rude to crude
One of my favorite shows to watch is American Idol.
I particularly like the first part of the season better than the middle to last part. I think it’s because I like to watch all the craziness and see people’s reactions to the craziness. I have to admit, I also love watching Simon Cowell keep it real with many of the contestants. Maybe because I really appreciate bluntness.
However, as I’ve thought about him, my life, and being a Christian, I have often wondered and had to ask myself over and over, is there a line when being blunt crosses over into being crude and rude? I think there is, but I’m not sure what that line is. So, I’m going to ask all of you.
I tend to be a Simon and not a Paula type person. I can be pretty blunt and honest, but there is definitely a line you have to find. I think that line for me is my read of people. For example, I have a friend who you just cannot confront or for that matter be honest with because he is in such denial that it would crush him. But I have another friend who can take honesty very well and we are pretty honest with each other about things.
I do think there needs to be more honesty in the church though. How about instead of being passive aggressive we all fall under the umbrella of grace instead.
I agree with Kyle you need to be able to read people. I agree that I think sometime Christians tend to be to wishy-washy when it comes to being honest. I used to judge a christian fine arts festival through our church and every year they wod tell us not to be to harsh. Well I was honest with these people. Not mean but honest. These kids need to know if they are completly off key The organizers pulled me aside and told me either change my comments or they were not going to ask me back to judge… Needless to say I was not asked back to judge. But the other judges kept putting stuff like. “that was such a blessing….the words to that song spoke to me…ect”. But if the kid can’t carry a tune and reads those comments they won’t understand why they didn’t advance. I dunno. Can you tell tuis is a hot button for me hahaha.
But again. I am a firm believer in being honest
I think he has had a good balance this year. He has encouraged people at times when they were tore down by the others and when he has spoken he has done it out of care for the person.
Christians are often worse than Simon, most of the time they never approach the person with their comments but take time to speak to everyone else. When they do speak to each other generally it is not said well or taken well.
Attitude is the divide between blunt and crude… are you saying this to put them down or help them? Sometimes we say we want to help but really we are just wanting to put them down.
We can learn from Simon…. everyone knows where he stands… that is part of honesty.
kyle, passive aggressiveness makes for so much more fun though.
haha. and i agree more honesty please.
haha. my friend adam rips dreams to shreds. haha. i’m proud though that you were honest. i definitely think that for the most part people in the church world aren’t honest at all in the open, and yet their honest comes out behind closed doors.
phillip, i think so too. and i agree, attitude has so much to do with it.
Adam, I have done the same thing. I had a music minister ask me to help him with picking students for the worship team. We had auditions and I was honest with him on what I thought of each student. Every time I said that person cannot sing or for that matter play the guitar he would say “ya but they tried really hard and they will be crushed when I tell them they did not make it”
At the end of our conversation I asked him why he even asked me to help him out? Some people have a hard time being honest or for that matter hearing truth.
Jesus said to be kind. Heap coals if nothing else when dealing with an enemy and love a neighbor or friends as self. We are charged to love and created to love; we are not here to war or hate or destroy. If I somehow became supernatural, I would not destroy all the killers or terrorists or the like because Jesus didnt and God hasnt so who are we to do anything outside of what we are commanded?
good question. what you think?