A daughter of an old friend shared a "story" on Facebook that she found on Twitter. I don't do Twitter. But I did find the Tweet from Hannah Anderson. Anderson said so many good things, but here's an example:
"We only have a certain amount of time, attention, & resources. If we devote them to being anti-culture, we cannot devote them to forming healthy culture. We're passing along something, to be sure. But it's not the gospel. It's not a sustainable faith."
Basically, Anderson is saying this: Be careful about being against things. Don't be against the culture, but don't be against the church. If your life is full of "anti-things" and "no," you will reach the bottom of that well and be empty. You can spend your life being against things (even evil things), but it won't fill your soul or bring you happiness.
We need to spend our time making good things, beautiful things, joyful things, whenever we can. The gospel is the good news, not the anti-news.
Like Anderson, I was entirely brought up in a Christian culture that was against; we were all about rejecting people and ideas. It defined us. We were anti-abortion, anti-gay, anti-Democrat, anti-drugs, anti-divorce, etc. You remember. We called ourselves pro-life, pro-marriage, Republican, clean-living, etc. But we spent most of our mental time being against things.
It's exhausting.
Now it's also popular to be against the church, against institutions, against whatever the other side is. I have friends on both sides of this pitched battle. I'm tired of it.
A scrap of paper on my desk reminds me:
Sometimes the ugly in life jumps up and bites us, and we must deal with it. Some friends feel called to be warriors in the Ugly Fight. I don't. Most of us are struggling to get our legs out of the quagmire of cultural sadness from all sides. I want a saving rope of beauty and goodness to come down and rescue me from the quicksand, don't you?
Perhaps this is why the part of Facebook I still enjoy is the groups -- "Spinning Fibers" and "Handy Women" and "Creating Hygge" and "View from My Window." All these groups consciously foster peace, beauty, or encouragement inside a community of humans. No meanness allowed.
It's hard to change yourself at almost-60. I was trained for decades to be against things, and was told to raise my children the same way. It's heart-breaking now to think of all the opportunities for joy I missed with them. (We did have many, but not enough.) I can try to change myself for my remaining years, though. This Bible verse has been rattling away inside my head for many days:
to lead a quiet life
and attend to your own business
I Thess. 4:11
That sounds like a lovely life, yes? I'm trying. Wishing all you friends the very best, and if these words are helpful at all, I'm glad.
Hannah Anderson's website is here.
5 comments:
Wise.
Well said. I continue to struggle to live peacefully in a world full of unhappy events. Even among family members it can be hard.
These are very wise words. Thank you!
Ah, this is a wonderful post and one I really am glad I read. You are so right. Devoting so much time to being anti-things rather than pro-things really is exhausting and negative! I'd like to try and avoid that! That final Bible quote is lovely.x
P.S.Sorry, I haven't been over here for so long! I just struggled with being on my computer too much!x
How lovely and peaceful is your post. It was just what I needed after such a stress filled period in my life. Thank you for that and I will check out those Facebook groups.
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