Killfies
What do high cliff ledges, train tracks, animal game parks, bridges and buildings have in common? They are apparently popular sites for people to take selfies and places where over 200 people have died in the last 5 years in pursuit of that “perfect selfie.” The Economic Times of India, a country leading the world in deaths by selfies, reports that 86 people in 2016 and 73 people in 2017 died in this tragic, needless way. Since 2014, 128 have died in the course of taking selfies in this densely populated nation.
But other countries are getting involved in trying to stem the tide of such tragedies. Irish doctors reported, “The consequences of poorer spatial awareness and a focus on getting a good or daring photo has lead to multiple traumas” (Indulekha Aravind, 2/18/18). There are people in Russia that have become celebrities because of their daring self-centered photos (ibid.). Nowhere social media has gone is there an exemption from this trend, including here in our country.
Because I do not have a background in psychology, I could be wrong about this but could these extraordinary lengths to capture oneself in these kinds of photos be an act of desperation for acceptance, friendship, or even love? Could the yearning for admiration, congratulations, and adulation drive people to disregard all restraint and precaution?
I do know that, as Henry David Thoreau said in 1854, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation” (Walden, ch. 1, p. 8). With selfies, we are able to project exactly the image or perception of ourselves that we want others to see. We don’t publish the unflattering or the boring. We want to be seen as valuable, relevant, and attractive. Why? Though we might lose our way in the process, human nature yearns for community and relationship (cf. Genesis. 2:24).
By contrast, God formed the Church to be a place where we focus on others. Paul wrote, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians. 2:3-4).
So much about being Jesus’ disciples gets us outside ourselves and into the lives of others—not just other Christians but people from every walk of life outside of Christ. He wants our energy, effort, and focus to be turned outward. It’s not so much about projection as service.
Does Your Church Really Care?
A church sign can be a captivating advertisement for the community. A small church in a community had on their sign, "We Really Care about our Community." Under that statement, it read, "Sunday, 11 am only."
We display our love for Christ and demonstrate His love through acts of service. Whether we teach in a children's program or get involved in a church outreach ministry or just make ourselves available to help a neighbor, there are countless ways to make a difference for Christ in our community. The church that only cares at 11:00 am on Sunday doesn't really care at all!
"If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?" (James 2:16).
Church Bans Fat People From Leading Worship
Leonardo Blair, with the Christian Post, reports:
An Oregon church which came under fire in recent weeks for instituting a ban on fat people as part of a slew of mandatory guidelines to be a part of the congregation's worship team, apologized for the ban on Saturday and begged forgiveness to anyone their rules may have offended.
... "We want the worship team to look the best they can! Remember that the way we look is of utmost importance," the guidelines to would-be worship team members at the Oregon church warned in the document declaring "no excessive weight."
"We are the first thing the congregation sees. People do judge by appearance. We never get a second chance to make that first impression. Please be sure that your style and clothing bring honor and glory to God, isn't excessive and doesn't draw unnecessary attention to yourself," it added.
The document further made it clear that in order to be a part of the worship team, members must be in "100% agreement" with the guidelines to allow the anointing to flow and encouraged those with a weight issue to go shed the extra pounds at the gym.
If lack of discipline where the real concern of the leadership of this church, should weight have been the only consideration? Isn't it true that some of the most gluttonous people among us are skinny? And we all hate them!
But seriously, the local church is supposed to be a place of grace and acceptance, where everyone is made to feel welcomed. It's our love, not how we look on stage, that should be the distinguishing mark of true fellowship in Christ.
This focus on appearance is symptomatic of a problem the plagues so many churches today. These churches seek to create an atmosphere of superficial right-ness. In such a fellowhship, as long as you keep your sins out of view, you fit in. As long as you look good, you're accepted as good.
Churches that create this kind of atmosphere don't really curtail sin, they just force it to go underground. The fellowship produced by such external compliance shouldn't be mistaken for the fellowship produced by the presence of God’s love and grace, where the stigmas associated with being flawed, and the fear of being exposed, are removed.
Do you feel safe enough in your church to go public with your struggles? Does your church obey the admonition of the Apostle James to “confess your sins to one another” and “prayer for one another,” so you can be “healed?" (James 5:16).