Show, Don't Tell

Maybe at Confirmation, or at Conversion, or at sometime in Sunday School or Youth Group, experienced Christians should be giving all new or budding Christians the same advice experienced writers give to all new or budding writers:

"Show, don't tell!"

Maybe it's because the death of friends makes me view life in a more "big picture" sort of way, or maybe it's because I am a little cranky and depressed, or maybe it's because eating is hard and sleeping is easy, or maybe it is because of all of the above, but I have no patience today for arguing about things that arguments won't change, or exposing the bigotries of bigots who will be bigots whether they are exposed or not. I know I have often contributed to this in the past, so I am saying that I have even lost patience with myself.

The way to ensure the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing -- and even though arguing feels like something, you're still doing nothing! If evil get you arguing, it wins because you stop doing good, and start arguing -- and you usually start arguing just like the person you are arguing against. We don't overcome evil, or bigotry, or anything else by arguing, we overcome it by doing good. Jesus said not to resist evil but offer your other cheek to it when it strikes you in the face.

So, if you want to stop Pat Robertson, Gov. Perry, this group or that group, DON'T TELL THEM THAT THEY ARE WRONG, SHOW THEM THAT THEY ARE WRONG. When they spout hate-filled, bigoted non-sense, don't argue, feed someone who is hungry, clothe someone who is naked, heal someone who is sick.

When Pat Robertson or someone else misrepresents Christianity, making it some Right-Wing, bigoted forum for hate-speech, don't argue, prove him wrong by LIVING the way Christians are supposed to be living. If Pat Robertson says homosexuals are an "abomination," don't argue, treat homosexuals they way you want to be treated -- behave toward them as if they have the same dignity and rights that you would want for yourself BECAUSE THEY HAVE DIGNITY AND RIGHTS regardless of what Pat Robertson or anyone else wants to say. Arguing with people like him only gives them fuel and keeps them in the limelight. Ignore them, and get to work.

The only way to ensure the triumph of evil, of bigotry, of hate, of discrimination, of anything else, is for good people to do nothing. So don't argue! Shut up! And do something!

Christ called us to change the world, not argue about the affairs of the world. Let others debate; let's change the world.

I'm tired of reading and discussing everything that is wrong with the world. So I'm going to just focus on everything that is right with the world, and the stuff that is wrong -- I'm going to behave the way it should be, regardless of how it is.

Anyone with me?

Reviews

[Emily B]

meeeee! I am :) you know, i saw myself here, i'm not proud of that, but it is time to get up and do something

i have failed before, but i will try again

[Bishop R. Joseph Owles]

As my good friend used to say to me: "Try implies failure"; and as Saint Yoda said, "Do or Do not. There is no try"; and the future saint, me, says don't be so hard on yourself. The only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out more workers, knowing that you are a worker who is being sent.

[Emily B]

thank you for what you're doing, i needed just a little nod to go the right way, it means the world