 Whiners and cynics. The world is full of them. Maybe that’s why one pastor in Kansas City decided to take action with his congregation. Perhaps you have already heard about the purple bracelet challenge. This pastor asked people to refrain from any complaining or whining for 21 days straight. Most of them discovered that we tend to complain far more often than any of us realize – many,many times a day! So far just 21 church members have successfully completed the challenge. Already, more than 125,000 of these purple bracelets have been ordered and shipped out to others eager to give the “Complaint Free” lifestyle a shot. How we look at the world and what we say about it really matters. Oscar Wilde once said, “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” Either we can be people who communicate with hope and joy, or we can mesh right into the culture of complaint so rampant all around us. As artists, we have a tendency – and a reputation – for being cynical and negative. While it is certainly true that we live in a broken world, with much to be sad and sober-minded about, we desperately need to be among those who usher in some hope. Sunday mornings can be a time when people who attend church receive encouragement, inspiration to persevere, a glimpse of the abundant goodness and faithfulness of our God. |
