I wish I could have an actual discussion with people, I mean about something besides the weather or the price of cattle (yes, we live in a rural area and no, I don't know anything about sports). But in our 'enlightened' modern culture, I run into two major stumbling blocks to real conversation: people are not used to thinking and don't know why they do or do not agree with a certain idea and anything you say might offend someone. It used to be quipped that politics and religion were not to be discussed in polite company, now it seems that just about anything of substance is anathema unless you know exactly what your companion believes and you agree wholeheartedly with one another. In this civilized age, disagreement is a form of hatred, just post something slightly controversial on Facebook and see what happens: you'll be virtually stoned. I thought we had progressed beyond mob violence?
First, people have lots of opinions, many of them contradictory, but few know why they actually believe what they do. They read it online, their mother said so, their professor insists it is true, everybody knows that or whatever is reason enough to defend something vehemently. What is so dangerous about GMOs (genetically modified organisms)? Why is Christopher Columbus evil? Vaccines cause autism? And ten thousand other things that if you say something contrary to someone's deeply held belief, you are suddenly a hater and the worst of all people even though they haven't a clue why they hold that opinion in the first place. So instead, we talk about the weather. It saves us from having our feelings hurt, offending someone, and having to think about anything. It also limits us to superficial friendships, tedious social interactions, and we'll never learn, grow, or change as people.
The crazy thing is nobody agrees on anything, let alone everything! Try ordering a pizza for a group of three or more and see what happens. How much more so on topics of actual importance. But no, we'll discuss that latest episode of whatever or that new movie (the 34th remake of that particular film) instead. Yawn. We'll just fiddle while Rome burns. There are major problems in the world and in our own town, but if we just ignore them, they'll go away. We'll turn on our media device and pretend they don't exist, and better yet, then I don't have to interact with anyone either as 'I'm busy.' We'll create our own little virtual world where it is happy and safe and non-threatening and I won't be exposed to 'offensive' material and don't have to think but can just 'be,' whatever that means. Double yawn.
I look back at the insipid and 'educational' TV shows and books I was exposed to as a child and wonder if that is someone's ideal of what the world should be. I was insulted that they thought I would enjoy such a dull presentation of the world. No danger, no uncertainty, no sorrow, no risk; no flavor, no zest. Like soup without salt, it was a presentation I just could not stomach. Where there is no risk or danger there is no hope, no joy, nothing worthwhile. The price of Love is the risk of sorrow. We could be robots: programmed to be good and perfectly obedient, but our world would be dull, drab, and colorless and completely lacking in meaning. But we are not robots, we can rebel, we can disobey, we can be naughty, but we can also be redeemed. Someone took a risk, gave us a choice, paid the price for Love and even though it cost Him everything, He still gives us that choice, everyday, every moment, we may crucify Him anew if we wish.
But we are afraid of Love, we saw what it cost Him, and fear what it might cost us. So we hide behind phrases like 'live and let live,' 'politically correct,' and so forth. We insist on being robots, on being unsalted broth, on foregoing any color in our lives. We would rather exist than live.
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