CIVIL REVOLUTION: INTRODUCTION

On May 28, 2021, I posted the following on Facebook:

This is my last day on social media and watching any news until July.

The continued excesses of political polarization, ‘plandemic’ conspiracies, and demands for personal ‘freedoms’ have left me wearied. [I posted this before social media and the news blew up, rightly so, due to the murder of George Floyd. The ‘freedoms’ to which I was referring to at the time were people protesting such things as “My body, my choice” in regards to wearing a mask; and “It’s essential for me to get a haircut.” How trivial does that all sound now?] It’s become modern-day tribal warfare: The common refrain is, “If you don’t believe exactly as I do, then you’re an idiot (or much worse).” Civil discourse has left the stage. “Love your neighbor as yourself ”?

Yet, in the midst of this, I’m so thankful for people like: Erick Lux, who has been continually posting an arresting array of plant life that shows the incredible beauty and diversity found on this planet – may we find the same in the people all around us; for Jack Sorenson, whose paintings posted are providing a welcome respite through vivid landscapes filled with fascinating characters and often humorous stories – may we likewise open our eyes, be amazed, and point others to the beauty we daily behold; for Lea Schrader, who posts the awe-inspiring images of the universe(s) from the Hubble Telescope – may we all learn to practice silence and humility in the midst of such majesty; for people like Bryan Galloway and Ken Tanner, bringing us daily encouragement from God’s Word during COVID-19…may we all see the beauty of the One who created all the world and the people in it and proclaimed it “good”; and lastly, for people like Steve Magness who seek to help us to look at issues logically and humbly – may we all likewise seek to learn to balance our minds and emotions as we learn to navigate this new normal, hopefully together.

I am also thankful to Greg Stipe, a former collegiate teammate, for sowing the seed that inspired this paper when he posted, “Will look forward to hearing your wisdom on the other side of your social media retreat.” Any “wisdom” found throughout is from many sages I have sat under during my sixty-plus years on this planet. That includes Erick Lux. Thirty-seven years ago I had him as a student in my classroom, and now he’s teaching me. It was his primer on cross-pollination of plants that helped this project to gain traction. Together, people like these are part of the fulfillment of N. T. Wright’s statement: “Tell someone to do something and you change their life - for a day; tell someone a story and you change their life.”*

Throughout I will be adding multiple stories, including some links to videos, to further illustrate the points I’m seeking to make. Hopefully all of this in concert will help change more lives for the better, beginning with mine. I chose to include music videos because songs are some of the most honest communications we hear. Singing can be used to speak to hearts that are desolate or ones that are overflowing with joy, and everything in between. Singing connects the words we sing with our hearts. In every culture and age, music is a language of emotion. It’s hard to find that regularly in any other way we humans communicate with each other. Finally, the idea is not to read through this paper in one sitting, but to chew on the contents in each section and seek to find actionable steps for your own life.

This is not about one topic currently plaguing our planet aside from the question, ‘How do we start a civil revolution in how we interact with our fellow humans in order to love each other well?’ I encourage you to take the time to read, listen, and watch all of it, because together it all weaves a powerful picture – and you are part of the beautiful tapestry.

The Power of Stories: 


 Music: "Taking it to the Streets" 



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