When I woke up this morning, I was aware only of the typical chocolate, cards, and rose holiday as setting apart this day as special or different. Little did I know...
As I walked about campus today, I noticed several distinct tee-shirts that caught my eye. Simple yet straightforward, they had a clear acronym displayed with a simple web address underneath them. The first one I saw after my first class, and it perplexed me---but I forgot all about it until I saw two more in a matter of minutes during "dinner rush hour" in the cafeteria. It piqued my interest- especially since it happens to be Valentine's Day. Attending a fairly diverse and intellectually liberal college that also has a strong draw to students who are involved in activism of all kinds, I decided to look up the website. I won't mention specifics, but this particular group happened to advocate a lifestyle I find morally wrong- but this particular organization took it a step further. Using blatant profanities in a vulgar, in-your-face way, an organization that stands for tolerance in regards to this lifestyle choice insults not only those who are against their 'way of life', but identifies a particular religion/spirituality and political movement in their video productions. I do not have a problem with people who think differently than I do on moral issues- even if I think that they are morally wrong, but I have a big problem when they use vulgarities in the video to insult and demean those who think differently than they do and make false accusations and generalizations involving those people. I was deeply saddened by the direction and methodology this particular organization has adopted- one of their core tenets is to "stop the hate" and they directly make hateful statements in their videos to those who don't agree with their particular beliefs.
This caused me to reflect on the sad direction that I see society heading in. From organizations that are aimed at personal support and even attempting peaceful dialogue to either resolve differences or to try to understand each other to stop the violence---to organizations that use hateful rhetoric to combat the hate they themselves hate. (Sorry- couldn't resist that.)
I was also thinking about how organizations have seemed to either follow or create a new trend in our culture's obsession with activism on issues- this trend being deemed by yours truly as "The Shock Factor". People like to be cutting-edge, to be seen as a trendy revolutionary-hippie who is all about a cause. This organization embodied that "Shock Factor" by utilizing and coining and claiming a specific obscenity as part of their logo, branding, and public relations slant. Even the graphic design is crisp, clear, concise---and the statements on their merchandise is absolute and would be considered a highly controversial and often combative statement.
This leads me to yet another, more broad observation. People like to rally around a cause. Why? Does this phenomena occur because they feel so strongly about it? Yes, but I suggest that there is more going on than that. I suggest it is because we as human beings are designed to worship. In our innately human search for meaning and struggle for significance, we are built, hard-wired to have our lives center around something. I would like to place that on the table as something that helps us have purpose- to give ourselves and devote ourselves completely to a cause, or in many cases, to someone else (whether it be a spouse, girlfriend/boyfriend, close friendship or other relationship, family, even pet). For workaholics- it is work. For those with addictions, they find (or think they will find) fulfillment of purpose in that. This human act of worship takes place on many stages or thrones, in many different styles. Yet I think that when it comes down to it, we all worship something.
This is precisely why activism is so popular. People want something to stand for. To define who they are somehow.
Now comes my caveat- do I think activism in and of itself is wrong? No. Many forms of activism really do accomplish something in the world. They serve a need. They bring attention and then help to further a cause- many saving and enriching and improving lives of people as well as meeting basic needs. But I think it is important to know that it is easy for us to get swept up in the all-encompassing nature of a cause, of standing for something, of the solidarity and unity and acceptance we feel from other activists. That is not always a bad thing. But it can help to recognize our own natural bend towards these kind of things.
Now I would like to tell you about the One Cause that always fulfills- the One Cause that matters above all. Jesus Christ and His great love for you. This is one cause that will never leave you empty. This is one cause for which it is worth giving your life for- one for which a life, the Ultimate Life, was given for you. God the Father and Creator of you and all the glory of the world loved us so much. He even declared that all His creation was good. Yet the one thing that grieves the Father's heart is that from the very moment that Eve and Adam disobeyed the order of God- and in that forsook God's ways for that of their own impulse and pleasure- all of mankind fell from the perfection that God created us in and we have been desperately trying to do it all on our own ever since. His heart was greatly grieved- because of our disobedience, but also because nothing that broken and stained by sin could reside with Him eternally in the place of rest He created for us at the very beginning of time (Hebrews 4:3). Out of great sadness and loving yearning to be back in right relationship with His beloved people, the Father saw it fit to send His very self to Earth- clothed in human flesh and in the form of a man- in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus was God in the flesh and yet also fully a man- one who experienced the same temptations and one who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15). After experiencing all this, an ordinary human life, Jesus was still found without sin. Though He was without sin, He was sentenced to die the death of a sinful man- death by crucifixion. Through this death on the cross, Jesus became the only perfect sacrifice offered up to God the Father, once for all, to permanently release God's people from their bondage and forgive them of their sin. This was the perfect sacrifice and acceptable in the eyes of God the Father. After dying, Jesus was resurrected and rose from the dead three days later. Because of this, Jesus was able to make a way for God's children to live eternally in the place of God's rest. (Hebrews 9:28). Jesus conquered death in His resurrection so that God can now grant us eternal life and triumph over death as Jesus was a victor in the same realm.
Friends and seekers- I know I came very much full circle here. But this is the truest, deepest, love. This is divine romance. Not that we first loved God- but that He first loved us and sent Jesus to die for us while we still lived in sin and direct rebellion to Him and His ways. (1 John 4:19, Romans 5:8). This is the reason we love others- because He first loved us. I pray that you know and accept this love for you that God has already made evident through His death, sacrifice, and resurrection.
Happy Valentine's Day.
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