People have always been rude,
thanks to human nature. But have you noticed that rudeness has gone to a whole
new level since the advent of social media? What people were ashamed to say to
someone's face can now be easily posted on Facebook, or tweeted, or typed
anonymously on a blog or web forum.
Why
are we so mean today? Maybe people have watched too many angry political
slugfests on television or read too much hateful banter online. Maybe all this
toxic dialogue has desensitized us, and we just don't know how to bite our lips
and say anything kind. And while I'd love to say that Christians are immune to
this epidemic of harsh conversation, that's not the case. Sometimes we are just
as mean as everyone else, even if we don't drop F-bombs as often.
I
recently visited a web forum that specifically caters to Christians, but I had
to exit quickly because the tone of the discussion was so caustic. Christians
were skewering each other, name-calling and judging people they've never met in
person. There used to be rules for arguing, but today—at least on the
Internet—the gloves are off, all weapons are allowed and there are no referees.
It's a bloody free-for-all.
The
father of the modern Pentecostal movement, William "Daddy" Seymour,
knew that there is a direct correlation between the level of the Holy Spirit in
our lives and the way we treat people. He said: "Pentecostal power, when
you sum it all up, is just more of God's love. If it does not bring more love,
it is simply a counterfeit."
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