Critique by Creating

So it's our final day in North Carolina, soon to return to work and the summer heat of Orlando.  This here post in many ways is something I've been dwelling on for about a year (disclaimer: that doesn't mean it will be profound).  I was looking back over some "journal" entries from about this time last year (we were in NC as well) and I wrote about wanting to become "anti-being-anti".  Let me explain.

Give a guy some books, a little experience, some graduate work and a blog and you have a dangerous combination, particularly when the subject is that of the Christian faith.  Why?  Because it is so easy to become rooted in an "anti-everything" mentality.  This happens when one thinks they know best and need to point it out to anyone who will listen.  Of course the thoughts are not worthy of enough of true publication, so enters the medium of "blog" whereas anybody can spout off about anything they wish.  No one to critique.  No one to edit.  No one really to answer to.  Just pure, unadulterated opinion.  Trouble is, that type of behavior is too EASY.  Anyone can spout off.  Anyone can point out what is wrong with a church, system, people, etc.  The real work comes when you try and create something that is better.

So it was about a year ago I found myself realizing how I easily gravitated to being the "blogger" and person who could resort to "anti-ness."  There's no brilliance there.  Any quasi-educated guy with a comptuer and an internet connection can do that.  I felt the conviction to be a person who works towards a better reality, and not simply railing against anything that sets me off.  I don't know how well I've done, but it's been a thought I have not been able to shake. 

Jump ahead to our recent trip to Mexico with our high school group.  We spent half our time doing deconstruction work (tearing down an old house, smashing walls, etc.).  Though this was work, and tiring work at that, it wasn't that difficult.  Anybody with some energy and a sledge hammer could do it.  And this type of work went relatively fast.  You could see the progress after just a few hours.  The other part of our time was spent doing construction.  Here we mixed concrete (by hand) and worked on the foundation of a new building.  This was slow, painful, skilled work.  You couldn't just run around knocking things down.  You had to have a plan.  You had to seek the counsel of others.  You needed other people.  The difference between "deconstruction" and "construction" has stuck with me because of this experience.

Today I still find myself prone to "deconstruct" because that quite frankly is the easy work.  I want to be the type of person who "constructs" and builds a better reality.  This seems the "way of Jesus."  Sure, identify what is wrong in our world, church, culture, etc.  Have opinions.  But don't stop there.  Be the type of person who works towards change and offers a solution, not just the identification of the problem.  In closing, I came across a quote from the artist Michelangelo (if it's not from him that's okay, it's still a good quote)--

We should be people who "critique by creating."

On a lighter note:

Happy Father's Day.  Being a dad is quite cool.  I highly recommend it.  I've posted our latest "family" pic in honor of the day.

Peace.