Thursday, November 24, 2022
Wednesday, November 23, 2022
"An Acceptable Level Of Emptiness" - JR Everhart
At some point you have to break free of all the "church lies" that a life with Christ is 100% free of suffering and that you’ll always feel satisfied and fulfilled. This is important because there are seasons where I’m just barely making it by the skin of my teeth. If it’s not all out bloody war against my fleshly desires, it’s depression and loneliness. It's exhausting!
It’s like we’re forced to accept a certain level of emptiness in this life. Our souls cry out every day to be reunited with our loved ones who have past and to finally go home to glory. This world is dying and it’s trying to kill us in the process. The shear resistance we have to endure each day from the enemy is mind boggling. The curse of Adam and Eve consistently operates in our lives. As Christians, we're working through thorns and thistles every day to scratch out a living which brings about heaps of stress and anxiety. Not to mention both men & women constantly fighting against our own individual body’s hormonal desires. Regarding women, I’ve witnessed their struggle firsthand as they endure through menopause, and those subsequent mood changes. Yes, we are spiritually recreated in Christ and completely restored to God, but the physical curse of this world is still very much in place. The Bible says all of creation is crying out for the curse to be lifted, and our humanity is accounted for within that statement. We have victory in Jesus, but this dying world is still just that: a dying world. So, the fight rages on - day in and day out. Remember though, the battle is the Lord's, but the war is ours to walk out.
I realize this is a dark message, but it’s true. And for those of us that have to climb out of the pit each day and try to stay focused on Jesus, it’s very hard. No doubt, this isn’t a message precisely for every Christ follower because some cannot identify with the pervasiveness of what I'm describing here. But for us ragamuffins, it’s a reality we wake up to each and every day. There's an emptiness that haunts us, and subsequently attacks our pursuit / longing for peace. Praise be to Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior! Without him, there would be no hope of salvation from this world of destruction.
Tuesday, November 22, 2022
Recommended Viewing (Viewer Discretion Is Advised)
I'm screening this film now, and it's one tough flick to stomach. The actor / writer / director, Gordon-Levitt, expertly uses the medium to provoke the viewer in ways that are quite unsettling regarding a mainstream topic that's never been taken seriously by our culture.
It begs the question as to what motivated this young star to use his influence as such / take this risk as he did.
Recommended viewing but be forewarned. It is relentlessly candid about its subject matter. He pulls zero punches.
As a result, you will come away emotionally wrung / quite disturbed. And I'm convinced better for it.
Monday, November 21, 2022
Tribal(ism). America (Samson Society?) As Uganda / Haiti.
Tribalism is a word I never had any use for 'till recently. Nonetheless, I believe it's becoming more and more relevant to present day western society. Tribalism is a word that's rooted in survival. That makes it quite different from other words that pertain to groups / grouping together. A tribe is a unit that you depend on for sustenance. Hence, it's overall exceedingly important to maintain / support / identify with without substantial loss occurring.
I have no idea why our society has become tribal. Especially amongst Christians. But, it most certainly has. Perhaps social media is to blame. If I were to take an explanatory stab at it, I'd start there.
If America was like Uganda or Haiti, I could understand this tribalistic outlook, but that's not the case. America is nothing like Uganda or Haiti. Yet, many folks behave as if we are. And this is a really, really weird development that's taking our society into uncharted territory.
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The primary (mothership) Samson Society face-to-face group I attended (beginning in August '14) here within the Jackson Metro eventually spawned an internalized tribe of Samson guys. These men weren't just BFFs. No, it went beyond that.
Tribalism, of any ilk (here in America), within Samson Society or otherwise is nauseating to me. And the reason for this is how retarded / lame it looks from the outside in. Not to mention how it builds a difficult / intimidating-to-breach perimeter around said internalized group whilst instigating invisible rank.
I suppose you could feign me envious as an outsider of said tribe (gang?), but I assure you that this isn't the case.
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What's even weirder about all of this is how we Samson guys are supposed to be loners. Guys who find solace within isolation by default.
I don't know. I don't know what to think about this.
As an aside, our MTGA ("Make Thursdays Great Again") virtual Samson Society group is showing signs of "tribing up" similarly. Interestingly enough, this sub-group uses social media ("Marco Polo") specifically to communicate "round-the-clock" internally.
This is my critique: I feel as if this tendency to be tribal puts too much unnecessary / wasteful emphasis on the group within the group. Particularly outside of the bounds of regularly scheduled programming (Samson meetings).
I'm not convinced that recovery really happens within connected-at-the-hip groups of guys because I haven't seen it firsthand.
To Rob, recovery happens inside you yourself and alongside other SINGULAR Samson men. Oftentimes, speaking personally, numerous INDIVIDUAL Samson men. Over a lengthy period of time. As friendships come and go. Ebb and flow. Over the course of many, many years.
Maybe the tribalistic approach (Marco Polo, etc.) is an attempt to accelerate / turbocharge that one-on-one walk nontraditionally.
I just don't know how you intimately rub shoulders with so many guys simultaneously and clearly hear God's voice therein. To me, it's like an orgy, and therefore, too many body parts to keep up with.
Yuck. No thanks. Tribalism feels too much like American politics. Or...brainwashing. Versus thinking / analyzing one's recovery critically and with great intention.
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