The generalist and the specialist both have their challenges. The specialist can learn more and more about less and less until eventually he knows everything about nothing. The generalist, on the other hand, in learning less and less about more and more can end up knowing nothing about everything. Only on the world wide web, however, can we all be specialists in everything.
Some would argue that the internet didn’t really hit its stride until broadband became virtually ubiquitous. It wasn’t, however, the ability to bring more information in that proved to be the tipping point. I’d argue it was the ease of platform building through social media that fueled the explosion. It wasn’t the size of the hose from which we sought to drink but each of us having our own hose with which to spray. With Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and whatever the newest thing is, we all get to have a take. Which quickly devolves into something even worse, that we all have to have a take.
The issue of the day is the prayer heard ‘round the world, David Platt praying for and over the President when the latter dropped in on Sunday’s service. If that’s not compelling enough conversation for you, we can talk about Pastor Platt’s message to his congregation, some of whom apparently were hurt by what happened. Should the prayer have happened? Should it have happened differently? Should the message to the congregation have been given? Should it have been given differently? My take is not to have a take, except to wonder how in the world it is that we’re all talking about this?
The President is, without question, a deeply sinful man. Now before you MAGA hat wearers get your knickers in a twist, let’s remember that you, and I, and all of us are deeply sinful. Before you SJW’s cheer me on for pointing out the obvious about the President’s character, remember that you too are deeply, and obviously sinful. Pastor Platt, though I don’t know him, and though I have strong feelings in opposite directions about his book Radical, is by all accounts a decent pastor who, by the way, is also a deeply sinful man. The former asked the latter to pray for him, and the latter obliged. Not only is this bit of news not in the least controversial, it’s not even a bit of news. It is nothing that should concern any of us. That it is is what concerns me.
We have become outrage junkies, on every side of every aisle. The left is outraged at evil, orange man making political hay in a church. The right is outraged at the left for being outraged. Both have shot up, taken their daily fix that will keep them calmly agitated until tomorrow. And we will all then head back into the fetid waters of the world wide swamp looking for our connection to get another hit.
“Godliness with contentment is great gain” is not just about money. “Living in peace with all men” does not dissipate when we enter cyberspace. Pastor Platt, no doubt you have sins far worse than whatever your critics, ironically from both sides, are throwing at you. But I suspect, based on what I heard in your prayer, that you know Jesus is the solution. Remember He loves you. Remember that’s all that matters. God bless you sir.