DOMA and Zimmerman: Thinking about Thinking

W

e live in a culture of issue-based insanity. It takes about 3.1 seconds for the American populace to bounce from emotional outrage over denying same-sex couples certain rights to racist accusations in a murder trial. Who knows? Maybe next week will be a movement to liberate the Panda bears from their subjugation to sugar cane.

Don’t believe me? Just look back over your Facebook news feed for the past 2-3 weeks.  

Why do Americans prefer to ride frantic, emotional waves of “liberation”, rather than stand on the rock of careful thought? Why do we do this? Are our own lives really that boring that we’re compelled to obsess over other people’s issues?

I’m reminded of 1 Thessalonians 4:11 where believers are instructed to “make it [our] ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to [our] own business and work with [our] hands.”  This text seems to suggest that a faithful, simple life trumps the emotionally up-and-down life offered to us by American culture.

Now, I’m not suggesting that Christians cloister themselves away from things going on in the world, but I am saying that we need to guard from being swept up into the emotional commotion of current events.

How does this actually play out?

1)      Take 2-3 days to think about what you want to say regarding a current topic before you shot-gun spray it over the internet. This might mean you have less to say, but it should ensure that you’ll have something meaningful to add to the conversation.

2)      Consider the other side. Often times our impulsive responses are against a straw-man representation of the other idea. Make sure you know what the other side is actually trying to say before you open your mouth or set your fingers to the keyboard.

3)      Pray! Please don’t forget this part. Whatever words you say or type should be edifying and constructive. Ask Jesus to confirm whether or not your input would actually be helpful in thinking through the issue at hand. Ask him to show you how to say it. If he wants you to speak, he’ll give you an audience.

The reality is that we can be a lot less reactionary and defensive if we devote more of our time to building a rigorous understanding of the world. We can interact more perceptively and carefully if we have a thoughtful structure about the world in place. If we can, I advocate that we put our efforts into this project and not into the capricious meanderings of American society.