When they talk about you/How to sift through petty conversations & be a better friend

 

It’s slightly ironic that people in our region are more likely to believe you if you say you spotted a Bigfoot than if you claim to have seen a mountain lion.  I actually saw a mountain lion here in Kingsport, it ran out right in front of me while I was driving, plain as day, yet one of the neighbors asked if I also saw a unicorn as well.  

Which is easier for us to see in others, the good or the bad? Somehow we’ve unwisely come to the point in our culture where we eagerly accept bad news about others and we tend to see the worst in people immediately. Conversely, we tirelessly wait for their “true colors” to come out if they seem to be behaving nicely. 

Most people will blindly listen to someone slam us and they will carelessly deem we are guilty instantly-- much quicker than they will ever believe our success stories.   I’m not sure I understand why we struggle with this willfully, but if someone tells us the preacher’s teenage daughter is pregnant, unthinkingly we don’t question it, but if we hear the child was an honor roll student, suddenly we are skeptical.  

It’s bad enough when immature people spread trash-talk like politicians poisoning the well and slinging mud in a primary debate, it’s worse when we hastily entertain these accusations. Without even analyzing what we’ve heard or “going to the source” we often pass on this embarrassing information so others can “pray more intelligently.”  Remember James 1:26 and the warning to control what we say, “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.”

We are quick to gossip, judge, and quick to scandalize -- like we read in Prov 16:28, “A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.”  Shame on us when we recklessly ruin other people’s reputations.   

Mature people, on the other hand, know how to ask the right questions when they hear something troubling and they know how to practice discretion.  Mature people also have enough common sense and integrity to steer clear of toxic conversations.  Proverbs 27:6, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.”

You already wonder what slanderous people say about you when you are absent, but ask yourself when someone is sharing scandalous information about a common companion with you, why are they telling me this bit about this other person and why at this time?  Why would they try to smear this other person’s reputation now? Also it’s good to ask yourself, does this bad report match up with what you’ve personally experienced over the long run with the person in question?  

A mature person knows how to filter through what they hear and they know how to interpret motives.  Therefore, pause and think about it the next time someone starts talking poorly about other people you know because you will see what you want to see in others, if you want it long enough.  

There's a popular meme that summarizes the ease at which people will spread false information about us, and how we can respond as mature adults: 

Is Joe Rogan an unlikely ally for the Church?

I know people are in a tizzy over a couple of Rogan's podcasts with two doctors and their divergent views on Covid, but more interesting to me was Rogan's interview with Peterson.

Everyone seems to be losing their minds over Joe Rogan’s interview of Dr. Jordan Peterson. Most people either have complete disdain for Rogan or the deepest admiration, and the same thing goes for Peterson — lately, social media is flooded with both. Like them or not, Rogan is one of the most influential entertainers of our day, and Peterson is arguably one of the most influential intellectuals of the day. So I was pleasantly surprised by one of their topics during their 4 hour and 13 minute interview.

We easily ignore the wackadoodle street corner preacher rambling on through his bullhorn, but if Rogan and Peterson weren’t so wildly popular I doubt this particular episode (No. 1769) would have garnered so much attention.

Remember, Spotify has handsomely rewarded Rogan for his popularity with a $100 million contract.

Watching this episode I noticed how a lethargic Rogan was slouched forward with huge bags under his eyes, looking like a high school wrestling coach who drank watered down coffee after a weekend at regionals. Peterson carried himself with pained looks, forced smiles and utilized “jazz hands’’ too often. Fidgeting around he looked like he wanted Rogan’s acceptance and approval more than Rogan wanted to give it. Actually, Rogan gave the impression he didn’t even want to be there — if you’ve seen his podcast before you’d agree it wasn’t spectacular. It was a rather lackluster performance on Rogan’s part.

The major critique by Rogan’s and Peterson’s naysayers is the massive amount of alleged “misinformation” being bantered about during their interview. Notice, their critics aren’t insisting that Rogan and Peterson are lying; it’s “misinformation.”

Why misinformation? Why is that the word of choice these days for people we don’t trust or disagree with?

You can’t go around and claim that there is no such thing as absolute truth or that truth can’t be known, or claim the truth is a social construct, etc., and also say that Rogan and Peterson are pedaling false information that isn’t true. You can’t complain about bending the truth if you diligently deny the existence of truth that corresponds to reality. Therefore you employ the phrase “misinformation.”

This is the result when culture tries to emasculate truth. How is this significant for us?

Jesus claimed He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life. God’s word is true. God’s people believe truth to be a vital part of the Christian belief system, and truth has been under attack for over a generation. Do you see now why cultural talking heads can’t say people like Peterson or Rogan are liars or are offering false information. It has to be couched cryptically in the meaningless phrase “misinformation.”

Peterson and Rogan had several “sacred cows” they wanted to turn into gourmet burgers, which I could take or leave, but the greatest reason I’m excited about this interview is that Peterson brings up the Bible with an audience of tens of millions of people listening in. Raising the topic of the Bible like this opens up wonderful opportunities for believers to talk about our faith.

Remember these are two of the most influential voices in today’s culture sitting down for an informal interview with tens of millions of people paying attention to their conversation, and Peterson defends the veracity of the Bible! It’s an amazing event, opening many opportunities for us to elaborate on the truth of the Bible, and point people to Jesus.

When was the last time you heard any celebrity or culturally influential person bring up the Bible with a positive light? Therefore I was captivated when Peterson highlighted the absolute significance of the Bible’s influence on all of today’s literature and how we think about life and truth.

Peterson described how the Bible is the foundational and fundamental document for all of Western civilization. He accurately elaborated on how the Bible isn’t simply a single book like the Book of John but a library, a collection of books. Peterson directed and redirected the conversation to point out and clarify that he defended the Bible, affirming the Bible as the source of wisdom and truth — this type of approval and endorsement of the Bible and truth is unheard of in our postmodern relativistic culture. It’s no wonder people are ripping Peterson to shreds and exerting such efforts to discredit him.

These recent attacks on Rogan’s podcast really come down to who controls the flow and the content of the information that’s disseminated. It’s a power play. Why should this be on our radar? How we disseminate information is at stake.

Critics who would like to silence Rogan or Peterson usually end up being silenced or discredited shortly, and rightly so. Not because either Rogan or Peterson is an absolute expert in his field, but these are two of the most influential voices who are rare because they believe there is truth and people should be able to say what they think is true. They are rare because they are defending the right to truth in a world that has tried its best to jettison truth for far too long.

The church needs defenders of truth now more than ever. Without truth, it’s hard to say all roads don’t lead to Rome, or that what Jesus claimed about this life and the next is true for all people.

Originally published in the Kingsport Times News:

https://www.timesnews.net/news/faith/the-church-needs-defenders-of-truth/article_6c90abe6-6f04-11ec-8433-4f16d7fe28b5.html