The Jerk Factory

More insightful goodness from Andy Whitman:

It would take someone far more versed in Church history and polity than me to address all the factors that contribute to a Christian culture of busyness that never quite gets around to addressing systemic life changes; in less fancy terms, how to be a jerk less frequently. I’m content to leave it as the product of settling for the good instead of the necessary. There’s nothing wrong, per se, with any of the activities Dr. Beck lists. They simply don’t address the deep spiritual wrestling and surrender that needs to take place before real change can come. That can be a real-life horror movie, and most Christians don’t approve of horror movies.

In the meantime, I’m going to advocate the radical, anti-evangelistic practice of shutting up, at least for me. I can’t control other people, which is one of those deep spiritual lessons I’m still learning. Today’s commandment: I say unto you, shut up and be less of a jerk. I can fantasize about how it would have applied on a television show last night. I’m fairly certain that it’s a commandment that I need to heed today.