Tuesday, August 12, 2014

ISIS, Westborough Church, and Robin Williams

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As everyone knows there is a slaughter going on in Iraq. Christians are being systematically killed because they refuse to renounce God and, more often than not, still being killed even if they do. Women are being raped and taken as sexual prisoners, men are being hanged, children are being beheaded. Children. All because they believe in and follow the teachings of Christ. This is genocide the likes we have not seen since the Holocaust. And if this does not sicken and enrage you, it should.

Too often on the internet we ignore that which we do not like or simply don’t want to deal with. If we don’t acknowledge it, it’s not really there. Maybe if we post enough Harry Potter gifs or hilarious text reblogs we can forget that hundreds of people are dying. We allow ourselves to become ambivalent, numb, and even will the ignorance to happen. And that is dangerous and the opposite of what we should be doing. These people are our brothers and sisters in Christ. To simply sit here, say, “That’s terrible!” and then turn on Netflix to drown out the noise of the world is not the way we, as Christians, should be dealing with this. Because no matter where you are on this planet, this threat could very well come to your back door as well.

Persecution is coming. It’s been foretold in the Bible. But while we still have our freedom and our voices, there are things we can do. http://www.christiantoday.com/article/crisis.in.iraq.six.things.you.can.actually.do.to.help/39094.htm
We cannot afford to be casual about this. We need to act, and we need to act now.

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By now everyone has heard the tragic news of the death of Robin Williams. He was a man beloved by many and will be greatly missed. And this morning I read that Westborough Church will be picketing his funeral. These people claim to act according to God’s will but all they are really doing is giving Christians a bad name. They preach hate and intolerance, which is the opposite of the way a true Christ-follower should act. It’s up to us to show what a true follower of Christ looks like. When we proclaim ourselves a Christian everything we say and do becomes open for scrutiny. Remember that when it comes to things you post and say. Because people are looking to you as an example. Be a light in this dark world, don’t bring about more darkness. Conduct yourselves as though Jesus was sitting beside you, seeing what you’re posting, hearing what you’re saying. Because he is. He believes in the best in us and we should strive to prove that his high thoughts of us are accurate.

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The death of Robin Williams has come as a severe blow to nearly everyone. Many have grown up with him as a constant in their favorite movies and television shows. It has been said that those who make us laugh the most are usually fighting the biggest demons, and I believe that to be true. While Robin touched many of us and left so many lasting impressions, he struggled in silence with depression and bi-polar disorder. And unfortunately many people do, Christians especially.

There is this stigma and attitude among Christians that we are perfect, and if we’re not we need to at least fake it until we make it. I believe there are no bigger perpetrators to this than other Christians themselves. Mental and emotional disorders are taboo, and don’t even mention medication for these issues in some Christian circles. It comes with the implication that you are not following Christ close enough, you’re not praying right, that something in your life is wrong. That you yourself are just wrong. This is a stigma that needs to be dispelled. If you need medication to feel normal and able to function, that’s okay. If you need someone to talk to on a professional level, that’s okay. You wouldn’t shame someone for taking a pill because of a vitamin deficiency, would you? Same thing. There is a chemical imbalance that sometimes only medication can fix. We need to be supportive and stop making people struggling to feel less than or imperfect. Because, you know what? We’re pretty imperfect ourselves.

When someone in your life who has had great positive impact passes away the risk of suicide is elevated. When that person is a public figure the number of suicide risks goes up exponentially. I can only imagine how much greater the number when the public figure is as dearly loved as Robin Williams.

If you are struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide, please don’t suffer in silence. There are so many options available for you now, so many resources to make use of.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suicide_crisis_lines
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

Talk to a friend or family member. Be honest with your struggles. Don’t be ashamed to ask for help, or for just a listening ear. Sometime it helps to just be able to get it all out.

You are not a burden, and you are not alone. You are a precious gift and worth every moment spent in your company.
 

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