diversity or about ending the world of discrimination, patriarchy and the host of other issues that come up. These days we hear a lot about diversity and the fact that ‘everyone’s voice should be heard. This is certainly so when it comes to many topical issues. We say we are the most connected, living in an ultra-globalised world but if you pulled back the carpet of globalisation, and the internet, you would likely find wide ridges and holes ready to trip us up. This is even more obvious due to the dividing lines than pervade our generation. You probably are…it has become much harder, than at any other time I can remember, at least in my 30 odd years on earth, to say something and stick with it. Are you sending mixed signals, saying yes when you really mean no (and vice versa)?Īre you quick to deflect questions, giving non-committal answers?
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