Escaping Hypocrisy
admin May 29th, 2010
I haven’t posted anything for over a month and I owe an explanation to everyone along with my expectations for future posts and other activities on the Christian Simple Living web site.
There are a couple of reasons for my absence, one easy to explain, the other more important but not so easy.
The easy one is that I have been overwhelmed with getting a couple of new puppet shows together for first performances. The older I get, the more daunting this becomes, so I end up focusing 100% of my energy on it.
The hard one is that my heart will no longer let me write anything that purports to tell anyone how to live a Christian life, simple or otherwise. I don’t believe I have any standing to do that. I have come to grips with a few hard, hurtful aspects of my life that, if I was truly living the life I write about, I would have dealt with and put aside a long time ago.
I’m not talking about not being able to live a perfect, Christ-like life, or anything remotely approaching that. I’m realistic enough to know that we are all fallen people who are shot full of moral, human flaws, even the best of us. Rather I have found myself to have far too little compassion for others and for myself – far less than it probably appears from my posts and articles than I actually have. There are still too many dark places in my soul that are bitter and angry which too often make it difficult if not impossible for me to feel or practice real compassion in my thoughts or actions.
I don’t think it is fair or right, on such a weak personal foundation, to advise others on how they should live their faith lives, what practices they might pursue, or even to imply that I have personally grown a great deal as a result of these, when any growth I have actually experienced is small in comparison with what my posts might suggest. To do so is hypocritical.
An advisor must do better than that.
So I’ve had to stop writing posts here along with articles on the ChristianSimpleLiving.com site that deal with matters of spiritual or moral growth, or the spiritual and moral aspects of simple living.
I’m still trying to decide what that means I have left to write about, but at the moment it feels like I might be able to write occasional pieces on current events and other information related to simplicity, or the history and theology of Christian simplicity, but always with the caveat that because I write about these things it does not necessarily mean that I’m a good practitioner of them.
I do practice simplicity as a key part of my Christian faith as much as I am able. I do believe what I write. I always try to make the information I present as accurate as I can, and I don’t write about what I don’t believe is good and true – but I’m a far better messenger than a good example.
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- Comments(2)
Hi there,
I just happened upon your blog as I am putting something together that is similar (albeit secular & non political). I hope you don’t mind if I share a few thoughts… I have a Christian background but no longer go to church for too many reasons to mention here.
First, you have a beautiful blog. The message is genuine & REAL, certainly I can relate to what you’re posting here. The beauty of this blog is the LACK of being told about Christian principles. I’m sure many more could relate to that too..if only they knew about your blog
Humble is “in”! So is authentic! What a breath of fresh air!
So, what about writing about the things you’ve learned along the way? That is how I feel the best blogs are written. No lectures, just honest “down home” stuff about your own struggles.
I know it’s a challenge to write articles when you have a blog going (that’s why I’m getting a used laptop! I’m locked away at home too much!). Short articles work too.
It really is the topic, and how you approach it that matters. I see many heartfelt articles with great quality writing! Keep going! You have some very important things to say! The only way that people like you & I (and many others) will change the ugly face of mainstream media is to put good content, useful content OUT THERE.
I’m weary of what the media does to manipulate people into utter helplessness. So, I’m out to change it.
When you look beyond the surface of politics, and religious beliefs…we really all want the same things underneath the ideology. We want a clean, safe world for ourselves & our kids. We want to be treated fairly. We want a world that makes some sense (!).
We’re going to have to get busy to make that world happen.
You said…”because I write about these things it does not necessarily mean that I’m a good practitioner of them.” Let’s hear about your struggles…
THAT is something we all can relate to!
Blessings~
V
I found this a breath of heaven. Please continue to empty the raw emotion that those of us who share such profound humility NEED to allow to escape. The smelly, sweaty day to day struggles are so heavy, yet spewing these forth to the simpler minority of this strange society somehow launders the spirit and makes those of kindred concerns smile with relief. If that makes sense to you as it does to me, you are my sibling in the family of self-examiners that I love to sit around the fire with on a frigid nite with candles, home-made bread and seedy raspberry jam. We can share a blanket and prepare for tomorrow together. Let’s get some sleep. Count those blessings and count them again. Russ