In the world, not of it.

This post is for Summer.

Or, Summer Lou Who, as I used to call her when she was just a wee tot.  She was in my Pre-K class and her pockets were always full of...toys, hair-bobs, little plastic bugs- you name it.  I always put the hair-bobs in her hair so she would have "Who-hair" because she looked just like Cindy Lou Who from How the Grinch Stole Christmas.  She was the great carrier of tiny things.  When she was little, she also once took someone's baby Jesus out of their nativity and her mom found it in her pocket when she did laundry and had to call around and ask, "Are you missing Jesus?"

Hilarity ensues.
Summer has grown into a lovely young woman who seeks after God with her whole heart- and I am privileged that I get to be a part of her life and excited to see what God does in and through her.

This morning, I received a message from Summer on Facebook regarding a post I shared with some photos on it.  She had some insightful things to say- and it got me thinking.  And you know how I get when I have THOUGHTS.

Here we go...with THOUGHTS.

For starter, a little exposition- here's the thing with me and Facebook:

I really try not to get super deep with it.  I try to not comment politically, or make sweeping philosophical statements....for me, Facebook really is about wishing people a Happy Birthday and posting photos of sheep, cute kittens and pretty dresses, and Tom Hiddleston getting his nose licked by a baby leopard because WHO DOESN'T LOVE THAT?...and the Go Fug Yourself show recaps because those are HILARIOUS.  Not kidding.

I looked forward to the next day recap as much as every episode of Downton Abbey.

So to me, Facebook- is fluffy.

I save all my "deep" and potentially controversial stuff for this blog.

You are welcome.
But I digress.

Here is a sample from the photos that I posted.

I am not sure who this woman is, but she has shown up before in my feed.  And she CRACKS ME UP.  She takes all these ridiculous photos/poses of models and celebrities and re-creates them and it is a HOOT.  It is ABSURD.  Quite literally.

And to me- it is quite the commentary on our society.

And what Summer said to me was regarding the suggestive nature of some of the photos- and the effect of those on people and the temptation they could inspire- that sort of thing.  All valid points.

But as I was having THOUGHTS- I realized- that was kind of the point of me posting it.

We are bombarded on a daily basis with these suggestive, unrealistic, demonic and sexypants expectations that are placed on women.  Somehow, it has become NORMAL.

I find that horrifying.

We are told again and again- through all sorts of media- that women's worth is in their appearance and their sexuality.

However- I never said all those THOUGHTS.  I just posted the funny photos.

Because- Facebook, to me- is not a forum to get on my soapbox.

I just hoped that my friends could follow my train of thought and see what I see.

Oops.  Summer's message this morning told me that this is not the case.

Ahhh.  The power of social media, to inspire, to educate, to misunderstand.

Facebook is one of the windows through which I look at the world- and see what is happening- big picture-wise.

I am thankful to have an incredibly wide variety of friends- all different nationalities, religions, political views, careers and backgrounds- and it is fascinating to me to see what is floating through the ether into our hearts and minds.

Fascinating, encouraging, heartwarming... sad, maddening, tragic, heartbreaking.

Our world has become media.

Media wages war on our world, our hearts and our souls.

Particularly women.

It is so bad, we hardly notice anymore.  And those that do notice, or Heaven forbid, speak up- are labeled as "bitches" and bombarded with rape threats and death threats....and that is here in the "civilized" Western World.  The other day, I was walking into work and a strange man felt it was okay for him to make comments about my blouse- sadly, this unwanted attention and behavior from men is something that I, along with most women in the world, have had to learn to live with and maneuver.  I don't know why men think it is okay to make comments of any kind at women they have never met.  It seems to me, that they view it as a right they are entitled to.  It is "normal."  And this is fairly small potatoes in the war on women...

It doesn't take into account the sex slave trade, child marriage or genital mutilations that many of God's daughters in the world (and yes, in our own country) physically endure on a day to day basis.

It takes a toll on all of us, body and soul, male and female, young and old.

Really.  It does.

We live in a world where this happens:  (Warning- naked people ahead)

Now I don't know about you, but I am totally inspired to go purchase a spendy handbag...or not.

There was one ad that had a man who was fully dressed with a naked woman and a purse.

These are ads in mainstream fashion magazines.  Because-photoshopped naked women sell purses...apparently?
Really?
Apologies to those who struggle with pornographic images...

Particularly since they have been photoshopped to death and don't even look like the real person anymore.

Personally, I can't see what is "wrong" with the original.

Here's the thing.
I find the female form gorgeous- in all shapes and sizes, and usually the beauty of the woman is internal- amplified and expounded upon by her physical beauty.  I find ALL people physically beautiful- they are made in God's image- unless- they start messing around with plastic surgery (reconstruction and accidents and extenuating circumstances aside) and become virtually unrecognizable.  I deal with people's physical beings for a living.  Our bodies are gifts from God- not meant to be objectified and exploited.

And yet- here we are...pimping spendy handbags with God's creation.

Because- that's awesome.

All of us are constantly attacked with images and messages like this on a daily basis.  In magazines, on the interwebs, film, television.  We are constantly told that women have no value beyond appearance and sexuality- and while I do believe that God intended nothing but beauty through those values- they have been twisted through sin and brokenness in the world to be the only value a woman has.  ABSURD.

So what do we do?
How do we fight this?
How do we reveal God's intent and vision and value of women?

Well- it's certainly a process, I guess.  An uphill battle, if you will.  One that began in the Garden of Eden and will last all the ages until Jesus comes back and pulls it all back into balance.

If you watch Jesus- and how He deals with women- it is a fascinating thing- and doesn't reflect at all the views of the world- look at the stories of how He interacts with his mom, the woman with the issue of blood, the adultress woman, Mary Magdalene, the woman at the well.  In a male dominated culture- women are NAMED in Christ's bloodline...Tamar, Bathsheba, Ruth, Rahab, Mary.... He also loved sisters Martha and Mary- hung out at their house- they were friends....He treated women completely differently than anyone had before.

This is what Dorothy Sayers has to say about it- it is one of my favorite quotes about Jesus, ever.

“Perhaps it is no wonder that the women were first at the Cradle and last at the Cross. They had never known a man like this Man - there never has been such another. A prophet and teacher who never nagged at them, never flattered or coaxed or patronised; who never made arch jokes about them, never treated them either as "The women, God help us!" or "The ladies, God bless them!"; who rebuked without querulousness and praised without condescension; who took their questions and arguments seriously; who never mapped out their sphere for them, never urged them to be feminine or jeered at them for being female; who had no axe to grind and no uneasy male dignity to defend; who took them as he found them and was completely unself-conscious. There is no act, no sermon, no parable in the whole Gospel that borrows its pungency from female perversity; nobody could possibly guess from the words and deeds of Jesus that there was anything "funny" about woman's nature.”

Wow. I love this radical, Jesus.

I love how He deals with the brokeness of the world- so differently from the way that we do.

In John 16:33, Jesus says I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.

In John 17- He goes on to say- As you have sent Me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

We are to be in the world, but not of it.  How do we do that- how do we stay sane in a world at war?
We could go hide- cut ourselves off from all media- but is that really God's intent?
For some people, it may well be.  Or it may be for a period of time- I was once called to fast Good Morning America for a month- I was devastated- but I needed to get away from it for awhile- I loved Charlie and Diane- but they were eating into my Jesus time.

I am not going to assume that I know what level of faith and obedience that God is calling a person to.  But how will we reach the lost and broken if we never interact with them?  If we never hang around with them enough to fall in love with them like Jesus did?
Because He did.  He loves us.  He loved us when we were messed up and broken and full of sin- and He calls us to love others.

One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is John 17.  This is Jesus's prayer for us.

My prayer is not that You take them out of the world, but that You

protect them from the evil one.

They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.
v. 15-16

In the world, not of it- that's the tension isn't it?

So what does that mean?
I am not sure- I suspect it looks a bit different for everyone.

I myself am called into the land of costumes and theatre and fashion- that is my mission field- those are the people of my world.  People who are broken, lost, vulnerable- and brave enough to put themselves out in front of people to tell story.  I work with bodies, I work with hearts and minds.  I remind them they are beautiful when they think they aren't...that is part of my story.

I also think it takes intentionality to be in the world and not of it.  We each have to make decisions on what that looks like-to ask God what He desires for us and from us.  I think a good place to start is the Word of God.  But that was the other blog post.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, 

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-

his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 12:2

We need to be wise enough to recognize the pattern of the world- to be able to recognize and call out the lies and schemes of the evil one.  To do that- we need to be close with God-  we need to know His love, truth and grace- so intimately that we can recognize what is out of line.

And we need to trust Him- and not be so serious all the time.

I love Stephan Pastis.  He makes me laugh.  We need truth tellers to make us laugh, so that we can hear the truth.