Be What You Want To See In The World

You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 2 Corinthians 3:2-3

Today’s Reading: Proverbs 8-9; 2 Corinthians 3

When I was in college I took several classes that explored race and representation in the media over different times in American history. I saw how the media’s representation of people can shape and mold how we perceive others.

This led my friends and I to talk a lot about how certain movies, television shows, rap songs and videos were bad representations of very specific groups. We would complain about them and criticize their creators; wailing about how these people were a disgrace to the rest of humanity in how they depicted their fellow man and woman. What once started out as an awareness of how art can shape perceptions turned into a kind arrogant judgmental terribleness.

Then I started to think to myself… “self… what are YOU doing to change things?”

This stopped me cold. It is one thing to identify a problem, but it is a totally different thing to commit to be a part of the solution.

One of the most wonderful things about life is that it really is what you make it. We make decisions every single day that mold our future. It is these decisions that make up the fabric of our being. Each one is a stitch in the tapestry of our lives.

What does your fabric look like? Do your actions show what you believe to be the contents of your heart? Are you doing anything to combat the ills that you see in the world? Are you as passionate about changing the world as you are about describing what is wrong with it?

These are challenging times but I think that we are up to the challenge. Sure, things may seem bad and it may seem like there isn’t much you can do from your little position to have any kind of substantive effect; but that is a lie.

The world is exactly what we have made it.

We really have two choices in this life. We can decide share the goodness of our hearts with the world through our thoughtful action or we can be quiet, and allow others to dictate the terms of reality for us. If we each endeavor to shape the world around us into the place that our hearts dream it can be then little by little the whole world changes.

Let’s try a little harder every day to be what we want to see in the world. I’m betting that the more people we can get to commit to this change, the better the world will become.

Life freely, love freely, and share freely the blessings of your heart. Freedom lies within; and exercising that freedom is truly revolutionary. 

Unplugged

"No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you." Luke 11: 33-36

A couple of months ago my roommate and I cancelled our cable service. To be quite honest with you I was concerned.

I LOVE TV.

Some of my favorite memories of my childhood were of me and my family sitting, around watching TV. At my mom’s house we used to eat dinner and then watch TV together after homework was done. During the mornings and the weekends I was all about the cartoons. I loved Fresh Prince, Seinfeld, The Cosby Show, Voltron, He-Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles… I could go on and on.

For several months before finally canceling cable I felt the urge to cut it out of my life. I thought that I would be more productive and of course save some cash. But I was scared to do it. It was like I couldn’t let go.

But finally we pulled the trigger.

And something pretty amazing happened. Once I got through the first week’s withdrawal I felt ten pounds lighter! I had no idea that I was consuming so much junk from the tube. It wasn’t just the mindless programming and movies that disappeared. It was also all of that advertising.

As time passed these images of consumerism, sex, and greed were replaced with what I decided to fill my time with; books, quality time with friends, Bible reading for this blog, and various other projects.

I started feeling brand new.

In short… TV was one of the lamp shades covering my inner light. Once I removed it, I had more energy to burn hotter, shine brighter, and move faster toward my dreams.

Yes I have still watched some things and this is not an argument suggesting that TV is inherently bad or evil or something. Most things are fine in moderation.

But it did make me think more about what I choose to look at and what I choose to consume. It reminded me that the desires and focus of my heart and mind really are affected by what I allow myself to see and experience.

So here’s the food for thought for today...

Is there anything in your life casting a shadow over your light? If so… is it something you can let go of?

So far I’m still going strong… WHEW…

From my limited experience I can tell you this… If you can let go, you won’t have to wait long to see the magic happen.

Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 19-21; Luke 11:29-54