[short reflection]: where does contempt bring us?

I remembered looking upon the scarlet heart advertised on the screen every weekend on church services - displaying video clips downloaded from websites to inspire youths and young adults of a generation that is media-savvy and heavily driven.

We all are very great hearers, to be frank. And we are excellent critics of watchers as well.

"Oh the video reminds me of God's love, and how we should demonstrate the love to our neighbors, our families, our colleagues, our schoolmates."

"The video is stimulating! God speaks to us today as relevant, through the visuals! Thank God for talented people like those who created these videos!"

As relevant as they are (in which I would not dispute), I beg to differ on how much these would actually convicts us in long term.

I see the same group of people (not immediate similarity, but of the same characters that I know of), who have expressed their desire and their hunger to pursue God's righteousness through Facebook and Twitter, and at the next moment starts condemning the group of people they find irritable. Notably the people condemned were 'fortunately cleaners, contractors and installers' who have no sense of civic mindedness and cultured mentality.

I observed some who actually were on the train station, while giving up the seats for the elderly, were bad mouthing the poor foreigners who despite their able physicality, were just 'not well-kempted enough' to deserve a seat. The elders, who have great jewelry and obviously well mannered, were prioritized.

I happened to know some very godly people who have told me of their testimony of reaching out to people of many ages in their working place and various area of evangelism and describe the many eventual witnesses, and yet - when it comes to appreciating work - weekend's the only eventual goal, 'so that we could rest in Him, and meet up with church friends for movies, Wii, XBOX, and football matches'.

I somehow wondered, at times, where would I be? I often fail too in my conduct, and I noted that I have been very edgy in accommodating with people I found distaste with. There are some who actually did irked me and I actually lamented to my supervisors how much I disliked their working ethics - without actually directing and guiding them.

I hate the work of deception, especially when dealing with acknowledging the spiritual poverty in our selves. However, I cannot help but feel guilty every night thinking how much I thought I have 'higher ground' than those of my church friends who apparently think that they are 'highly spiritual'. And we all have besetting sins, some that are willingly committed, some may not be obvious. How often I forget that I am also part of the condemned party.

Where does contempt bring us in this generation? How are we far from the spiritual state that brought our forefathers such as John Wesley, Martin Luther, St. John on the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila, and even our immediate counterparts like Billy Graham, David Pawson, John Piper - to their knees and pray that 'God will have mercy on us all. Forgive us of our sins.'?

I am learning too myself. To give up the debauchery life, and away from the dose of lust - and hoping to seek community that can truly support, no matter what, each other. However, how are we able to extend the invitation to others who desperately need Christ through our feeble hands - yet not feeling the distasteful dissent of our human counterparts who may have practiced preferences over different people - and may not like to mix with us eventually?

I extend this question to all earnest pilgrims, and also to myself - to remind myself of my fallen self.

Lord have mercy on us all.