Take a deep breath, Count to Ten.

The further I go I'm convinced that nothing good ever comes from worrying. Jesus tells us explicitly not to worry but it's a tough lesson to learn.

When it comes to how we react to our culture we Christians often times react in a spirit of worry or fear that leads to actions of anger and irrationality which in turn, always reflects poorly on the body of Christ

Recently, I listened to a Brown Sessions podcast from Steve Brown Etc. recorded late last year which became the catalyst for this blog. http://stevebrownetc.com/2007/12/podcasts/the-brown-sessions/the-golden-compass-jeffery-overstreet/ It was an interview with Jeffrey Overstreet from Christianity Today about the film The Golden Compass but it quickly morphed into a conversation about how Christians react to these kind of pop culture events. The example of Harry Potter was brought up and if you recall the overwhelming Christian response was not at all pleasant. Well, at it turned out, J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series was and is a Christian. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1572107/20071017/index.jhtml
I'm not sure what her specific beliefs are, but the fact that the Christian community as a whole trashed her at the start without really giving her a fair shake is an embarrassing black eye for we knee-jerk Christians.

Two things I think we need to remember:

First, we need to look deeply into issues and gather all the facts we can before we speak (if we need speak at all).

Secondly, we need to remember that we do not battle against flesh and blood. There is no reason for us to hate, scream at, or spit on anyone. It seems to me Jesus only got angry at the impious religious leaders of his day. So we need to be certain that when we speak, we must speak the truth, in love, constantly seeking the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. "How we say something is sometimes more important that what we are saying."

So take a deep breath, count to ten, and don't worry, we're gonna be OK.

dig it.



footnote: The quote and a heavy nod go to Steve Brown on this blog.