I am realizing that I am changing a lot and quickly, so are my peers and all that is around me. Realizing how much I can really do. How much good and how much bad. Every motion is made at such higher stakes now then ever before. The danger and suspense that lie on every move are both thrilling and frightening. One perfect move can make you a hero but just as fast a wrong one can make you the worst villain. Everything happens so fast now, days fly by even weeks. It seems I never accomplish anything of any real value. So much, so fast, is asked of me with so much on the line. ’Free time’ has become extinct as I am caught up in this rat race perversion of life. Is it just a phase or does the clock’s spin continue to increase at this rapid pace forever.
Violence (part 1)
It seems every morning I read in the newspaper of some new school shooting or equally tragic occurrence of violence. When I ask myself is it shocking, is it horrible, is it unimaginable? I will answer ’yes.’ But this is really just a game I unconsciously play with myself. I analyze the news mentally and decide is this a tragedy or not? I take into account all the factors add them up and come to a conclusion. ’Yeah it’s really terrible thing.’ I never transfer it over from the purely mental, rationalized sector of my mind. I fail to allow this to enter my emotions. It has already been decided that it is a tragedy, and since it is, if I allow myself to view it emotionally I know it will hurt. I know it will be painful to open myself up to take part in their experience. It might even cause me to cry so I decide it will be better to keep that from happening. I don’t want to share in the horror, in the grief. I am so selfish unwilling to get wrapped up in other people’s problems. I take a mental observance just so I can know what is going on, so I don’t look dumb in a conversation, but don’t try to fully comprehend what has happened. I’ve hurt too many times before. I have enough personal pain. I don’t want anymore. Especially if it can be avoided. Side step the catastrophe. Emotions are where we are most sensitive. The fact that we no longer allow these events to penetrate us there shows just how far the desensitization has gone. It just goes to show how desensitized to violence we are. Another thought to dwell upon is if the significance of an event is experienced and stored only in one aspect of our being and not in all how much easier is it to ignore and eventually forget that thought or experience. So much of our sensitivity towards ghastly violence has been stolen from us. Will it be realized before it is too late or will we all go numb to the murdering of human life? I don’t want to be a pathetic apathetic. God break my heart with the things that break Yours.
Violence (part 2)
Are we still shocked by examples of intense violence? Or are we slowly becoming more and more desensitized? Is the constant barrage of gruesome and malicious content in movies, news, and television unconsciously making its way into our minds as commonplace. Is the bombardment of subliminal messages we receive, without our knowing, changing the way we think and perceive the world. Sadly it would appear that way. Old lines which once seemed absolute have been crossed over without anyone seeming to notice. We have come to falsely assume that the observance of violence is okay if it just on TV, or some other form of media. This constant exposure has caused us to allow violent content into our minds and being. Caused us to more readily entertain violent thoughts. We unknowingly allow these thoughts to penetrate our minds and we are surprised when we reap the harvest of these quietly planted seeds of destruction. There should be no shock. These vicious acts are only what we have programmed ourselves to do. It would not be good to avoid reading or hearing of violence for it is a real part of this world but we must take it as it is, not in the candy coated plasticated form it is delivered to us. With clarity we must observe the violent acts around us. Violence is violence. Murder is the slaughtering of human life. Do not allow yourself to be made numb to the world and its harshness, lest you become unable to be a part of reality and lose the ability to reach in and share the loving hand of God in a vicious world.
I get a lot of garbage from people when I wear my Porn Free Youth [Exploitation is not Beauty] shirt. I expected opposition, but not quite this much. I can’t let it hold me down though and it doesn’t because the harder they fight me the stronger my resolve. The bigger the foe the harder they fall. Most people probably don’t know this, but I struggle with this everyday. I fight it in my personal life. I’m not some perfect kid who always does the right things looking down on you, but I’m in the midst of the battle fighting hard. Despite the never done evil super-Christian image I’m given, I still screw up. Sadly, my past and present aren’t as clean as you or I would like them to be. I’ve looked at pornography. I’ve masturbated. I’m a virgin but my mind has lost its innocence long ago. I’ve been there before. I’ve been through all that garbage. And I’m not all the way out yet, but by the grace of God I will be. Purity is possible. Lust destroys true love. Love is about caring for another, not this selfish pleasure for a moment bull society shoves down our throats. Spit out the propaganda. I don’t want to view women as sex objects. Dehumanize them just as Hitler did the Jews. Human identity is lost when value is found only from the neck down. I don’t want to tolerate using others more and more. There’s a better way than pornography’s “use ‘em and lose ‘em” attitude. Sex is not good when forced and when people say “no” they mean “no”. This is nothing more than the mindset of a rapist. I won’t accept it. As our world is being flooded with these values becoming a culture of rape I will raise up a standard. Sex is meant to be the ultimate act of intimacy between two married persons of opposite gender. Everything else is just a copout and perversion. God’s way is and always will be the best way. Masturbation ruins sex by destroying the aspect of intimacy. Intimacy is about caring for another and truly desiring to be with that person. Masturbation teaches fulfillment of one’s own pleasure. Sex becomes about “relieving” oneself rather than loving the other person. Just because society peddles the lies, doesn’t mean you need to embrace them. The truth must be told! The captives must be liberated!
To those of you who have said “I like your shirt, I’m anti-porn too” or something to that affect, thank you so much. You don’t know how much you encourage me. I always fail to acknowledge you to the depth and degree you deserve. So shouts out to you, my allies and friends.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified; that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him.”