Two Responses to Bullsh*t

The author Anthony Warner (lovingly known as the Angry Chef) wrote that "The energy required to refute bullshit is many times the energy required to produce it." The older I get, the more I realize the validity of this observation. 

It's been heartbreaking to watch the way most Americans (especially those who claim to follow Jesus) naively pledge their unwavering support for Israel in the face of the genocide it's inflicting on Palestinians. I've been to Israel and Palestine a handful of times and have personally spent time with remarkable Israelis and remarkable Palestinians. In fact, one of the highlights of those trips for me was unpacking the theology of nonviolence with a Palestinian friend over hookah.

From my vantage point, what the nation of Israel (through the support of the USA) continues to do is not defensible or justifiable in any sense. Even believers in just war—which I am not—should be able to acknowledge this is not two equal sides fighting to protect themselves. And I believe history will prove this out. The problem is that most people haven't seen the realities the Palestinians have dealt with for decades and therefore they react only to what they know. I struggle even addressing this as it feels like I have nowhere near the energy needed to refute the dominant narrative.

Or take Christianity in America. Every week I'm horrified by something I see a pastor say or do. Yet most Christians keep supporting and engaging the traditional evangelical spaces without ever wondering if there's something off that needs to be examined. And the platforms these leaders have continues to grow. Those who raise a question or concern are often met with isolation and loneliness. I carry my own scars of what the church can do to you when you don't play along. In a recent conversation with Dr. David Gushee, we unpacked how the greatest threat to democracy these days is Christians themselves (see: Defending Democracy).

Not to mention the theology that dominates Christianity in America today. Collectively, we white-knuckle certain beliefs as 'traditional' and fight off anything with a whiff of something different. I recently wrote about this and received a number of responses from people who resonated with the desire for something better (see: Don't Choose Issues). But who has the energy to fight this battle over and over?

You likely have your own list. For many, these realities lead to despair and apathy. We might throw up our hands in surrender and think, "What's the point of trying?"

Instead, what if we considered the bullshit a form of job security? Because the things in life you and I care about will always be filled with bullshit, we need to offer something else... something better. While I have no delusions of changing the world, I feel a small spark of creative defiance each time I post an episode of Cabernet and Pray. I'm intentionally putting something into the world to offer a less-familiar view of God and Christianity that I believe is desperately needed. It's a small jab in refuting the collective bullshit I see each day.

The world needs less apathy and more creators of goodness. Choose your response to the bullshit accordingly. We need you.

Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash