A look at the inside, from an outsider's perspective
Since the beginning of time, there have been reports of visions and encounters with the divine. Christian texts would have us test these claims with the Word of God and alongside the community of faith. But, what happens when these stories are taken for granted and promoted for profit? Our fear of being duped can... Continue Reading →
There is an ever increasing pressure on individuals to have a social presence on the internet. As children are growing into a world built upon socializing to the masses with their thoughts, popularity, wit, and attraction, it's hard not to look away from the strain that causes on their psyche.
Do you realize how much you hope for throughout the day? You go to bed, hoping that the next day will begin routinely. When we wake up in the morning, we HOPE that our alarm will go off, we HOPE that there will be warm water when we turn on the shower, and we HOPE that people won't cross the yellow stripes on the highway on our way to wherever we're going. Hope drives us, propels us, and frames our perspective of the world we live in.
Although transformation is an integral part of ministry and following Christ, I think sometimes it allows others to overlook His acceptance.
So when I saw that HBO had released a documentary on the psychological effects of the Slenderman and other Creepypastas (online urban legends) I was hooked. To curb the sleepless late night effects, I invited a couple of my closest friends, brewed some coffee, and apologized for the next couple of hours that were about to take place.
In this series, Kristen Bell plays a woman named Eleanor who mistakenly crosses over into the Good Place. Her actions and perception do not match at all with the people around her and she feels like an outsider. I think many people think this of heaven... and, well church. Many presume both of these to be communities of moral aptitude and full of error-less frigid people and that can be down right intimidating.
There has been a "great failure of religion" she notes. Tradition and cynicism have created this "routine-ism" that has created a utopia inside congregations, but fractured relationships with outsiders.
Essentially, this is a curated list of articles that are much better than mine to spend your morning with.
God's will has a specific direction. Christians have the choice to define themselves working alongside this will or fighting against it.
