Thank you for your support and interest in the Men's NetWork. As of August 1, 2021, we will be transitioning the Men's NetWork away from a formalized, branded program and into more of an online resource page for men's groups.
Why is the Men's NetWork program transitioning?
LHM staff always wants to be good stewards of our ministry time and funding. The program has evolved since its inception in 2009 and after evaluating the resources being used, we have decided to refocus the resources to better serve you. Most of the resources that you are used to seeing on the Men's NetWork website (lhm.org/men) will still be available for you to use by clicking here.
Will I still get the Men's NetWork newsletter email?
While the final Men's NetWork newsletter email will be sent August 3, you will still have the opportunity to receive timely updates on ministry news and impact through other LHM communications. To make sure you still receive LHM emails and updates, visit lhm.org/newsroom or visit the "Manage Preferences" link at the bottom of your Men's NetWork newsletter to update your email message preferences. You can visit our newsroom by clicking here.
We have truly valued your interest in the Men's NetWork and your participation in our service events like the annual WORK DAY and GIVES BACK. We hope you will continue to use the resources provided here and find fresh inspiration in your walk of faith in Jesus.
Tuesday, July 6, 2021
Tuesday, June 22, 2021
Why Community?
Whatever your worldview, it's likely you see community as integral to humanity. Humans are communal creatures. We exist as families, friends, teams, and tribes. Community is also central to the Christian story -- to the point that identity as an individual is inseparable from identity found in community.
Community is central to our story
The first book of the Bible, Genesis, spells out the Christian narrative on community quite clearly. Humans were made to be in a relationship with God and each other (see Genesis 1:26; 2:18; 3:18). God in and of Himself is relational and exists as a mysterious Three-in-One entity, termed the Trinity by Christians (see Matthew 3:16; 28:19). Even the concept of sin, which is the "fault line" that runs through the Christian narrative, stems from the time Adam and Eve rejected God's advice because they wanted to be more independent (see Genesis 3). The result was that humanity became self-centered instead of God- and community-centered.
Our purpose is carried out in the context of community
Christians believe that every single human being has purpose, and central to that purpose is our calling -- or vocation, as we sometimes call it. This concept of vocation is not confined to our job or career; it encompasses all aspects of our lives: our family, our friends, our role in the economy, and our local and global citizenship.
Our vocation was defined for us when God created humanity in His image (see Genesis 1:27) and essentially said, "go take care of the earth" (see Genesis 1:28) and "be My likeness in the communities you operate in" (see 1 Corinthians 7:17). Every person contributes according to their skillset, personality, intellect, etc. In this way we function as the "mask of God" in every community: marriage, family, neighborhood, and beyond.
As Christians, central to our purpose as humans is not individualism, but loving and serving other people, our "neighbors" (see Matthew 22:37-40). God intended this from the beginning of creation. And the concept of neighbor isn't just confined to the folks we like or get along with; it also includes people in need and people with whom we'd rather not be associated with (see Luke 10:29).
The kingdom of God
The biblical narrative tells us that as much as humans have tried to live in community the way God intended, sin has always been a barrier. Sin causes us to be driven by our own (often selfish) desires -- not the needs of our communities. But Jesus, through His death and resurrection, reunites relationships and reinvigorates communities. First humanity with God, and then humanity in community. The coming of Jesus ushers in a new era for humanity, referred to as "the kingdom of God."
Jesus uses this term over 80 times in the four books of the Bible that tell us about His time here on earth. Jesus defines His purpose this way: "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose" (see Luke 4:18; Mark 1:14-15). The kingdom of God is the start of a process of renewal and restoration in creation back to the way it was originally intended. And this new era is marked by the liberation of the needy and oppressed (see Luke 4:43).
The kingdom of God will only be fully implemented at the point Jesus returns, but we should see evidence of that renewal and restoration in our communities today. Despite our selfish inclinations, God decides that we get to actively participate in His plan of establishing His kingdom. This piece of the narrative can change the world we live in.
The role of Christians is to introduce the kingdom of God to the communities they operate in through their vocations. Whether it's with people, creatures, or the environment, Christians should be bringing love, hope, justice, compassion, inclusion, healing, peace, etc., (in other words, the impact of the kingdom of God) into all corners of the world, one step at a time.
"Beloved Community"
We live in a culture that says we, as individuals, have the right to think and do whatever we choose. Accountability and responsibility to community seem like requirements, not benefits. For many people, social media has created a fractured and lonely world. Individualized media makes for exclusive communities and narrow-minded factions. If there was ever a time when the kingdom of God is needed, it is today.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., referred to something he called, "The Beloved Community." According to the King Center, "The Beloved Community was not a lofty utopian goal to be confused with the rapturous image of the Peaceable Kingdom, in which lions and lambs coexist in idyllic harmony. Rather, The Beloved Community was for him a realistic, achievable goal that could be attained by a critical mass of people committed to and trained in the philosophy and methods of nonviolence.
"Dr. King's Beloved Community is a global vision, in which all people can share in the wealth of the earth. In the Beloved Community, poverty, hunger and homelessness will not be tolerated because international standards of human decency will not allow it. Racism and all forms of discrimination, bigotry and prejudice will be replaced by an all-inclusive spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood. In the Beloved Community, international disputes will be resolved by peaceful conflict-resolution and reconciliation of adversaries, instead of military power. Love and trust will triumph over fear and hatred. Peace with justice will prevail over war and military conflict."
King's concept of Beloved Community is a reflection of the kingdom of God. Sadly, today it seems that faith has either become an exclusive community or a personalized belief system. Christianity is meant to be a faith that drives Christians to engage in all of our communities, not just our own churches. And Christians are meant to be agents of God's love, peace, justice, healing, compassion, hope, and peace in all those communities.
Written by the THRED team
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
Community is central to our story
The first book of the Bible, Genesis, spells out the Christian narrative on community quite clearly. Humans were made to be in a relationship with God and each other (see Genesis 1:26; 2:18; 3:18). God in and of Himself is relational and exists as a mysterious Three-in-One entity, termed the Trinity by Christians (see Matthew 3:16; 28:19). Even the concept of sin, which is the "fault line" that runs through the Christian narrative, stems from the time Adam and Eve rejected God's advice because they wanted to be more independent (see Genesis 3). The result was that humanity became self-centered instead of God- and community-centered.
Our purpose is carried out in the context of community
Christians believe that every single human being has purpose, and central to that purpose is our calling -- or vocation, as we sometimes call it. This concept of vocation is not confined to our job or career; it encompasses all aspects of our lives: our family, our friends, our role in the economy, and our local and global citizenship.
Our vocation was defined for us when God created humanity in His image (see Genesis 1:27) and essentially said, "go take care of the earth" (see Genesis 1:28) and "be My likeness in the communities you operate in" (see 1 Corinthians 7:17). Every person contributes according to their skillset, personality, intellect, etc. In this way we function as the "mask of God" in every community: marriage, family, neighborhood, and beyond.
As Christians, central to our purpose as humans is not individualism, but loving and serving other people, our "neighbors" (see Matthew 22:37-40). God intended this from the beginning of creation. And the concept of neighbor isn't just confined to the folks we like or get along with; it also includes people in need and people with whom we'd rather not be associated with (see Luke 10:29).
The kingdom of God
The biblical narrative tells us that as much as humans have tried to live in community the way God intended, sin has always been a barrier. Sin causes us to be driven by our own (often selfish) desires -- not the needs of our communities. But Jesus, through His death and resurrection, reunites relationships and reinvigorates communities. First humanity with God, and then humanity in community. The coming of Jesus ushers in a new era for humanity, referred to as "the kingdom of God."
Jesus uses this term over 80 times in the four books of the Bible that tell us about His time here on earth. Jesus defines His purpose this way: "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose" (see Luke 4:18; Mark 1:14-15). The kingdom of God is the start of a process of renewal and restoration in creation back to the way it was originally intended. And this new era is marked by the liberation of the needy and oppressed (see Luke 4:43).
The kingdom of God will only be fully implemented at the point Jesus returns, but we should see evidence of that renewal and restoration in our communities today. Despite our selfish inclinations, God decides that we get to actively participate in His plan of establishing His kingdom. This piece of the narrative can change the world we live in.
The role of Christians is to introduce the kingdom of God to the communities they operate in through their vocations. Whether it's with people, creatures, or the environment, Christians should be bringing love, hope, justice, compassion, inclusion, healing, peace, etc., (in other words, the impact of the kingdom of God) into all corners of the world, one step at a time.
"Beloved Community"
We live in a culture that says we, as individuals, have the right to think and do whatever we choose. Accountability and responsibility to community seem like requirements, not benefits. For many people, social media has created a fractured and lonely world. Individualized media makes for exclusive communities and narrow-minded factions. If there was ever a time when the kingdom of God is needed, it is today.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., referred to something he called, "The Beloved Community." According to the King Center, "The Beloved Community was not a lofty utopian goal to be confused with the rapturous image of the Peaceable Kingdom, in which lions and lambs coexist in idyllic harmony. Rather, The Beloved Community was for him a realistic, achievable goal that could be attained by a critical mass of people committed to and trained in the philosophy and methods of nonviolence.
"Dr. King's Beloved Community is a global vision, in which all people can share in the wealth of the earth. In the Beloved Community, poverty, hunger and homelessness will not be tolerated because international standards of human decency will not allow it. Racism and all forms of discrimination, bigotry and prejudice will be replaced by an all-inclusive spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood. In the Beloved Community, international disputes will be resolved by peaceful conflict-resolution and reconciliation of adversaries, instead of military power. Love and trust will triumph over fear and hatred. Peace with justice will prevail over war and military conflict."
King's concept of Beloved Community is a reflection of the kingdom of God. Sadly, today it seems that faith has either become an exclusive community or a personalized belief system. Christianity is meant to be a faith that drives Christians to engage in all of our communities, not just our own churches. And Christians are meant to be agents of God's love, peace, justice, healing, compassion, hope, and peace in all those communities.
Written by the THRED team
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
Tuesday, June 8, 2021
Explaining Evil Isn't Simple
"The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate," the first man, Adam, tells God in the third chapter of the Old Testament book of Genesis.
Possibly that's got to be one of the most creative excuses for the beginning of evil in the world since, well, the beginning of time.
Be that as it may, the Genesis story -- with its serpent, forbidden fruit, and lovely garden -- is one of the first stories we have that attempts to explain a question that has bothered humans for (as far as we can tell) almost as long as there have been humans around: why do bad things happen to good people? When you start to think about it, why do bad things happen at all?
Why do little kids come down with terrible illnesses? Who invented slavery as a way of oppressing people who look different than they do? Why are we so good at destroying things and people, and so poor at making them whole and healthy?
These questions bugged the women and men of the ancient world, too. Floods, plagues, locust invasions, wars waged by foreign armies -- they prompted a lot of theological reflection on the part of some of the top minds in the ancient world. There were entire schools of philosophy designed to answer these questions.
As time went by, Bible experts in the medieval and renaissance periods began to disagree about the meaning of the passage in Genesis: was it bad that Adam and Eve ate the apple because that's what brought evil into the world? Or did eating the fruit help humans learn the difference between what was good and what wasn't, so that they learned more about the world and about themselves?
But we don't live in the abstract world of theologians and philosophers. We suffer when someone we love is hurt, a friend betrays our trust, or we learn about some catastrophe on the other side of the world, and we can't help but ask: why?
I don't know about you, but when I hear someone tell a person who is grieving that it's all part of some bigger divine plan that we just don't understand, it makes me mad. How can a child starving in the Sudan or dying from a bombing in Syria be part of a divine plan?
You may disagree.
But let me suggest that the way we interpret the bad as well as the good times in our lives tell us something about the way that we see God.
What do you think? Is God in charge of everything that happens, or does God allow it? Is there a difference between the bad choices we make (because we choose to make them) and the bad things that occur in our lives?
How do you define evil? Absence of goodness? A force out there? Could it be ... Satan?
Written by Elizabeth Eisenstadt Evans
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
Possibly that's got to be one of the most creative excuses for the beginning of evil in the world since, well, the beginning of time.
Be that as it may, the Genesis story -- with its serpent, forbidden fruit, and lovely garden -- is one of the first stories we have that attempts to explain a question that has bothered humans for (as far as we can tell) almost as long as there have been humans around: why do bad things happen to good people? When you start to think about it, why do bad things happen at all?
Why do little kids come down with terrible illnesses? Who invented slavery as a way of oppressing people who look different than they do? Why are we so good at destroying things and people, and so poor at making them whole and healthy?
These questions bugged the women and men of the ancient world, too. Floods, plagues, locust invasions, wars waged by foreign armies -- they prompted a lot of theological reflection on the part of some of the top minds in the ancient world. There were entire schools of philosophy designed to answer these questions.
As time went by, Bible experts in the medieval and renaissance periods began to disagree about the meaning of the passage in Genesis: was it bad that Adam and Eve ate the apple because that's what brought evil into the world? Or did eating the fruit help humans learn the difference between what was good and what wasn't, so that they learned more about the world and about themselves?
But we don't live in the abstract world of theologians and philosophers. We suffer when someone we love is hurt, a friend betrays our trust, or we learn about some catastrophe on the other side of the world, and we can't help but ask: why?
I don't know about you, but when I hear someone tell a person who is grieving that it's all part of some bigger divine plan that we just don't understand, it makes me mad. How can a child starving in the Sudan or dying from a bombing in Syria be part of a divine plan?
You may disagree.
But let me suggest that the way we interpret the bad as well as the good times in our lives tell us something about the way that we see God.
What do you think? Is God in charge of everything that happens, or does God allow it? Is there a difference between the bad choices we make (because we choose to make them) and the bad things that occur in our lives?
How do you define evil? Absence of goodness? A force out there? Could it be ... Satan?
Written by Elizabeth Eisenstadt Evans
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Does God Care If We Learn?
Christians believe that education is a good thing -- more than that, that it is a God-given blessing we are supposed to share with our children and with as many other people as possible.
In fact, the Western system of education was created by the Christian church. Many early Christians believed that by educating people, they could share the Good News of Christ. People who became literate could then read the Bible and spread the Gospel more readily to those around them.
Christians have long used education as a form of mission work to underserved nations and communities. Mother Teresa herself used education as a way to alleviate girls' poverty. Many missionaries today work with the same goals in mind; to educate someone is often to pull them out of poverty and point them toward a better life.
A practical gift
Education is practical. Even the birds teach their young how to fly and where to find food and shelter. How much more should human beings teach their children how to live well. We know that a person's level of education typically corresponds to their potential income and thus their ability to care for themselves and their family. Therefore, we ought to encourage education for all people as a logical means to achieve security and well-being.
Theologian Martin Luther said that it was necessary for youth to be educated to ensure, "that there will always be preachers, jurists, pastors, writers, physicians, schoolmasters, and the like, for we cannot do without them."
Harvard University and Yale University were founded as congregational establishments by Christians in search of knowledge and wisdom. Those who are educated well can often go on to achieve great accomplishments to help humanity through medicine, science, the written word, and more.
Good for society
When a social group is well educated, it is more likely to vote for good civic leaders, promote libraries and safe schools, and give back financially to its institutions and to future generations. Contrastingly, we know that there is a strong correlation between lack of education and imprisonment, with prison rates going up as the level of education goes down. Victor Hugo once said, "He who opens a school door closes a prison."
Unfortunately, it's not always so simple. Those who face extreme poverty and/or live in dangerous, crime-ridden neighborhoods often cannot afford the luxury of a solid education. Many resort to criminal activity or must work to provide for their families instead of attaining a high school or higher education degree. Disproportionate rates of imprisonment for people of color lead to racial inequalities in schools. And the increasing cost of a college education can be prohibitive for many.
Those who can should invest time and resources into providing safe public school systems for all children in all socioeconomic situations. Education is often the best path to a safer, more stable life and livelihood. Kids who are well educated -- particularly about public health issues -- can go on to make wiser decisions that will positively impact their futures.
So what should Christians do?
God delights when we use the gifts, interests, and talents He gave us to the best of our abilities. Developing our God-given potential will look different for everyone and may or may not always follow the traditional college route. We can determine God's will for our lives by seeking Him and pursuing the interests and abilities He has already given us.
Aristotle famously said, "Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all." Christians in places of privilege should use their education and resources to help others less fortunate to do so, as well. Education does not always look like private school or college. Sometimes educating others can look like teaching people in other countries how to clean their water or to sustainably grow crops. Sometimes it means literacy training, public health education, reading to underprivileged children, or donating books to a shelter.
God intends for His people to use their gifts to serve others in His Name, and that can take many forms. Christians ought to do what they can to allow all people the opportunity to improve their lives through education.
Intended by God
Education is one way in which human beings come to reach their full potential -- and God cares about that. He intends for His people to have life and to have it to the fullest (John 10:10). God made us for many reasons, but one of them is certainly to ask questions -- to trace God's operations in the universe -- to rejoice and stand in awe when we see the wonderful things He has done.
"The study of truth requires a considerable effort -- which is why few are willing to undertake it out of love of knowledge -- despite the fact that God has implanted a natural appetite for such knowledge in the minds of men," according to St. Thomas Aquinas in his work, Summa Contra Gentiles.
We are made in God's image, and God is creative. How can we, then, not be creative? How can we not be interested in the creation God has made? And because God is a God of logic and intelligence and wisdom, we can expect to find logic in creation as well. The stars obey astronomical laws because the mind who designed our universe is an orderly mind. The same sense of order is found in genetics, nuclear physics, and mathematics, and new discoveries are waiting to be made in every field, all the time. God is consistent, and therefore His universe is consistent. That is what makes learning possible.
The human race heaps up more and more discoveries, and we teach what we have learned to our children. And this is right for us to do. To do otherwise would be to insult the God who made such an awesome cosmos. It would be like yawning through Beethoven's Ninth Symphony or turning our backs on Michelangelo's David.
All truth is God's truth
Christians believe that there is no truth anywhere that will ultimately come into conflict with the truth of the Christian faith as the Holy Spirit has delivered it to us. God is the God of all truth, not just theological truth, and truth by definition cannot be in conflict with itself. We should delight in education, not fear it.
In Romans 12:2, Paul urges believers, " Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- His good, pleasing, and perfect will."
As followers of Christ, we can change our minds based on new things we learn, always holding this knowledge up to the perfect standard set before us in the Bible, God's inspired Word. We can learn from others who came before us and welcome the Holy Spirit to help us determine the truth when opinions are many.
Knowledge and wisdom
The Bible distinguishes between knowledge and wisdom. Anyone can attain an education given proper resources, time, and the motivation to do so. Wisdom allows us to know truth from lies and to use our knowledge to better serve others for God's glory. James 1:5 says that if we ask our generous God for wisdom, He will gladly give it.
In Proverbs 1:7, we see that, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Let's not be among those who mock others who devote their lives to learning and seeking knowledge. God teaches us how to interact with people, learned or not, and how to use our intelligence for good: "The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere" (James 3:17).
God Himself is the source of all wisdom. He calls His people to seek Him, to seek knowledge, and to use what we've learned to help others in His Name. We honor Him by developing our God-given talents and interests to the best of our abilities to live fully and serve Him.
Written by the THRED team
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
In fact, the Western system of education was created by the Christian church. Many early Christians believed that by educating people, they could share the Good News of Christ. People who became literate could then read the Bible and spread the Gospel more readily to those around them.
Christians have long used education as a form of mission work to underserved nations and communities. Mother Teresa herself used education as a way to alleviate girls' poverty. Many missionaries today work with the same goals in mind; to educate someone is often to pull them out of poverty and point them toward a better life.
A practical gift
Education is practical. Even the birds teach their young how to fly and where to find food and shelter. How much more should human beings teach their children how to live well. We know that a person's level of education typically corresponds to their potential income and thus their ability to care for themselves and their family. Therefore, we ought to encourage education for all people as a logical means to achieve security and well-being.
Theologian Martin Luther said that it was necessary for youth to be educated to ensure, "that there will always be preachers, jurists, pastors, writers, physicians, schoolmasters, and the like, for we cannot do without them."
Harvard University and Yale University were founded as congregational establishments by Christians in search of knowledge and wisdom. Those who are educated well can often go on to achieve great accomplishments to help humanity through medicine, science, the written word, and more.
Good for society
When a social group is well educated, it is more likely to vote for good civic leaders, promote libraries and safe schools, and give back financially to its institutions and to future generations. Contrastingly, we know that there is a strong correlation between lack of education and imprisonment, with prison rates going up as the level of education goes down. Victor Hugo once said, "He who opens a school door closes a prison."
Unfortunately, it's not always so simple. Those who face extreme poverty and/or live in dangerous, crime-ridden neighborhoods often cannot afford the luxury of a solid education. Many resort to criminal activity or must work to provide for their families instead of attaining a high school or higher education degree. Disproportionate rates of imprisonment for people of color lead to racial inequalities in schools. And the increasing cost of a college education can be prohibitive for many.
Those who can should invest time and resources into providing safe public school systems for all children in all socioeconomic situations. Education is often the best path to a safer, more stable life and livelihood. Kids who are well educated -- particularly about public health issues -- can go on to make wiser decisions that will positively impact their futures.
So what should Christians do?
God delights when we use the gifts, interests, and talents He gave us to the best of our abilities. Developing our God-given potential will look different for everyone and may or may not always follow the traditional college route. We can determine God's will for our lives by seeking Him and pursuing the interests and abilities He has already given us.
Aristotle famously said, "Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all." Christians in places of privilege should use their education and resources to help others less fortunate to do so, as well. Education does not always look like private school or college. Sometimes educating others can look like teaching people in other countries how to clean their water or to sustainably grow crops. Sometimes it means literacy training, public health education, reading to underprivileged children, or donating books to a shelter.
God intends for His people to use their gifts to serve others in His Name, and that can take many forms. Christians ought to do what they can to allow all people the opportunity to improve their lives through education.
Intended by God
Education is one way in which human beings come to reach their full potential -- and God cares about that. He intends for His people to have life and to have it to the fullest (John 10:10). God made us for many reasons, but one of them is certainly to ask questions -- to trace God's operations in the universe -- to rejoice and stand in awe when we see the wonderful things He has done.
"The study of truth requires a considerable effort -- which is why few are willing to undertake it out of love of knowledge -- despite the fact that God has implanted a natural appetite for such knowledge in the minds of men," according to St. Thomas Aquinas in his work, Summa Contra Gentiles.
We are made in God's image, and God is creative. How can we, then, not be creative? How can we not be interested in the creation God has made? And because God is a God of logic and intelligence and wisdom, we can expect to find logic in creation as well. The stars obey astronomical laws because the mind who designed our universe is an orderly mind. The same sense of order is found in genetics, nuclear physics, and mathematics, and new discoveries are waiting to be made in every field, all the time. God is consistent, and therefore His universe is consistent. That is what makes learning possible.
The human race heaps up more and more discoveries, and we teach what we have learned to our children. And this is right for us to do. To do otherwise would be to insult the God who made such an awesome cosmos. It would be like yawning through Beethoven's Ninth Symphony or turning our backs on Michelangelo's David.
All truth is God's truth
Christians believe that there is no truth anywhere that will ultimately come into conflict with the truth of the Christian faith as the Holy Spirit has delivered it to us. God is the God of all truth, not just theological truth, and truth by definition cannot be in conflict with itself. We should delight in education, not fear it.
In Romans 12:2, Paul urges believers, " Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- His good, pleasing, and perfect will."
As followers of Christ, we can change our minds based on new things we learn, always holding this knowledge up to the perfect standard set before us in the Bible, God's inspired Word. We can learn from others who came before us and welcome the Holy Spirit to help us determine the truth when opinions are many.
Knowledge and wisdom
The Bible distinguishes between knowledge and wisdom. Anyone can attain an education given proper resources, time, and the motivation to do so. Wisdom allows us to know truth from lies and to use our knowledge to better serve others for God's glory. James 1:5 says that if we ask our generous God for wisdom, He will gladly give it.
In Proverbs 1:7, we see that, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Let's not be among those who mock others who devote their lives to learning and seeking knowledge. God teaches us how to interact with people, learned or not, and how to use our intelligence for good: "The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere" (James 3:17).
God Himself is the source of all wisdom. He calls His people to seek Him, to seek knowledge, and to use what we've learned to help others in His Name. We honor Him by developing our God-given talents and interests to the best of our abilities to live fully and serve Him.
Written by the THRED team
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
Tuesday, May 11, 2021
Our Confusing Selves
When I was little, my dad had a poster of an adorable chimpanzee next to his desk. This was long before the days of memes, but you may have seen an updated version. The chimpanzee held a thinking pose above the caption, "I think, therefore I am ... confused."
My dad explained to me about the concept of philosophy and a man called Descartes. I felt incredibly grown up to be in on what I considered to be such a sophisticated joke. I loved that poster as a child, but adulthood continuously teaches me how correct both Descartes and the chimpanzee were. I now suspect that my dad enjoyed more about the poster than simply the cheesy joke.
I freely admit that for me, thinking and confusion go hand in hand. Nothing worth thinking about is simple, straightforward, or without struggle. This especially applies to thinking about "self" or self-evaluation. While discerning things about my own heart, mind, and soul, I have experienced various degrees of success. I am always self-critiquing. It is that kind of thinking that makes me who I am.
I may not be perfect, but during the evaluation process, I have learned three important things not to do: Don't lie to yourself about your self-appraisal; don't ignore the voices of reflection, and don't let those voices shut you down.
Our brains' preservation instincts are probably too strong to ever let us be completely accurate while self-evaluating. The mind has an amazing and slightly terrifying ability to make excuses for itself and block out things that it doesn't want to deal with. This skill is best used as a short-term tool, a triage for all of the things that we think about each day. It is not supposed to last forever. Playing mind tricks on yourself can be useful in the moment, but damaging in the long run.
Figuring out the underlying reasons why you snapped at someone, took an unnecessary risk, or ate fifteen cookies in one sitting is an important thing to do. Understanding yourself is the first step to being able to grow as a human being.
When our self-reflection is able to make it past the protective barriers our brain puts up, it is important to listen. Too many people resist and ignore thinking about unpleasant things. It is not fun or easy to view yourself honestly. It is often downright exhausting, but it is crucial. Lack of self-reflection not only leads to a lack of personal growth, but also to a lack of compassion and empathy.
If you don't think about how you can improve into a better worker, parent, friend, or partner, then you won't realize how hard it is for everyone else to be the best of those things that they can be. If you are perfectly fine with the way you are and don't acknowledge how you can improve, then it can easily seem like everyone else just doesn't care enough to do things correctly. As hard as it can sometimes be, refusing to self-evaluate is not the answer.
The opposite of not reflecting on your thoughts and actions is to reflect on them too much. I once spent a stressful two weeks trying to fill out a self-evaluation form because there was too much information to put down. It seemed like an impossible task. At the time, the pressure of sitting still, picking out the most important sections of my unrelenting self-talk, and then having to also see those thoughts in print truly felt like a larger burden than I could bear. It was bad enough that I had to live with the self-evaluations floating around in my brain. I spent a lot of effort trying to get a break from my thoughts, and now someone wanted me to write them down.
This path is not any emotionally healthier than those who refuse to reflect in the first place. Growing and improving should be something that we never stop doing. There is no failure or condemnation in needing to evaluate and then improve. It is simply a part of life. As human beings, made in God's image, we have the awesome abilities of thought, decision-making, and growth. Yes, thinking often inevitably leads to moments of confusion along the way, but that's okay. It's all a part of the process.
Descartes also famously said, "It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well." Using our brains well and in an emotionally healthy way is a lifelong journey. If we listen and evaluate ourselves honestly, with a dose of kindness, we will be truly present and able to make an impact on the world around us.
How do you self-critique? Too harshly, or maybe too leniently? It's tough to take a look at ourselves and be honest. There are so many narratives we've built up through the years to justify our actions or explain away certain circumstances.
Have you come across any self-evaluation method that works for you?
Written by Elizabeth Rehwaldt
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
My dad explained to me about the concept of philosophy and a man called Descartes. I felt incredibly grown up to be in on what I considered to be such a sophisticated joke. I loved that poster as a child, but adulthood continuously teaches me how correct both Descartes and the chimpanzee were. I now suspect that my dad enjoyed more about the poster than simply the cheesy joke.
I freely admit that for me, thinking and confusion go hand in hand. Nothing worth thinking about is simple, straightforward, or without struggle. This especially applies to thinking about "self" or self-evaluation. While discerning things about my own heart, mind, and soul, I have experienced various degrees of success. I am always self-critiquing. It is that kind of thinking that makes me who I am.
I may not be perfect, but during the evaluation process, I have learned three important things not to do: Don't lie to yourself about your self-appraisal; don't ignore the voices of reflection, and don't let those voices shut you down.
Our brains' preservation instincts are probably too strong to ever let us be completely accurate while self-evaluating. The mind has an amazing and slightly terrifying ability to make excuses for itself and block out things that it doesn't want to deal with. This skill is best used as a short-term tool, a triage for all of the things that we think about each day. It is not supposed to last forever. Playing mind tricks on yourself can be useful in the moment, but damaging in the long run.
Figuring out the underlying reasons why you snapped at someone, took an unnecessary risk, or ate fifteen cookies in one sitting is an important thing to do. Understanding yourself is the first step to being able to grow as a human being.
When our self-reflection is able to make it past the protective barriers our brain puts up, it is important to listen. Too many people resist and ignore thinking about unpleasant things. It is not fun or easy to view yourself honestly. It is often downright exhausting, but it is crucial. Lack of self-reflection not only leads to a lack of personal growth, but also to a lack of compassion and empathy.
If you don't think about how you can improve into a better worker, parent, friend, or partner, then you won't realize how hard it is for everyone else to be the best of those things that they can be. If you are perfectly fine with the way you are and don't acknowledge how you can improve, then it can easily seem like everyone else just doesn't care enough to do things correctly. As hard as it can sometimes be, refusing to self-evaluate is not the answer.
The opposite of not reflecting on your thoughts and actions is to reflect on them too much. I once spent a stressful two weeks trying to fill out a self-evaluation form because there was too much information to put down. It seemed like an impossible task. At the time, the pressure of sitting still, picking out the most important sections of my unrelenting self-talk, and then having to also see those thoughts in print truly felt like a larger burden than I could bear. It was bad enough that I had to live with the self-evaluations floating around in my brain. I spent a lot of effort trying to get a break from my thoughts, and now someone wanted me to write them down.
This path is not any emotionally healthier than those who refuse to reflect in the first place. Growing and improving should be something that we never stop doing. There is no failure or condemnation in needing to evaluate and then improve. It is simply a part of life. As human beings, made in God's image, we have the awesome abilities of thought, decision-making, and growth. Yes, thinking often inevitably leads to moments of confusion along the way, but that's okay. It's all a part of the process.
Descartes also famously said, "It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well." Using our brains well and in an emotionally healthy way is a lifelong journey. If we listen and evaluate ourselves honestly, with a dose of kindness, we will be truly present and able to make an impact on the world around us.
How do you self-critique? Too harshly, or maybe too leniently? It's tough to take a look at ourselves and be honest. There are so many narratives we've built up through the years to justify our actions or explain away certain circumstances.
Have you come across any self-evaluation method that works for you?
Written by Elizabeth Rehwaldt
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
Tuesday, April 27, 2021
Community—Have You Found It?
Recently, I interviewed an administrator for a coalition of churches in another state struggling with an enormous drug problem.
"How can churches be useful in tackling a drug crisis?" I asked him.
Frankly, I was a little skeptical. In many parts of the country, churches are treading water, along with other social pillars we used to take for granted: volunteer charitable organizations, bowling leagues, shopping malls.
His answer surprised me.
In some communities, he said, there's no grocery store, no bank, no school left. The church is the only institution still standing. It has a role to play when there is a need for dialogue, comfort, or help in a time of crisis.
Admittedly, I was speaking to someone who lives in a state which is struggling with high unemployment, persistent problems with addiction, and poverty that is passed on from generation to generation. The question of where and how to build community -- a place where people come together to listen and to help each other -- is crucial if they are going to have the resources to deal with the issues they face.
Perhaps you live in Minneapolis, or San Francisco, or Boston. Maybe your town, your city, your country village still has a Starbucks on every fourth corner, and a yoga studio and library right down the block.
Whether you must drive 50 miles to get to a restaurant with decent grub or can look at six out your apartment window, the places and people who anchor our lives are still important -- even if we sometimes take them for granted.
Where do you hang out on a Friday night? Who do you take with you on your weekend adventures? Where do you go for a shoulder to cry on or a quiet space in which to reflect when life gets tough and you feel that you are only hanging on by your fingernails?
For centuries in America, the church and other faith communities meeting in fancy buildings and humble homes were anchors for families from childhood to marriage to grave. Do you think it's possible that they still could have a role to play in being that inviting, sustaining, consoling and (even) enjoyable place in which to, hmm, "congregate"?
Community is a state of mind as much as a concrete place. Share your stories of where you have found it, and maybe you'll help someone who is still looking.
Has your sense of community and people gathering together changed in the last year? Where do you go to get together with people? Is church the place you go? Is it the local coffee or donut shop? Were these places important to you before COVID-19? Are they possibly more so now?
You can share your comments with us at the links below.
Written by Elizabeth Eisenstadt Evans
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
"How can churches be useful in tackling a drug crisis?" I asked him.
Frankly, I was a little skeptical. In many parts of the country, churches are treading water, along with other social pillars we used to take for granted: volunteer charitable organizations, bowling leagues, shopping malls.
His answer surprised me.
In some communities, he said, there's no grocery store, no bank, no school left. The church is the only institution still standing. It has a role to play when there is a need for dialogue, comfort, or help in a time of crisis.
Admittedly, I was speaking to someone who lives in a state which is struggling with high unemployment, persistent problems with addiction, and poverty that is passed on from generation to generation. The question of where and how to build community -- a place where people come together to listen and to help each other -- is crucial if they are going to have the resources to deal with the issues they face.
Perhaps you live in Minneapolis, or San Francisco, or Boston. Maybe your town, your city, your country village still has a Starbucks on every fourth corner, and a yoga studio and library right down the block.
Whether you must drive 50 miles to get to a restaurant with decent grub or can look at six out your apartment window, the places and people who anchor our lives are still important -- even if we sometimes take them for granted.
Where do you hang out on a Friday night? Who do you take with you on your weekend adventures? Where do you go for a shoulder to cry on or a quiet space in which to reflect when life gets tough and you feel that you are only hanging on by your fingernails?
For centuries in America, the church and other faith communities meeting in fancy buildings and humble homes were anchors for families from childhood to marriage to grave. Do you think it's possible that they still could have a role to play in being that inviting, sustaining, consoling and (even) enjoyable place in which to, hmm, "congregate"?
Community is a state of mind as much as a concrete place. Share your stories of where you have found it, and maybe you'll help someone who is still looking.
Has your sense of community and people gathering together changed in the last year? Where do you go to get together with people? Is church the place you go? Is it the local coffee or donut shop? Were these places important to you before COVID-19? Are they possibly more so now?
You can share your comments with us at the links below.
Written by Elizabeth Eisenstadt Evans
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Do We Make Faith Too Complicated?
If you ask me, religion has a funny way of complicating things.
For example, take something as straightforward as faith. I don't necessarily mean faith in the religious sense; I'm simply referring to the idea of trusting in someone.
Can someone be faithful and not religious? Is faith reserved for those that believe in and practice a specific religion? Can those of us that don't identify with a religion still have faith?
I'd like to think so. From where I stand, I've always considered myself to be an optimist and, if you ask me, faith and optimism sound eerily similar.
Faith: complete trust or confidence in someone or something.
Optimism: hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something.
After reading between the lines, it looks like both words are grounded firmly in trust. Having faith means you completely trust in someone or something, whereas having optimism means you trust that things will be okay in the future.
As an eternal optimist, trust means a lot. Every day, I tell myself that, no matter what, I have to trust that everything will be okay. Weirdly enough, this feeling never really wavers and this tends to be all the assurance I need.
When it comes down to it, my problem is sharing this optimism, or faith, with others.
Take this recent tragedy for example: a few days ago, my mom called me in the middle of the night. As soon as I saw her name in my phone, my heart began to pound. While crying on the other line, my mom told me that her brother, my uncle, had just died. He was due for transplant surgery, but died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
Since this call, I've been grappling with one simple question: how can I reassure her that everything will be okay?
Most people would tell her, "He's finally at peace," or, "He was a good man who lived a great life," or possibly some combination of both.
To be honest, I have no idea what happens to us after we die. As an optimist, I would like to think we actually do find peace and finally have a chance to see the people who died before us, but as someone who doesn't necessarily believe in heaven, I can't say for sure.
Do you see my problem here? As much as I want to comfort her, I can't, in good faith, tell her something I don't necessarily believe in myself. It wouldn't feel right to tell someone something just because you think it's what they want, or need, to hear. I try to steer clear of doing this.
Maybe I don't need to say anything at all. Maybe, just maybe, being there for her is enough. When I think about it, actions really do speak louder than words, and many times, words aren't even necessary to show someone how you feel.
After reflecting on this entire situation, I can confidently say I have complete faith in my mom. I have confidence that she will make it through this and she will be stronger because of it. After all, she is the toughest, most independent person I've ever met and she has witnessed her fair share of tragedy. I know that doesn't make it any easier for her, but I really do think she will get through this.
I realize now that faith doesn't have to mean life or death. It shouldn't only be reserved for gods and higher powers; we can have faith in each other, one human to another. You can have faith in someone and, sometimes, that's all they need to hear to get through whatever life throws at them.
This has nothing to do with my mom having faith in someone or something else; it's about us having faith in her. It means trusting that she is strong while also reminding her that she has a support system and isn't alone.
In my opinion, faith isn't all that complicated after all ... as always, we just make it more complicated than it needs to be.
Written by William Frazier
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
For example, take something as straightforward as faith. I don't necessarily mean faith in the religious sense; I'm simply referring to the idea of trusting in someone.
Can someone be faithful and not religious? Is faith reserved for those that believe in and practice a specific religion? Can those of us that don't identify with a religion still have faith?
I'd like to think so. From where I stand, I've always considered myself to be an optimist and, if you ask me, faith and optimism sound eerily similar.
Faith: complete trust or confidence in someone or something.
Optimism: hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something.
After reading between the lines, it looks like both words are grounded firmly in trust. Having faith means you completely trust in someone or something, whereas having optimism means you trust that things will be okay in the future.
As an eternal optimist, trust means a lot. Every day, I tell myself that, no matter what, I have to trust that everything will be okay. Weirdly enough, this feeling never really wavers and this tends to be all the assurance I need.
When it comes down to it, my problem is sharing this optimism, or faith, with others.
Take this recent tragedy for example: a few days ago, my mom called me in the middle of the night. As soon as I saw her name in my phone, my heart began to pound. While crying on the other line, my mom told me that her brother, my uncle, had just died. He was due for transplant surgery, but died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
Since this call, I've been grappling with one simple question: how can I reassure her that everything will be okay?
Most people would tell her, "He's finally at peace," or, "He was a good man who lived a great life," or possibly some combination of both.
To be honest, I have no idea what happens to us after we die. As an optimist, I would like to think we actually do find peace and finally have a chance to see the people who died before us, but as someone who doesn't necessarily believe in heaven, I can't say for sure.
Do you see my problem here? As much as I want to comfort her, I can't, in good faith, tell her something I don't necessarily believe in myself. It wouldn't feel right to tell someone something just because you think it's what they want, or need, to hear. I try to steer clear of doing this.
Maybe I don't need to say anything at all. Maybe, just maybe, being there for her is enough. When I think about it, actions really do speak louder than words, and many times, words aren't even necessary to show someone how you feel.
After reflecting on this entire situation, I can confidently say I have complete faith in my mom. I have confidence that she will make it through this and she will be stronger because of it. After all, she is the toughest, most independent person I've ever met and she has witnessed her fair share of tragedy. I know that doesn't make it any easier for her, but I really do think she will get through this.
I realize now that faith doesn't have to mean life or death. It shouldn't only be reserved for gods and higher powers; we can have faith in each other, one human to another. You can have faith in someone and, sometimes, that's all they need to hear to get through whatever life throws at them.
This has nothing to do with my mom having faith in someone or something else; it's about us having faith in her. It means trusting that she is strong while also reminding her that she has a support system and isn't alone.
In my opinion, faith isn't all that complicated after all ... as always, we just make it more complicated than it needs to be.
Written by William Frazier
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
Seeing Myself As Never Truly Alone
We live in a lonely world. Some people have even said that despite (and maybe even because of) our global and immediate connectivity online and on our smartphones and tablets, we are experiencing a "loneliness epidemic."
It's strange, but even as we live in a world where we are bombarded with people at work, in school, on the streets, at the movies, or on social media feeds with hundreds, or thousands, of friends, contacts, and followers ... we all know that modern life can get kind of lonely. We know that there is a deficit of true, fulfilling, and meaningful connection.
No matter how many likes we get on our photos online, no matter how many friends we think we have on Facebook, no matter how many people we text with on a daily basis ... we feel lonely. Deserted. Isolated.
Fortune Magazine published a study in June 2016 and reported that "The percentage of Americans who responded that they regularly or frequently felt lonely was between 11% and 20% in the 1970s and 1980s ...." Now, it's closer to 40% or 45%.
That means that nearly half of us regularly, or even frequently, feel lonely.
Maybe that's you. Perhaps you know what it is to feel alone. Perhaps you've felt lonely recently. Perhaps you feel isolated right now as you surf the web and seek out articles on what to do about your increasing despair about it.
Back in 2009, I volunteered with an organization called the Themba Trust in Mpumalanga, South Africa. When I was living there, I got really lonely.
Don't get me wrong, I had a wonderful network of fellow volunteers, friends, and community members to connect to, plus Facebook and Skype to connect with friends and family back home. But I still couldn't shake my feeling of isolation.
About six months into my time there, I went to a conference called Amahoro, which means peace. Claude Nikondeah, from Burundi, kicked off the conference by introducing us to the concept of "ubuntu": the sub-Saharan philosophy that we are persons through other persons. Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu, is how it is said in isiZulu.
Nikondeha explained it like this: "Our humanity is all bundled up together -- yours, mine, those outside this camp, even those across the world. We are interconnected, and we are affected by the well-being of one another."
He went on to talk about when someone else is hungry, we cannot feel full; that when someone else is thirsty, we cannot feel satiated; that when someone else is hurting, we cannot be at peace.
Suddenly, I had an entirely new perspective on my loneliness. Better yet, I had a whole new perspective on my place in the world.
No matter where I was, no matter who I was around, I was meant to be in community with the people in my life. In fact, I was meant to be in community with everyone.
I know that may sound really ridiculous and insanely idealistic, but walking away from that camp I had a new point of view.
When I was lonely, I knew someone else out there felt that pain, too. And so, automatically, I wasn't alone. Even more, when I thought about the other person feeling alone, I felt driven to connect -- maybe not to find that person, but to find somebody to talk to, relate with, and share life with.
Taking it one step further, when I felt fulfilled socially, I could not help but think of people out there who don't feel good enough or wanted enough. And so, I wanted to reach out to them, invite them into my home, share a meal with them, or connect in some other way.
I wanted to reach out because I sensed -- for perhaps the first time in my life -- that I was not truly alone.
And why? Because I was needed. Other people who were hungry, thirsty, or alone needed me to feed them, slake their thirst, or be with them for a while just to let them know they weren't alone ... and neither was I.
I suddenly understood what Archbishop Desmond Tutu meant when he said, "We are set in a delicate network of interdependence with our fellow human beings and all of creation."
My hope is that if you're reading this and feeling lonely, feeling isolated, feeling like you don't belong, like you aren't worth it, aren't pretty enough, aren't good enough, don't have enough "likes" on Instagram, or followers on Twitter, or friends on Facebook ... that you would know that you are not alone.
You are part of something bigger and greater and grander than you can possibly imagine -- a global, cosmopolitan, human community -- that needs you.
You are part of, and called to, a community.
To learn more about how you can be involved in your own local community in a positive way, check out LHM's brand new Hopeful Neighborhood Project. It's full of resources, activities, and inspiring real-life stories, so you can interface with your neighbors -- and neighborhood -- and imagine the possibilities right where you live!
You can dive into this fun and exciting way to get to know your neighbors and explore your neighborhood by clicking here.
Written by Ken Chitwood
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
It's strange, but even as we live in a world where we are bombarded with people at work, in school, on the streets, at the movies, or on social media feeds with hundreds, or thousands, of friends, contacts, and followers ... we all know that modern life can get kind of lonely. We know that there is a deficit of true, fulfilling, and meaningful connection.
No matter how many likes we get on our photos online, no matter how many friends we think we have on Facebook, no matter how many people we text with on a daily basis ... we feel lonely. Deserted. Isolated.
Fortune Magazine published a study in June 2016 and reported that "The percentage of Americans who responded that they regularly or frequently felt lonely was between 11% and 20% in the 1970s and 1980s ...." Now, it's closer to 40% or 45%.
That means that nearly half of us regularly, or even frequently, feel lonely.
Maybe that's you. Perhaps you know what it is to feel alone. Perhaps you've felt lonely recently. Perhaps you feel isolated right now as you surf the web and seek out articles on what to do about your increasing despair about it.
Back in 2009, I volunteered with an organization called the Themba Trust in Mpumalanga, South Africa. When I was living there, I got really lonely.
Don't get me wrong, I had a wonderful network of fellow volunteers, friends, and community members to connect to, plus Facebook and Skype to connect with friends and family back home. But I still couldn't shake my feeling of isolation.
About six months into my time there, I went to a conference called Amahoro, which means peace. Claude Nikondeah, from Burundi, kicked off the conference by introducing us to the concept of "ubuntu": the sub-Saharan philosophy that we are persons through other persons. Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu, is how it is said in isiZulu.
Nikondeha explained it like this: "Our humanity is all bundled up together -- yours, mine, those outside this camp, even those across the world. We are interconnected, and we are affected by the well-being of one another."
He went on to talk about when someone else is hungry, we cannot feel full; that when someone else is thirsty, we cannot feel satiated; that when someone else is hurting, we cannot be at peace.
Suddenly, I had an entirely new perspective on my loneliness. Better yet, I had a whole new perspective on my place in the world.
No matter where I was, no matter who I was around, I was meant to be in community with the people in my life. In fact, I was meant to be in community with everyone.
I know that may sound really ridiculous and insanely idealistic, but walking away from that camp I had a new point of view.
When I was lonely, I knew someone else out there felt that pain, too. And so, automatically, I wasn't alone. Even more, when I thought about the other person feeling alone, I felt driven to connect -- maybe not to find that person, but to find somebody to talk to, relate with, and share life with.
Taking it one step further, when I felt fulfilled socially, I could not help but think of people out there who don't feel good enough or wanted enough. And so, I wanted to reach out to them, invite them into my home, share a meal with them, or connect in some other way.
I wanted to reach out because I sensed -- for perhaps the first time in my life -- that I was not truly alone.
And why? Because I was needed. Other people who were hungry, thirsty, or alone needed me to feed them, slake their thirst, or be with them for a while just to let them know they weren't alone ... and neither was I.
I suddenly understood what Archbishop Desmond Tutu meant when he said, "We are set in a delicate network of interdependence with our fellow human beings and all of creation."
My hope is that if you're reading this and feeling lonely, feeling isolated, feeling like you don't belong, like you aren't worth it, aren't pretty enough, aren't good enough, don't have enough "likes" on Instagram, or followers on Twitter, or friends on Facebook ... that you would know that you are not alone.
You are part of something bigger and greater and grander than you can possibly imagine -- a global, cosmopolitan, human community -- that needs you.
You are part of, and called to, a community.
To learn more about how you can be involved in your own local community in a positive way, check out LHM's brand new Hopeful Neighborhood Project. It's full of resources, activities, and inspiring real-life stories, so you can interface with your neighbors -- and neighborhood -- and imagine the possibilities right where you live!
You can dive into this fun and exciting way to get to know your neighbors and explore your neighborhood by clicking here.
Written by Ken Chitwood
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
Jesus Christ, Inc.
*Disclaimer: I currently do not identify with any specific religion. You could say I'm spiritual, but not religious. I'm a curious person. Especially when it comes to religion. When I think about Christianity, I tend to obsess over the same question: "If Jesus was alive today, how would He position Himself?"
This might seem like a weird question, until you get to know me.
I've been helping others brand and position their ideas, businesses, and themselves, for my entire professional career. I'm always dissecting the most effective way for someone to communicate their value to someone else who may want what they have.
When I think back to my childhood, I vaguely remember passages from my children's Bible (with pictures, of course) recounting Jesus as an outsider who wasn't necessarily understood until the end of His life.
This sounds like every misunderstood genius who was posthumously recognized for their contribution to humanity. Think Vincent Van Gogh or Emily Dickinson.
So, this is where my curiosity piques. "If Jesus were alive in today's world, how would He deliver His intended message to His followers?"
 Would He go the life/business coach route and create an online empire of endless e-books that share the "10 Steps to Success" using Christianity?
 Or, would He decide to be a lone wolf and freelance, converting followers one by one as He works remotely from coffee shops all over the world?
 How about going for broke, establishing Himself as Jesus Christ, Inc., and launching a franchise of McDonald's-esque pop-up churches that successfully systematize the Bible so He could pay anyone minimum wage to share it with others?
 Would He try and dazzle potential investors by pitching the next "Snapchat for miracles" claiming He was going to "disrupt the religious ecosystem by offering a more pleasant user experience for millennials who don't believe in God?"
Regardless of His chosen business entity, it's safe to say Jesus would inevitably have to face today's challenges head on while capturing the attention of His followers. Here are a few ways He could grow His community in today's world.
Music Festivals: Watch out, Bonnaroo! Jesus is coming, and He's bringing His posse. If you think Chance the Rapper puts on a good show, just wait until Jesus rolls up with His opening act, Kanye West! After all, anyone with a song called "Jesus Walks" has to be down for a Christ-like music collab.
Reality TV: Real Sinners of Orange County? Keeping Up with the Corinthians? Praying with the Stars? Pick your poison. You wouldn't be able to turn the channel without seeing a "real-life" depiction of what it's like being the Big Man Himself. What better way to amass an audience than to show what happens when Jesus stops being nice and starts being real?
Social Media: Snapchat would obviously have to be part of His social media strategy, especially among His younger potential customers. Imagine receiving a Snap-storm of Jesus performing miracles among His followers at the nearby Starbucks? You better believe that would go viral.
Sponsorships: Personally, I could see brand alignment with Jesus and Red Bull. Who wouldn't want to see Jesus parting the Indian Ocean while base jumping off Mount Kilimanjaro, all while chugging Red Bull?! Once again, another opportunity to reach the masses.
Vlogging: With daily vlogs becoming more popular on YouTube, would Jesus build a team around His daily exploits? His video crew would follow Him wherever He goes, from Nazareth to Narnia, capturing the daily grind.
Webinars: What better way to reach a large audience than to spam the internet with the next series of webinars that will change your life and help you reach your dreams (for the low price of $299)? Tony Robbins doesn't have anything on Mr. Christ.
These are just a few channels Jesus would have to conquer in order to compete for attention in today's hustle and bustle. How do you think Jesus would spread the good word today?
Written by William Frazier
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
This might seem like a weird question, until you get to know me.
I've been helping others brand and position their ideas, businesses, and themselves, for my entire professional career. I'm always dissecting the most effective way for someone to communicate their value to someone else who may want what they have.
When I think back to my childhood, I vaguely remember passages from my children's Bible (with pictures, of course) recounting Jesus as an outsider who wasn't necessarily understood until the end of His life.
This sounds like every misunderstood genius who was posthumously recognized for their contribution to humanity. Think Vincent Van Gogh or Emily Dickinson.
So, this is where my curiosity piques. "If Jesus were alive in today's world, how would He deliver His intended message to His followers?"
 Would He go the life/business coach route and create an online empire of endless e-books that share the "10 Steps to Success" using Christianity?
 Or, would He decide to be a lone wolf and freelance, converting followers one by one as He works remotely from coffee shops all over the world?
 How about going for broke, establishing Himself as Jesus Christ, Inc., and launching a franchise of McDonald's-esque pop-up churches that successfully systematize the Bible so He could pay anyone minimum wage to share it with others?
 Would He try and dazzle potential investors by pitching the next "Snapchat for miracles" claiming He was going to "disrupt the religious ecosystem by offering a more pleasant user experience for millennials who don't believe in God?"
Regardless of His chosen business entity, it's safe to say Jesus would inevitably have to face today's challenges head on while capturing the attention of His followers. Here are a few ways He could grow His community in today's world.
Music Festivals: Watch out, Bonnaroo! Jesus is coming, and He's bringing His posse. If you think Chance the Rapper puts on a good show, just wait until Jesus rolls up with His opening act, Kanye West! After all, anyone with a song called "Jesus Walks" has to be down for a Christ-like music collab.
Reality TV: Real Sinners of Orange County? Keeping Up with the Corinthians? Praying with the Stars? Pick your poison. You wouldn't be able to turn the channel without seeing a "real-life" depiction of what it's like being the Big Man Himself. What better way to amass an audience than to show what happens when Jesus stops being nice and starts being real?
Social Media: Snapchat would obviously have to be part of His social media strategy, especially among His younger potential customers. Imagine receiving a Snap-storm of Jesus performing miracles among His followers at the nearby Starbucks? You better believe that would go viral.
Sponsorships: Personally, I could see brand alignment with Jesus and Red Bull. Who wouldn't want to see Jesus parting the Indian Ocean while base jumping off Mount Kilimanjaro, all while chugging Red Bull?! Once again, another opportunity to reach the masses.
Vlogging: With daily vlogs becoming more popular on YouTube, would Jesus build a team around His daily exploits? His video crew would follow Him wherever He goes, from Nazareth to Narnia, capturing the daily grind.
Webinars: What better way to reach a large audience than to spam the internet with the next series of webinars that will change your life and help you reach your dreams (for the low price of $299)? Tony Robbins doesn't have anything on Mr. Christ.
These are just a few channels Jesus would have to conquer in order to compete for attention in today's hustle and bustle. How do you think Jesus would spread the good word today?
Written by William Frazier
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
Tuesday, March 2, 2021
When It Comes to Religion, We'd Better Get an Education
The famous American playwright Wilson Mizner is attributed with saying, "I respect faith, but doubt is what gets you an education." Given America's current lack of "religious literacy" -- the knowledge of, and ability to understand, both your own religion and that of others -- Mizner may be correct.
Several years ago, the Pew Research Center put out its Religious Knowledge Survey. They found that America is one of the most religious countries in the developed world. However, the report also reveals those declaredly without religion in America scored highest on the religious knowledge quiz. Atheists and agnostics, not people of faith, recorded the best scores on a test that examined individual knowledge of various religions. Questions ranged from the Hindu pantheon to who sparked the Protestant Reformation.
It seems that white evangelical Protestants had some of the lowest knowledge concerning other religions, averaging only 16 correct answers out of 32 questions on the quiz. On the other hand, atheists and agnostics "excelled" with an average of almost 21, just beating out Mormons and Jews who averaged closer to 20.
Although most Christians missed questions about other religions, even questions from an individual's own religious tradition proved stumpers as Catholics failed to identify transubstantiation as their own belief, and Protestants did not note that Martin Luther kickstarted their own church movement. That said, Mormons and Protestant evangelicals scored the highest on questions of a biblical nature.
Rather than making atheists and agnostics look like religious gurus and white evangelical Protestants look like stereotypical uneducated bigots, the survey points out an altogether more depressing fact: America is fundamentally, and woefully, religiously illiterate.
If the best average of any demographic is a barely passing 21 out of 32 (65 percent), Americans fail in making the grade on religious literacy. In one of the most religiously diverse nations in the world, it should not be acceptable that our religious knowledge is somewhere between failing and barely passing.
As the Pew Research Center explained, educational attainment was the single greatest determining factor in religious knowledge. This being the case, it is much more poignant to point the finger at the leaders of our educational system, churches, synagogues, and other centers of education for our lack of religious knowledge rather than shaking the finger at any particular religious adherents or non-adherents.
Those with more education on religion, particularly those who took a course on the subject, did much better on the quiz than the average American. Although there are those who rightly point out that religion is more than head knowledge -- that faith involves experiential knowledge as well -- a basic education covering other religions (whether experiential or book-based) goes a long way in building bridges.
As an educator, I am personally concerned with the evident poverty of religious education that the average American receives. Over the last seven years since the Religious Knowledge Quiz was released, things have not improved. They may have even become worse.
If we do not get an education on religion, it is to the nation's, and the world's, detriment. Teaching world religions over the last few years in a variety of settings, I frequently observe that those who take the time to learn about another religion come away a lot more compassionate and understanding and much less cold and condemning towards those of another faith.
What America needs is a movement of those with faith, and those without, to learn more about world religions both in theory and in practice. It is time that we the people of either faith or doubt, get an education when it comes to religion.
Written by Ken Chitwood
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
Several years ago, the Pew Research Center put out its Religious Knowledge Survey. They found that America is one of the most religious countries in the developed world. However, the report also reveals those declaredly without religion in America scored highest on the religious knowledge quiz. Atheists and agnostics, not people of faith, recorded the best scores on a test that examined individual knowledge of various religions. Questions ranged from the Hindu pantheon to who sparked the Protestant Reformation.
It seems that white evangelical Protestants had some of the lowest knowledge concerning other religions, averaging only 16 correct answers out of 32 questions on the quiz. On the other hand, atheists and agnostics "excelled" with an average of almost 21, just beating out Mormons and Jews who averaged closer to 20.
Although most Christians missed questions about other religions, even questions from an individual's own religious tradition proved stumpers as Catholics failed to identify transubstantiation as their own belief, and Protestants did not note that Martin Luther kickstarted their own church movement. That said, Mormons and Protestant evangelicals scored the highest on questions of a biblical nature.
Rather than making atheists and agnostics look like religious gurus and white evangelical Protestants look like stereotypical uneducated bigots, the survey points out an altogether more depressing fact: America is fundamentally, and woefully, religiously illiterate.
If the best average of any demographic is a barely passing 21 out of 32 (65 percent), Americans fail in making the grade on religious literacy. In one of the most religiously diverse nations in the world, it should not be acceptable that our religious knowledge is somewhere between failing and barely passing.
As the Pew Research Center explained, educational attainment was the single greatest determining factor in religious knowledge. This being the case, it is much more poignant to point the finger at the leaders of our educational system, churches, synagogues, and other centers of education for our lack of religious knowledge rather than shaking the finger at any particular religious adherents or non-adherents.
Those with more education on religion, particularly those who took a course on the subject, did much better on the quiz than the average American. Although there are those who rightly point out that religion is more than head knowledge -- that faith involves experiential knowledge as well -- a basic education covering other religions (whether experiential or book-based) goes a long way in building bridges.
As an educator, I am personally concerned with the evident poverty of religious education that the average American receives. Over the last seven years since the Religious Knowledge Quiz was released, things have not improved. They may have even become worse.
If we do not get an education on religion, it is to the nation's, and the world's, detriment. Teaching world religions over the last few years in a variety of settings, I frequently observe that those who take the time to learn about another religion come away a lot more compassionate and understanding and much less cold and condemning towards those of another faith.
What America needs is a movement of those with faith, and those without, to learn more about world religions both in theory and in practice. It is time that we the people of either faith or doubt, get an education when it comes to religion.
Written by Ken Chitwood
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
Tuesday, February 16, 2021
My First Trip to a Counselor
"You know there are people you can talk to about this, right?"
My first instinct was to tell my mother, rather vehemently, that I was not crazy. I had a loving family, great friends, and a rock-solid Christian faith.
I was also 26, living in a small town with very few local friends, and spending the majority of my time working. Overworking, really. I was definitely having a bit of a quarter-life crisis, and I kept filling my life with more and more things, saying yes to whatever came my way.
I was stressed to the max, and because of that, had no idea what I should do with my life. I was offered several opportunities for new work, and each would require significant life changes. The stress left me with no tools to make those big decisions.
That's how I ended up in my first appointment with a counselor.
I was totally skeptical, and I felt embarrassed for allowing myself to believe that I was potentially mentally unstable enough to see a counselor. That's what society had taught me to believe: only crazy people need therapists.
National Public Radio was a staple on my radio, and as I drove to my appointment it seemed like a stroke of fate when I heard the counselor's name mentioned on air as a recent donor to the station! I felt a certain kinship to her as we listened to, and supported, the same station. But, that didn't stop me from plopping down in her office and saying, "You know, I'm not sure if I believe in this 'therapy' thing." She assured me that I never had to come back if I didn't want to!
It took her about ten minutes to peg me. As I talked to her about my confusion and overwhelming sense of not knowing what to do, she was hard at work writing on her desk. Was she even listening?
But when I stopped speaking, she handed me her work: a stack of sticky notes each containing the word "No." Instead of actually saying "no" to people, which seemed to be a huge struggle for me, I could give myself permission to just hand them a sticky note. It seemed small and silly, and honestly I don't think I ever handed one to anyone, but it was exactly what I needed to hear in that moment.
I left her office with a little homework, and a huge shift in mentality. There was nothing scary that happened in that office, and definitely nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, it was really helpful.
This experience definitely made me wonder why there's such a stigma surrounding mental health. Shouldn't we be encouraging people to be as healthy mentally as we encourage them to be physically? Is this really less important than having routine bloodwork done, or a healthy BMI? Is there any danger in seeing a counselor -- or talking to your doctor when physically you're healthy, but you just don't feel right?
"Use Your Resources" has become a bit of a battle cry for me. I say let's end the stigma!
Written by Rachel Legoute
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
My first instinct was to tell my mother, rather vehemently, that I was not crazy. I had a loving family, great friends, and a rock-solid Christian faith.
I was also 26, living in a small town with very few local friends, and spending the majority of my time working. Overworking, really. I was definitely having a bit of a quarter-life crisis, and I kept filling my life with more and more things, saying yes to whatever came my way.
I was stressed to the max, and because of that, had no idea what I should do with my life. I was offered several opportunities for new work, and each would require significant life changes. The stress left me with no tools to make those big decisions.
That's how I ended up in my first appointment with a counselor.
I was totally skeptical, and I felt embarrassed for allowing myself to believe that I was potentially mentally unstable enough to see a counselor. That's what society had taught me to believe: only crazy people need therapists.
National Public Radio was a staple on my radio, and as I drove to my appointment it seemed like a stroke of fate when I heard the counselor's name mentioned on air as a recent donor to the station! I felt a certain kinship to her as we listened to, and supported, the same station. But, that didn't stop me from plopping down in her office and saying, "You know, I'm not sure if I believe in this 'therapy' thing." She assured me that I never had to come back if I didn't want to!
It took her about ten minutes to peg me. As I talked to her about my confusion and overwhelming sense of not knowing what to do, she was hard at work writing on her desk. Was she even listening?
But when I stopped speaking, she handed me her work: a stack of sticky notes each containing the word "No." Instead of actually saying "no" to people, which seemed to be a huge struggle for me, I could give myself permission to just hand them a sticky note. It seemed small and silly, and honestly I don't think I ever handed one to anyone, but it was exactly what I needed to hear in that moment.
I left her office with a little homework, and a huge shift in mentality. There was nothing scary that happened in that office, and definitely nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, it was really helpful.
This experience definitely made me wonder why there's such a stigma surrounding mental health. Shouldn't we be encouraging people to be as healthy mentally as we encourage them to be physically? Is this really less important than having routine bloodwork done, or a healthy BMI? Is there any danger in seeing a counselor -- or talking to your doctor when physically you're healthy, but you just don't feel right?
"Use Your Resources" has become a bit of a battle cry for me. I say let's end the stigma!
Written by Rachel Legoute
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
Tuesday, February 2, 2021
Putting Religion Back in Our Schools
It's about time we put religion back in our schools. Now, hold on ... I'm not talking about what you think I'm talking about.
The separation of church and state is important. I truly believe that prayer, theology, and religious practices are not meant to permeate the boundaries of our secular institutions, schools, the halls of government, etc.
But that doesn't mean we should take religious education -- teaching students the basics of other religions, and non-religions, in a rigorously academic manner -- out of schools. In fact, we should consider doing just the opposite.
Here's why: while the United States is one of the most religious countries in the developed world in terms of belief and practice, it is one of the least religiously literate. That means that while we have faith, we lack facts. When it comes to knowing about religion -- our own or that of others -- we come up short.
Linda Wertheimer grew up in rural Ohio. She and her siblings were the only Jews in school. They faced a ton of anti-Semitic rhetoric and ostracism. Later in life, she wondered if it would have made a difference if teachers had taught her fellow pupils about many religions instead of promoting only one (Christianity).
Inspired by this experience and knowing that some schools actively engage in religious education, Wertheimer wrote the 2016 book Faith Ed. Not only does her book provide an in-depth and thoughtful look at particular cases of controversy and success in religious studies education at primary and secondary levels across the U.S., but she rightly highlights a public education system wrestling with the practicalities of how to nurture a new generation of religiously literate U.S. citizens.
What she found is that teaching about religion in public schools is important, and not only can it make a difference for religious minorities, but it can also renew a dialogue between religious leaders of all types on how we might work together toward peace and justice in the public realm.
Wertheimer said, "It's more vital now than ever to emphasize the importance of religious literacy, because education can reduce ignorance and the bigotry we're hearing aimed at Muslims in particular these days."
The basic idea of religious education in public schools should be this: to learn not only the information about other faiths, but to learn to respect other faiths and faith-filled persons, even if we do not agree with them. That's a tough thing to do, but some people are leading the way.
For example, Wertheimer highlighted the Core Knowledge curriculum offered by The Core Knowledge Foundation, which starts students out at a young age with information about different religions in a neutral, balanced way. The curriculum is based on what students should learn as part of social studies and geography.
Furthermore, parents can take the step to educate themselves and learn along with their children. Not only would this promote better religious literacy in the home, but would allow for parents to give guidance along the way if they were concerned about the content of their child's education in religion.
Whatever we do, we can't do nothing. It is vitally important that in an environment of highly-charged conversations that often unintentionally play on stereotypes, or even meaningfully demean people of other religions, that we take steps to learn more about other religions.
While a lot of Americans think religion shouldn't be in schools because it's against the law, it was actually Supreme Court Justice Tom Clark who said in 1963 that "It might well be said that one's education is not complete without a study of comparative religion or the history of religion and its relationship to the advancement of civilization."
Amen, Tom. Amen.
By Ken Chitwood
Teaching religion in school can be a touchy subject, but that doesn't mean the subject shouldn't be addressed. There are those on both sides of this fence. What do you think about teaching courses on religion in public schools? Have you or your kids had an experience with this? What have been the pros and cons?
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
The separation of church and state is important. I truly believe that prayer, theology, and religious practices are not meant to permeate the boundaries of our secular institutions, schools, the halls of government, etc.
But that doesn't mean we should take religious education -- teaching students the basics of other religions, and non-religions, in a rigorously academic manner -- out of schools. In fact, we should consider doing just the opposite.
Here's why: while the United States is one of the most religious countries in the developed world in terms of belief and practice, it is one of the least religiously literate. That means that while we have faith, we lack facts. When it comes to knowing about religion -- our own or that of others -- we come up short.
Linda Wertheimer grew up in rural Ohio. She and her siblings were the only Jews in school. They faced a ton of anti-Semitic rhetoric and ostracism. Later in life, she wondered if it would have made a difference if teachers had taught her fellow pupils about many religions instead of promoting only one (Christianity).
Inspired by this experience and knowing that some schools actively engage in religious education, Wertheimer wrote the 2016 book Faith Ed. Not only does her book provide an in-depth and thoughtful look at particular cases of controversy and success in religious studies education at primary and secondary levels across the U.S., but she rightly highlights a public education system wrestling with the practicalities of how to nurture a new generation of religiously literate U.S. citizens.
What she found is that teaching about religion in public schools is important, and not only can it make a difference for religious minorities, but it can also renew a dialogue between religious leaders of all types on how we might work together toward peace and justice in the public realm.
Wertheimer said, "It's more vital now than ever to emphasize the importance of religious literacy, because education can reduce ignorance and the bigotry we're hearing aimed at Muslims in particular these days."
The basic idea of religious education in public schools should be this: to learn not only the information about other faiths, but to learn to respect other faiths and faith-filled persons, even if we do not agree with them. That's a tough thing to do, but some people are leading the way.
For example, Wertheimer highlighted the Core Knowledge curriculum offered by The Core Knowledge Foundation, which starts students out at a young age with information about different religions in a neutral, balanced way. The curriculum is based on what students should learn as part of social studies and geography.
Furthermore, parents can take the step to educate themselves and learn along with their children. Not only would this promote better religious literacy in the home, but would allow for parents to give guidance along the way if they were concerned about the content of their child's education in religion.
Whatever we do, we can't do nothing. It is vitally important that in an environment of highly-charged conversations that often unintentionally play on stereotypes, or even meaningfully demean people of other religions, that we take steps to learn more about other religions.
While a lot of Americans think religion shouldn't be in schools because it's against the law, it was actually Supreme Court Justice Tom Clark who said in 1963 that "It might well be said that one's education is not complete without a study of comparative religion or the history of religion and its relationship to the advancement of civilization."
Amen, Tom. Amen.
By Ken Chitwood
Teaching religion in school can be a touchy subject, but that doesn't mean the subject shouldn't be addressed. There are those on both sides of this fence. What do you think about teaching courses on religion in public schools? Have you or your kids had an experience with this? What have been the pros and cons?
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
Tuesday, January 19, 2021
Living in a World of Mutual Display
The philosopher Charles Taylor once said that we live in a world of "mutual display." I'm more and more convinced that he's right. Whether I like it or not, I'm stuck and complicit in a system that encourages me to judge others according to what brands they're wearing, what causes they're supporting, how happy they look, and so much more -- all in comparison to myself. And it forces me to ask: am I good enough?
Perhaps this isn't anything new. You might tell me that humans have judged each other this way for all time -- it's just a feature of our humanity that we compare ourselves to one another. I'd agree, of course. But I'm worried that it's worse than ever before. We can -- and we do -- put ourselves on display more often now as well as observe and judge the display of others almost perpetually.
If you're on social media like I am, you'll know what I mean. How many times do you find yourself wishing that your life was as happy and interesting as all your friends seem to be when you see their pictures on Instagram and their big announcements on Facebook about achieving life goals or reaching that fitness milestone? Thinking about my own life in the midst of this constant flow of everyone else's "See how happy I am!" and "See how interesting my life is!" can get downright depressing.
I feel the pressure of technology in demanding that I'm always "on." I feel the tyrannical imperative of being interesting (think of the old Dos Equis commercials) or watchable. I can't shake the feeling that I'm in some sort of competition with everyone else to see who has the happiest, most envious life. And if I don't get the likes, the views, the comments, the clicks -- all made possible by technology's interconnecting networks of all of us -- I'm not sure my life has much worth.
Some lament the fact that we're "addicted" to technology. Faces are buried in smartphones as I walk across campus trying to avoid running into distracted students and colleagues. Sure, that alone might indicate we have a problem. But it makes me wonder if we're not really addicted to technology, but rather, as Alan Jacobs has noted, we're addicted to each other. And the technology, with its "there's an app for that" readiness, is eagerly waiting to serve up any and all methods of social validation that we desire. And boy do we desire it! (However, as much as I try not to think about such things or try to resist how important this has all become to me, I'm secretly hoping you'll share this post on your social media feed.)
Did you know that the UK just hired a Minister for Loneliness? I think that's a stunning admission by a major representative nation in Western society that we have a problem. Sherry Turkle, a researcher at MIT who investigates the way relationships are affected by social media, wonders if we're experiencing a loneliness epidemic. The irony of her work is that it examines the very technology that is supposed to be bringing us closer together, creating greater and stronger connections, but seems ultimately to be making us more lonely.
Turkle is no Luddite -- she's not interested in getting rid of technology. She is convinced, however, that we're immature users of immature technology. So she suggests some ways that we might overcome the loneliness brought on by our constant engagement in our personal devices through which we look for social affirmation but only end up being depressed, and by means of which we search for community but only end up with social connectivity without the connection (as she says, we're "alone together").
Curiously, some of her ideas look remarkably like old-fashioned spiritual disciplines. She suggests solitude and silence. More than 70 years ago, the theologian, pastor, and martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer suggested the same thing in going about building a community of mutually supportive students at a small, secret seminary he started in Nazi Germany. In a classic and well-loved book, Bonhoeffer taught that solitude and silence actually prepare us for the deep, intimate community we desire because such disciplines teach us that our worth actually comes from God, our Creator, who made us for community -- first with Him and then with each other. Furthermore, in silence and solitude, Bonhoeffer suggests that we get to know ourselves and our own thoughts better, such that we're more able to share deeply in those relationships with one another for which God created us.
I find hope here. It's not only that I'm caught up in the distracting, competitive, and often depressing world of technology, especially when it's meant to bring us closer together, not to mention happier. But I see so many around me who are, too. Turkle seems to be channeling something ancient to help us to achieve the kind of community we're aching for. There may not be an app for our present problem, but there does seem to be an ancient kind of technology (if you think of spiritual disciplines that way) that can help.
Written by Chad Lakies
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
Perhaps this isn't anything new. You might tell me that humans have judged each other this way for all time -- it's just a feature of our humanity that we compare ourselves to one another. I'd agree, of course. But I'm worried that it's worse than ever before. We can -- and we do -- put ourselves on display more often now as well as observe and judge the display of others almost perpetually.
If you're on social media like I am, you'll know what I mean. How many times do you find yourself wishing that your life was as happy and interesting as all your friends seem to be when you see their pictures on Instagram and their big announcements on Facebook about achieving life goals or reaching that fitness milestone? Thinking about my own life in the midst of this constant flow of everyone else's "See how happy I am!" and "See how interesting my life is!" can get downright depressing.
I feel the pressure of technology in demanding that I'm always "on." I feel the tyrannical imperative of being interesting (think of the old Dos Equis commercials) or watchable. I can't shake the feeling that I'm in some sort of competition with everyone else to see who has the happiest, most envious life. And if I don't get the likes, the views, the comments, the clicks -- all made possible by technology's interconnecting networks of all of us -- I'm not sure my life has much worth.
Some lament the fact that we're "addicted" to technology. Faces are buried in smartphones as I walk across campus trying to avoid running into distracted students and colleagues. Sure, that alone might indicate we have a problem. But it makes me wonder if we're not really addicted to technology, but rather, as Alan Jacobs has noted, we're addicted to each other. And the technology, with its "there's an app for that" readiness, is eagerly waiting to serve up any and all methods of social validation that we desire. And boy do we desire it! (However, as much as I try not to think about such things or try to resist how important this has all become to me, I'm secretly hoping you'll share this post on your social media feed.)
Did you know that the UK just hired a Minister for Loneliness? I think that's a stunning admission by a major representative nation in Western society that we have a problem. Sherry Turkle, a researcher at MIT who investigates the way relationships are affected by social media, wonders if we're experiencing a loneliness epidemic. The irony of her work is that it examines the very technology that is supposed to be bringing us closer together, creating greater and stronger connections, but seems ultimately to be making us more lonely.
Turkle is no Luddite -- she's not interested in getting rid of technology. She is convinced, however, that we're immature users of immature technology. So she suggests some ways that we might overcome the loneliness brought on by our constant engagement in our personal devices through which we look for social affirmation but only end up being depressed, and by means of which we search for community but only end up with social connectivity without the connection (as she says, we're "alone together").
Curiously, some of her ideas look remarkably like old-fashioned spiritual disciplines. She suggests solitude and silence. More than 70 years ago, the theologian, pastor, and martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer suggested the same thing in going about building a community of mutually supportive students at a small, secret seminary he started in Nazi Germany. In a classic and well-loved book, Bonhoeffer taught that solitude and silence actually prepare us for the deep, intimate community we desire because such disciplines teach us that our worth actually comes from God, our Creator, who made us for community -- first with Him and then with each other. Furthermore, in silence and solitude, Bonhoeffer suggests that we get to know ourselves and our own thoughts better, such that we're more able to share deeply in those relationships with one another for which God created us.
I find hope here. It's not only that I'm caught up in the distracting, competitive, and often depressing world of technology, especially when it's meant to bring us closer together, not to mention happier. But I see so many around me who are, too. Turkle seems to be channeling something ancient to help us to achieve the kind of community we're aching for. There may not be an app for our present problem, but there does seem to be an ancient kind of technology (if you think of spiritual disciplines that way) that can help.
Written by Chad Lakies
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
Tuesday, January 5, 2021
Responding to an Apology: Do Words Matter?
Have you noticed how much we seem to police our speech these days? It seems we're constantly told what we should or should not say, what's appropriate or inappropriate. And we're held to a high standard. Some mistakes are costly.
In the last 10 years, I've had the privilege to travel to Europe a few times. I'm always glad to go England, because they speak English there. While I've studied other languages, I can't speak anything other than English. So traveling to England is much more comfortable for me than other places I've gone.
Even so, I've learned a few things about how I should police my own speech while traveling in England. Not everything I mean when I say a word means what I think it means in England. For example, as a father of young children I might talk about a stroller -- but in England it's called a "pram." I might talk about changing my child's diaper -- but in England it's called a "nappy." I might talk about a pacifier -- but in England it's called a "dummy," which might be a word of offense here in America.
Of course, even though I used some wrong words from time to time, my mistakes were completely unintentional. You might say they were well-intentioned, as I was just trying to make my way through the world in an unfamiliar place with what I thought was nevertheless a very familiar language.
This got me thinking about some of the other things we say that, while well-intentioned, might in fact communicate things which, were we aware of it, we would not want to be saying.
Imagine that a friend of yours has realized they did something to hurt your feelings, and so they offer an apology by saying, "I'm sorry." Because you're both friends, and perhaps because you think whatever they did was no big deal, you offer a typical response: "That's okay."
This response is unquestionably well-intentioned. It's no different than saying "No worries" or "No big deal" or something similar. But have you ever noticed that such phrases might not be the best response to an apology? What if when someone says, "I'm sorry," the best response might be to forgive them? What if, when we respond with "that's okay," we in fact negate their apology? I mean that our friend has recognized the action as not okay, and so offered an apology, but our response of "that's okay" ignores that recognition or entirely refuses to agree with it.
Of course, this is all unintentional. It's just like my using the wrong words in England. We take our language for granted, using it habitually without thinking. But what if our well-intentioned sayings and responses, like "that's okay" when someone apologizes, have unintentional consequences?
Let's think about this a different way. When Jesus lived, He forgave the sins of humans around Him. He also told His followers to do the same. I was compelled to think more deeply about this recently as I am trying to use my words more intentionally.
Jesus recognized that in forgiving another you're going further than just letting them off the hook; you're fully acknowledging their apology. You're also saying something significant about your relationship with them: forgiveness means you're not counting their offenses against them. In fact, you're telling them, "Your slate is clean with me." This is the same effect as when Jesus forgives us: our slate is clean with Him.
At the very least, this indicates that forgiveness is actually a big deal and that it matters when we respond to others. Saying "I forgive you" when someone apologizes would truly honor the fact that they've apologized and acknowledged a wrong they believe they've committed.
When I consider it this way, it makes me think that Jesus just might be on to something.
Written by Chad Lakies
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
In the last 10 years, I've had the privilege to travel to Europe a few times. I'm always glad to go England, because they speak English there. While I've studied other languages, I can't speak anything other than English. So traveling to England is much more comfortable for me than other places I've gone.
Even so, I've learned a few things about how I should police my own speech while traveling in England. Not everything I mean when I say a word means what I think it means in England. For example, as a father of young children I might talk about a stroller -- but in England it's called a "pram." I might talk about changing my child's diaper -- but in England it's called a "nappy." I might talk about a pacifier -- but in England it's called a "dummy," which might be a word of offense here in America.
Of course, even though I used some wrong words from time to time, my mistakes were completely unintentional. You might say they were well-intentioned, as I was just trying to make my way through the world in an unfamiliar place with what I thought was nevertheless a very familiar language.
This got me thinking about some of the other things we say that, while well-intentioned, might in fact communicate things which, were we aware of it, we would not want to be saying.
Imagine that a friend of yours has realized they did something to hurt your feelings, and so they offer an apology by saying, "I'm sorry." Because you're both friends, and perhaps because you think whatever they did was no big deal, you offer a typical response: "That's okay."
This response is unquestionably well-intentioned. It's no different than saying "No worries" or "No big deal" or something similar. But have you ever noticed that such phrases might not be the best response to an apology? What if when someone says, "I'm sorry," the best response might be to forgive them? What if, when we respond with "that's okay," we in fact negate their apology? I mean that our friend has recognized the action as not okay, and so offered an apology, but our response of "that's okay" ignores that recognition or entirely refuses to agree with it.
Of course, this is all unintentional. It's just like my using the wrong words in England. We take our language for granted, using it habitually without thinking. But what if our well-intentioned sayings and responses, like "that's okay" when someone apologizes, have unintentional consequences?
Let's think about this a different way. When Jesus lived, He forgave the sins of humans around Him. He also told His followers to do the same. I was compelled to think more deeply about this recently as I am trying to use my words more intentionally.
Jesus recognized that in forgiving another you're going further than just letting them off the hook; you're fully acknowledging their apology. You're also saying something significant about your relationship with them: forgiveness means you're not counting their offenses against them. In fact, you're telling them, "Your slate is clean with me." This is the same effect as when Jesus forgives us: our slate is clean with Him.
At the very least, this indicates that forgiveness is actually a big deal and that it matters when we respond to others. Saying "I forgive you" when someone apologizes would truly honor the fact that they've apologized and acknowledged a wrong they believe they've committed.
When I consider it this way, it makes me think that Jesus just might be on to something.
Written by Chad Lakies
You can share your thoughts on this blog by clicking here and leaving a comment.
You can let the folks at THRED know what you think by clicking here.
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