You can't take a shot glass of life straight, and still believe things turn out for good without the love of God. - Dr. Cleo LaRue, Princeton Theological Seminary, retired
"I was witnessing the despair of a fallen world, and not remembering the love of God."
Thank you for this sentence. I go back and forth between trying to keep up with things so I can do what good is available to me (and suffering for it) and living in a happy bubble of ignorance (knowing that I am being selfish).
The reminders that the world has always been fallen, and we need God's love exactly as much as we always have, helps me to put it in perspective, and to try to be a part of hope rather than despair.
I'm someone who is not very good at being contemplative or prayerful, but I do find that when I'm spinning my wheels on the verge of a crashout on Very Big Events Occurring or other zeitgeist-y shit I actually lean harder into less contemplation and more... doing. Being. Going-- all of which feel more natural to my M.O. It may be a bit avoidant, but I like to think that busying myself with enough tangible things to take on and solve/participate in clears my head and gives me more mental bandwidth to calm down and not get so wound up about the bigger and more inevitable things I have practically no control over. This takes form in responsibilities, social engagements, more work hours, seeking opportunities to be a help to someone else somehow, exercise, checking in on folks, and usually doing something in the kitchen with bumpin' music. Pondering, yearning, and other flavors of beating a dead horse almost never get me anywhere, spiritually or literally and I end up in a frustrating corner of angry inertia usually. I rely heavily on friends to support me with their prayer for me haha. I used to be a much more closed-off individual but have grown to place a lot of value in solidarity-building through sharing what's going on with others.
Tavi Gevinson of former Rookie Magazine days once wrote an Editor's Letter with a photo of a stickie note reminder she put on her mirror that said something like, "no time for anxiety, too many things to make-- GO" and that stayed with me, over a decade later
Feel like we're running out of options other than the more radical ones: hermit life (in a swamp or bog for me due to the lack of deserts), holy foolishness, or at minimum actually taking the part about loving your enemies and praying for your persecutors (trolls)...
I unfollowed and I got off the internet when my resolve to not respond to anything was at an end. I’m not trying to bury my head in the sand, but talking about and sharing these things online seems to be the problem. I am always shorter, blunter, less thoughtful and more reactive online. In person or even texting with someone 1-on-1 results in a very different conversation. I have been reading “Thinking Orthodox” for almost a year now. I am about 60% through and the section I am on is literally speaking to the moment! I see so much that concerns me online but I know it’s not on me to try and fix it. It will only end up infecting me even worse bc of how vulnerable and suggestible I am. It’s always time to build up more humility and love, but it feels even more important now.
"I was witnessing the despair of a fallen world, and not remembering the love of God."
Thank you for this sentence. I go back and forth between trying to keep up with things so I can do what good is available to me (and suffering for it) and living in a happy bubble of ignorance (knowing that I am being selfish).
The reminders that the world has always been fallen, and we need God's love exactly as much as we always have, helps me to put it in perspective, and to try to be a part of hope rather than despair.
I'm someone who is not very good at being contemplative or prayerful, but I do find that when I'm spinning my wheels on the verge of a crashout on Very Big Events Occurring or other zeitgeist-y shit I actually lean harder into less contemplation and more... doing. Being. Going-- all of which feel more natural to my M.O. It may be a bit avoidant, but I like to think that busying myself with enough tangible things to take on and solve/participate in clears my head and gives me more mental bandwidth to calm down and not get so wound up about the bigger and more inevitable things I have practically no control over. This takes form in responsibilities, social engagements, more work hours, seeking opportunities to be a help to someone else somehow, exercise, checking in on folks, and usually doing something in the kitchen with bumpin' music. Pondering, yearning, and other flavors of beating a dead horse almost never get me anywhere, spiritually or literally and I end up in a frustrating corner of angry inertia usually. I rely heavily on friends to support me with their prayer for me haha. I used to be a much more closed-off individual but have grown to place a lot of value in solidarity-building through sharing what's going on with others.
Tavi Gevinson of former Rookie Magazine days once wrote an Editor's Letter with a photo of a stickie note reminder she put on her mirror that said something like, "no time for anxiety, too many things to make-- GO" and that stayed with me, over a decade later
Feel like we're running out of options other than the more radical ones: hermit life (in a swamp or bog for me due to the lack of deserts), holy foolishness, or at minimum actually taking the part about loving your enemies and praying for your persecutors (trolls)...
I unfollowed and I got off the internet when my resolve to not respond to anything was at an end. I’m not trying to bury my head in the sand, but talking about and sharing these things online seems to be the problem. I am always shorter, blunter, less thoughtful and more reactive online. In person or even texting with someone 1-on-1 results in a very different conversation. I have been reading “Thinking Orthodox” for almost a year now. I am about 60% through and the section I am on is literally speaking to the moment! I see so much that concerns me online but I know it’s not on me to try and fix it. It will only end up infecting me even worse bc of how vulnerable and suggestible I am. It’s always time to build up more humility and love, but it feels even more important now.
Thank you for lending your voice during such a painful and scary time