Category: facebook

…… a few days back I got a posting inviting me to be a viewer of a programme on a Christian TV channel (don’t get me started...) called ‘walking in victory’ or something. I pressed ‘delete’ almost immediately.

Here is one of my takes on theology/life- Jesus came to show us God and did that by entering into the ordinary mess and contradiction. He began and begins redeeming the mess.

I guess I used to take the message covertly that he was some kind of gleaming superman who made everything better straightaway. If He didn’t that had to be ignored or there was something wrong in me…… I look back with the great gift of hindsight and see that some people actually taught that and some seem to continue to teach it. If they don’t, well some people of faith seem to feel guilt/desire to hide that they may be broken. ‘Positive thinking’ has a place but it is not the gospel…do not be scared of the dark or grey side.

A blog that I sometimes read once spoke of regret that in a group of churches that he was part of, there was a section of the meeting where ‘Good News’ was an agenda item. He spoke of his dislike of this section due to the pressure to share only good news, suppress the bad or sometimes embroider the truth. I think it is good that we share stuff that has worked or where we have felt the presence of God. However, I also think it is good to share lament or the grey rainy Tuesday afternoons where nothing much has happened apart from staying faithful.

Yes, yes….miserable sod- but then you guessed that from this blog. Enjoy your bank holiday weekend….

A couple of days back I posted this, semi ironically, on my fb status:-

‘…generally prefers status updates that are ironic or self deprecating…..and does not like ones that subtly or non subtly say ‘look at me: I am significant’….’

And a friend, also with a large dollop of irony, called me a miserable sod.

As far as FB goes, it led to quite a lot of posts/discussion.

I guess this post is something of an apologia…

I love hearing news- I love hearing good news; things that my friends have done, good experiences that they have had and things that have pleased them about their family. ‘Rejoicing with those who rejoice’ is something that, as I get older, comes easier: life is short and celebrate the good when it comes. That is one reason why I am part of Facebook; it is a shorthand way of catching up and a good background noise when I am online.

But…. But…… some postings seem to me to be so  unremittingly positive; I guess that may well be the poster’s character. I wonder sometimes if the poster is scared of admitting anything less than positive.

 I long for some light and shade; I love your joys- I even love your rampant self publicity (mea culpa) you don’t have to go so far and be embarrasingly confessional all the time, but just let us know that sometimes your children annoy you, you get sad, you long for more, some experiences make you miss people and occasionally you wonder what it is all about. If you don’t, your joys don’t seem like peaks to me, but rather your life seems like a blissed out and unobtainable plateau to the rest of us….

And if that makes me a miserable sod, then so be it.

I loved this response from another friend to my original posting:-

‘…has enjoyed a wonderful day with his beautiful wife driving his convertible Merc to his villa in Tuscany. Looking forward to a meal in the local Michelin restaurant to celebrate another successful business flotation and the 4 A* grades his son has got at A levels to get in to Cambridge. Looks like it may not be quite as good olive harvest this year as last from my private grove’.

…well not really. I used something on Facebook a while back which compiled something on all my status updates during the year and came up with this:-

It makes me sound like a bloke propping up a bar and indulging in a stream of consciousness rant. You know, I’m slightly pleased about that impression….