Authentic is a word that gets thrown around a lot in Christian circles. You read about it in books, on blogs, within interviews.
It seems we hunger for things and people that are genuine.
Tell me:
When you think of authenticity, who comes to mind?
Why do they come to mind?
What can we learn from them?
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Also, quick reminder that tomorrow As of Late finally comes back! You can read about the details here. Hope to see you linking up or commenting.
I am beginning to dislike the word. It gets thrown around all the time but yet….no one really is.. especially in the Church at times.
Ha….talk about sweeping generalization but I do live in the Bible belt and at times that can be oppressing instead of freeing.
Authenticity to me is impossibly simple I suppose.
When you are how are you? Mean it.
When someone ask how are you? You answer truthfully.
It’s about real and vulnerable with the people you trust. Not doing things because you think you should but because He has placed the desire, passion, purpose…in your heart.
I think it more than what we make of it. At the center of authenticity for a Christian is Christ. The more we work to become like Him the more authentic we are able to be because that is exactly what He was….all the time…even in the temple with His anger.
Hit. Nail. Head. Actually, I have a post on my dislike for the word coming. But first I wanted to play nice.
My church is also big on this word. And I am starting to dislike it, too. Tell me, what is so “authentic” about putting on a face of perfection, and ignoring those who don’t follow suit? What is so “authentic” about constantly singing the praises of a few while ignoring the hurting majority. I don’t get it. I am certainly not innocent of these things myself, but I am also tired of being hurt by so called authenticity. God has placed on my heart a desire to be real and to be true to who I am, but I don’t feel free to do that in the very place that emphasizes it in their mission statement.
Sorry to be a Negative Nellie!
Obv. I have some issues I need to work through! Oh, that we as the Church would get over ourselves and just live in the freedom Jesus offers, that instead of focusing on how fabulous we are (not!), we would focus on how holy and mighty and majestic He IS. Maybe then true authenticity would start to emerge in us.
I think we as a church have come to view authenticity=Jesus and hypocrisy or anything that isn’t authentic as The big bad pharisee. In doing so we have become less and less like Jesus and more and more like the Pharisee. We wanr our authenticity to be holy when in reality our true selves are broken, flawed and kind of ugly. We want beautiful authenticity that sparkles like Edward Cullen in the sunlight, not authenticity that reeks of sin and humanness like yesterdays garbage. So we fake authenticity and portray a sort of pharisee Jesus. And that’s what the church, in broad general terms, eats right up. I have this friend who lives in a perpetual bad mood. She is the kind of person you dread asking how her day is because you know you’ll get an earful of bad attitude and general disdain for life. The crazy part is we avoid her and she is a perfectly authentic broken, flawed person in need of grace. She doesn’t mask her hurt and struggles but is not considered a shiny poster girl for authenticity. Or, we don’t mind the occasional bad mood or angry rant or vulnerable post on a blog, if its a break from the norm- that we will call authenticity but God forbid we air that kind of authenticity on a daily basis. Okay, now I’m ranting. So let me get a little more pharisee composure and move right along. Whew, now I feel better.