While I could debate its explicit promotion, social media websites fan the flames, if not outright encourage me to present an idealized portrait of my life. The character on display is crafted with perfect lighting and perfect angles all in a perfect scene with a perfect background. With so much perfection in life, deed and creed, I should never interact with This Guy for my broken humanity would corrupt such a masterpiece!

This observation about our tendency to project a idealized creation is a rather pedestrian one to be sure. More than anything, I say it as a reminder to myself to resist a Monkey See, Monkey Do life while also not to assume that idyllic painting has an analog in reality.

As for me, I am broken; your writer is a sinner. On one hand: I espouse the righteousness of God; on the other: I find delight in the corruption of His good gifts. Make no mistake: the best things are from Him:

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

James 1:17, NIV

My life can be an abhorrent inconsistency! And yes, OF COURSE, this is part of the journey and it does demand patience as I am shaped. In a rich symbol of my justification on a December 3, I emerged from the waters of baptism to start down this long road of sanctification, a quiet path I'm hoofing on some thirty-three years later as He continues to shape me...I gotta admit, how I long for glorification! I look at this dark world and long for things to be restored anew. I HATE my sin and yet...I sin. Insert the Romans 7 throwback here!

And confirming the words I just wrote, this is a passage from my favorite book of the Bible:

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Romans 8:20-25, ESV

If anything, I hope this website is not me presenting a fantasy, an idealized version akin to Weird Al's Albuquerque:

That's when I swore that someday
Someday, I would get outta that basement
and travel to a magical, far away place
Where the sun is always shining!
And the air smells like warm root beer!
And the towels are oh, so fluffy!
Where the shriners and the lepers
Play their ukuleles all day long!
And anyone on the street
Will gladly shave your back for a nickel!
Wacka wacka doodoo, yeah!

A place like Facebook and all its derivations thereof is just that—not entirely, of course, for there are some info sources on there that are more effectively found elsewhere.

For me, a place like Facebook makes me demand to know how I answer a few questions, like:

• Would I be building more community or hiding from community?
• Is it an avenue of personal growth or just one, big, wind-up memory box with the twirling horsey?
• Would I be raising people up or would I be lurking in the shadows?

Finally, where exactly does my involvement wind up on the 'ol dial gauge of 1 John 2:16?

• Desires of the flesh
• Desires of the eyes
• Pride of life

And what's the trade-off, what do I get for my involvement? It's ABSOLUTELY HAS to be MORE than a free pass to walk through an empty art museum.