I wrote a post about five taboo topics and things I am thinking. It was so long that I broke it up into two posts. This first one is mainly about branding. After I wrote it, Beth Moore posted a follow-up to her tweet on her blog that you can read here. She talked about a lot of this at LIT. I did not change the wording in my post upon reading hers, but I am glad that people with more authority and voice are talking about, as it needs to be done. If you read the Jen Hatmaker post I link to, definitely read Beth’s.
Taboo #1: Branding and Christian wolves
First up, let’s talk about branding and Jen Hatmaker. I don’t know if you still follow her since the homosexual hullabaloo. Because I check twitter once in a blue moon, I happened to find out through Beth Moore that she had written an awesome Good Friday post. It is one of those that if you are on the Internet to write or inform or are aware of Christian subculture, you really should read it. If you feel you are dragging a cross around, it’s also for you.
Pre-story
For a pre-story, yesterday, my daughter and I had a discussion about politicians and celebrities and the rise of the information highway. Part of her school assignment was to discuss with me her thoughts on whether knowing everything about such people was wise. She said no. She felt they deserved privacy, and that they should not be hounded for the mistakes they make, that they need some grace, just as we do. I agreed, and then mentioned social media, and how we now hound one another as if we are also celebrities. She said, “I told Uncle Robby I didn’t like social media, and he gave me a high-five.”
“Whatever else anything is, it ought to begin by being personal.”
A few years ago, I wrote a blog series that was the most read series I’ve ever written, and also something I truly believed in. Regardless if it was my misgivings or people themselves, I found myself with very few friendships later. I wrote about branding and how we should not do so to one another despite how Christian we try to make every little thing.
I cannot for the life of me pretend as if writing here or on social media as not changed for me since that time. There are days when I feel too insecure and frail to throw myself out there as vulnerably as Jen did, or as I once did. It is hard not to be afraid. Aside from making it difficult to write a book, I am rather thankful for a small audience. This is where being a highly sensitive person stinks – you can recognize too much about others thoughts of you.
But for the life of me, how does one continue as a writer without a small dose of vulnerability? I still press on in ways I think honor God. The things I do differently: I sit on posts a lot longer than I used to; I don’t just publish pieces to generate something; I listen to the “wisdom” of those who create brands a lot less.
When I attended Beth Moore’s LIT class in February, one of the things she said that stuck with me was that her generation of Christian speakers and writers does not compete with one another. She mentioned that they would fight tooth and nail for each other because they understand one another despite theological differences. She said that not every thing equals a false teacher, especially one (as Beth spoke of herself here) who has invested her entire life on studying the Word of God.
I wish for more “I am for you” and less backbiting from us as Christians.
Don’t eat your own
I do not agree with Jen Hatmaker’s theological position on what the Bible says about homosexual marriage, but I do not agree with people who suddenly said things like, “I always knew she could not be trusted… etc.” As a person who is mainly empathetic and feels everything all the time, even when I don’t want to, I will never be able to not also feel sad for the people who choose hate over love, and judgment over grace as well as some empathy for public figures who get shamed.
Even if someone is wrong, he or she deserves dignity. The world watches us as we continuously rip ourselves apart like hungry wolves waiting for someone to mess up so truth can be declared. The thing is I stand for truth too, but Christians should be known for love. Not the kind of love that dignifies sin, but true love. It’s hard. Why is it so hard to balance truth, grace, and love? It is so hard not to be duplicitous.
Taboo #2: Survivor and Outing a Transgender
All of this reminds me of Survivor. It is not my favorite show, but I watch with my husband. The other night a gay man outed a transgender man. I was clueless. The gay man did it in order to stay in the game. It was one of the most shocking and devastatingly sad things I have ever watched as these are real people, not actors. I did not think that it was right for Survivor or CBS to air that episode. This too is a form of branding.
When Jeff Varner (the gay man) outed Zeke Smith, I cried. I felt that what he had done to Zeke was wrong, this also from a woman who does not know how she feels about transgender, but that in general, does not think we should change our sex.
But too, Varner lost a million dollars and subsequently, his job.
It was not loving to air this nationally. I found myself in an empath’s predicament. I hurt for Zeke, and I hurt for Jeff. Jeff’s sin was not covered, and his sin was viewed less favorably than Zeke’s “sin”?, because Zeke feels he is living authentically. I find that some things are not straight forward in life, especially the older I get. But anything focused more on self than on God is sin. Bottom line: exposing others is grievous, and love covers a multitude of sins. We are responsible for our own confessions.
Thank you, Jesus, for covering me.
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