Out of my head!

Why have I been so cynical lately?

You ever get to that point where you catch yourself saying really negative things that you know you shouldn't? I've been that way all week and probably longer. There's been a lot of negative things going on and I think they're starting to really get to me.

The Wannabe Board had a link up to this site about people who seriously want to start "redeeming" states one by one and setting up "Christian" states. So... these people want to bring us back to the Civil War and break apart, rather than helping to change things. I've been really focused on this today.

Then I ended up directed to Lighthouse Trails Research. It's so good to know that everything from the Message Bible to that Youth Specialties curriculum the 7th graders are using are evil tools of the Devil. dang it. There goes that sarcasm again.

Why is it so much easier to be negative than positive? Usually, I am the optimist, always wanting to see the best in people. The problem is, that is getting harder every day lately. Without getting into details, everything that I worried about in my post "Back to Normal" has happened. My town is just as divided as the day before Hurricane Rita. There is so much mistrust going on that people are losing credibility. And why is it that those people who are wrong are always the loudest?

Why is the Church so good at knocking people and things down, instead of lifting them up? Shouldn't loving followers of Jesus Christ be the people who are least afraid? Have we forgotten that Paul said "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification." (Romans 14:19 NIV) Why is it that I have to defend people and activities?

Am I saying "Agree with everything?" Absolutely not! I'm saying that I wish that instead of automatically jumping to smash something down, that we should take the time to analyze and see what is going on. I'm reading A Generous Orthodoxy by Brian McLaren. As a Baptist Christian, I have a some concerns and questions with what he has had to say so far, but from what I gather, that is the point. To question. Not to follow blindly. To make sure that I know. Not to stick to one narrow view, but to see that there are people out there who don't agree with me. Do I despise them for their view or try to understand them so I can reach out to them.

A very wise college pastor told me that "You can't out-argue an atheist. All you can do is be the best representative of Jesus Christ that you can possbily be. He may come to faith through your life, not through your knowledge of apolgetics." I think I'm finally beginning to understand. I'm glad that God has put me where I am with the kids that I've got. I want to be through getting upset when people question my outreach methods (more accurately, the consequences of positive results). I don't want to focus on the negative. I want to be Jesus to these kids. Nothing else should matter.