In our culture, one’s “faith” is beginning to resemble one’s use of an ipod…

Here’s what I mean - You scroll through your iPod looking for the best song to fit your mood - perhaps it’s a Def Leppard 80’s ballad to reflect your broken heart… maybe you’re feeling like a gansta, so you drop a little riz-ap… you select some thrashing distortion when you’re mad at your boss… etc… I think you get my point - We pick the songs that we want based on our feelings… In short, iPods help us get the music we want - exactly when we want it - in the order which we most prefer…

Similarly, I’ve noticed how people tend to choose their religious beliefs based on their opinions, their feelings, their stage of life, etc… For instance, the person who loses his/her family may be drawn into the religious community that most treats him/her like family… The person who has made a really REALLY huge mistake may be drawn into the religious community that most offers a message of forgiveness… A person who is naturally inclined to participate in extreme behaviors will choose a religous system that emphasizes radical experiences… You get my drift, I’m sure…

Well, we wonder why we see so many people who bounce back and forth between religions and faith groups… It’s because decisions based off feelings never last… They don’t last because feelings always change…

All I know is that I want authenticity… consistency… TRUTH!!!

What if the iPod only played songs that told us the truth??? There would be no iPod… because our culture has slowly become more prone to conveniencies that meet our immediate needs… We make huge decision that have eternal implications based on our opinions…

Personally, I’ll take the TRUTH that may hurt for a minute, but ultimately sets us free!!!