I said I wouldn't do it. "Caleb, don't give in. Don't feed into the social media nonsense." I told myself. "Don't let politics and controversy seep into your blog. This is a happy place. Your blog is the puppies/Christmas/candy/rainbows/unicorns section of the internet." Well, I'm doing it. No turning back now.
Social media has been exciting to follow the past few days. Some posts have been like watching train wrecks. You want to turn away, but you just have to ride it out and see where it goes. Some posts have been so clever and witty that I can reread them and still have a good chuckle. Some posts have been laced with love. Others have been laced with that razor wire stuff that they put on the top of prison fences. All in all, it's been a good ride. Good job, internet.
What all this has got me thinking about is this: how should we really engage one another? What should I do if I'm for Phil, against Phil, tame Miley, Kanye for President, don't take my guns, melt all the guns down and use them to make Prius', or whatever? Do I wage social media war? Do I charge up Facebook Hill, ready to face death/getting blocked, as I fight the backwoods rednecks or the hipsters (depending on my stereotyped target)? Or, do I simply do nothing. Live and let live, as it were. As long as no one is physically hurting me, it's all good. Tolerance above all else. It everyone's right to do everything they want. Not my problem. Say what you want. Or can I be in between? Is there an in between?
To be sure, I have some firm beliefs of my own, though I try hard not to rant too much on the internet. I'd rather rant in person. Less of a chance that you'll just get up and walk away. Ha! But, I do enjoy talking with people about real stuff. I'm talking about things we believe deep down. But how can I do that with someone who deep down is against the things that I believe? How do I engage in a relationship with someone who, because of beliefs, is separated from me.
This is where it gets tricky. And this is where some may think me too soft, too exclusive, too simplistic, or too...a lot of things. I think I can learn a lot about how to engage people with different beliefs by looking at how God brings his presence to me.
Now, try to follow me on this for a little bit. My own experience of following God has gone like this: it didn't all happen overnight. Over many years God has given me little pieces (probably as much as I could handle) of what it means to follow him and I've progressively moved in that direction. Sometimes I've taken a few steps forward, then a few more back. But I'd like to think that the overall trajectory of my life has been towards him. The really fascinating part is that it's been all him. There's no meet in the middle or anything like that. God comes to me. I don't mean that I'm always passive or that God comes on his hands and knees begging that I follow him. I just mean that, in what I think is my own experience seen through the lens of my background, God brings his presence to me.
God has never done this because of how good I am. You see, I used to be a brat. And not only a brat, but I was mean. So mean. Don't believe the hype. I was living apart from God. Chasing my selfish desires. Driven by an effort to figure things out on my own. And then it begins to happen. I begin to hear God through people in my life and through reading the Bible. God was coming to me, reaching out to me, bringing his presence to me. Over time, I understood that God sent Jesus to be born, live as we do, die for our sins, and be raised back to life, which is something promised to those who believe as well.
God bridged the gap with presence. I couldn't do that. No way.
So, what point am I trying to make? How about this: if I really, truly want to engage with people who don't share my beliefs, why can't I start with being present with them? Why can't I get to know them and know why they believe what they do? Why can't I look at someone from across a table and say, "I hear you. I disagree, but I hear you. Now let me get you some more coffee." I don't have to yell and scream and get angry and argue the world over to my side all in one swoop. And I don't have to be silent either. Maybe this is the middle ground.
There was a time when I did not believe in the things that God is about. But God changed that by being present with me. Why shouldn't I follow his example and engage people in the same way? And guess what - that works no matter what side you're on!
ps - last post until the new year rolls around. In the immortal words of Clark Griswald: "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!"
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