When There’s Too Much To Say

So many words come to mind. So. Many. Words. So many things I’ve wanted to say. So many things I could jump on or off the bandwagon with. So many minutes spent thinking, riled up, and then calming down.

So many times, I have had to remind myself to pause. To wait a couple days to respond. To keep my mouth closed period. I’ve tried to make James 1:19 my mantra lately.

So many nudges from one person in specific. The One who sees all. (Proverbs 15:3) The One who knows all. (Psalm 139) The One who created everyone and everything (Genesis 1-2). The One who knew all this would happen. The One who gave countless warnings, continued to extend grace, provided the ultimate sacrifice, and decided he would love us all despite our many bad decisions/short comings/denials of his existence.

Room for Improvement

Religious or not, we as human beings have room for a lot of improvement on so many levels. I will be the first to say in the last couple weeks I’ve realized I’m ignorant regarding some of the trials people of color still face. Not by choice, but because it’s not something often on my radar as my passions/areas I devote my time to are on other topics.  

Maybe you’ve found the same thing with “fill in the blank”. Once made aware of that “thing”, what will you choose to do? Stay ignorant? Or spend a little time researching and/or reaching out to someone who could shed light and answer questions?

So many heated topics exist today: abortion, racism, personal rights, religious and political affiliation, justice, conspiracy vs real, etc. Some thoughts have come to mind in the last couple weeks and I thought I would share in case it helps anyone else.

Room for Thought

~ This is exactly what Satan wants: division, hatred, greed, selfishness, harm, pride/ego, etc. And we are allowing it. How are we going to stop the cycle? How are we going to create a world in which Satan and all those things are snuffed out?

~ Would things be as bad if everyone just paused before “offering” their opinion/story and asked themselves if it’s helpful and/or kind or just self-serving?

~ There is no way to know for certain what Jesus’ “fill in the blank” affiliation would be – but we do have access to his teachings – what do those words tell us? How does what we’re reading in the media compare? How do my thoughts/my response (aka my heart) compare?

~ No one has walked in another person’s shoes other than their own. So, would it be better to just let people get whatever they need to say off their chest and then leave it at that? No response necessary. Listen. Simply listen. And if need be, chose to walk away – but quietly. To me that makes more of statement than firing off rebuttals.

~ I have not read one article/post/etc. in the mainstream media looking at things from a Biblical perspective. How does this skew people’s perspectives? How does this reflect what’s really in our heart? How can we work to change that?

~ Social Media is probably the worst place to enter any “hot topic” conversations. I rarely see ensuing comments meant to lift one another up. It is usually “I’m right, you’re wrong” or some version thereof. Isn’t it more meaningful to reach out to someone privately after carefully thinking through what you’d like to say?

~ We are all ignorant on some topic. We tend to spend more time researching topics passionate to us personally. No one can specialize in everything. Grace needed across the board.

~ Everyone experiences trauma differently. I recently read through a book on how trauma affects the physical body. We can control our reactions to a degree. How a person’s body catalogs, and experiences trauma is different for everyone. What the body and/or mind constitutes as trauma is also completely different. Essentially, this goes back to 4th point. Could we please stop telling people their experiences do not matter just because they don’t fit the typical “trauma mold” or you feel their response should have been different?  Grace and empathy required.

~ If believing in God isn’t your thing, I think we can all still agree we should treat others how we want to be treated.

~ Where/who/what is your source of information? Is it non-biased from someone with a level head? Someone whose had education on the topic? If it is someone with personal experience, what is the current state of their heart/attitude?

Room for Questions

Questions I have come to ask myself when I feel sparked to respond.

~ Is this spoken out of love, from a place of humility, with no prejudice?

~ Would I speak/write like this directly to Jesus (or best friend/someone held in high esteem/well respected)?

~ Have I taken the time to see what the Bible says about this?

~ Will my response point people to Jesus or will it just add to the drama/problem and alienate them?

~ Am I feeling angry/confused/hurt about this because there is something I need to personally address or look into or ask forgiveness for?

~ Have I removed my emotions from the equation and then looked at it again?

~ Is what I’m posting informational or will it just stir the pot/serve to “prove my point”?

~ What is the best platform/ way to share this?

Room for Reflection

My heart is heavy; even though I know God will be victorious in the end. My prayer is that we will start to see the light, that we’ll lay down our personal grudges/grievances, that we’ll choose to put ourselves last, that we’ll think before we speak, that we’ll speak with love and tenderness and grace, that we (especially Christ followers) will start to advocate for what God tells us is right and wrong, that our goal will be to lift others up.

Regarding racism and recent events, I have found these two items helpful:

Elmbrook Articles: A Personal Letter Responding to Racism

The Brook Network: What Does the Bible Say About Violence

I haven’t read this yet, but White Awake: An Honest Look at What It Means to Be White was recommended by someone working through theology classes.

Here is another recommended book, Discerning Ethics: Diverse Christian Responses to Divisive Moral Issues, which is also on my “To Read” list!