#superficial

“People may not always tell you how they feel about you, but they will always show you. Pay attention.” Unknown | heard a NYT best selling author discuss his frustration over how keenly aware he was that he no longer tolerated ppl in the express lane with >10 items (or whatever the quoata is for express check-out). Post covid his tolerance for inconsiderate ppl was greatly diminished, this guy is a silver spoon boomer talking; and he & his friends shared notes on just how easily offended ppl get from the slightest set-back. In the wrong neighbourhood this kind of thing is called disrespect, they never arrived at much of a solution to this despite being Christian & being self-help gurus. All they ended doing was gauging how much reserve you have in terms of being able to keep your cool & choosing to stay home if you are running too low in tolerance. Don't get me wrong, this kind of advice was groundbreaking at the time—but after having toggled thru life with that in my back pocket, I can safely say it doesn't work. If getting along means having superficial, or non-existent interactions, then it's only going to trigger up the memory why they behave in this way: You both haven't forgiven one another, there is still inner resentment which can only be surmised as "I'd rather not if I had the choice." ykwim #procrastination.

It's like the news reel where a young man convicted of killing his senior once said the reason he did it was bc the victim "looked at him the wrong way." And that is how I know JESUS was right about the thoughts we have affect our actions, anger is as murder bc if given the chance we would do it. #citizenCain No compunction, we see it with Mario, opps my bad: Luigi Mangione..the sheer number of supporters for his cause shows just how much animosity exists for Corporate America—everything is personal.

The health insurance executive killed in December 2024 was UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was fatally shot outside a Manhattan hotel. The suspect, Luigi Mangione, was arrested five days later. [1, 2]

Anyhow my point is, for the first time I heard something that checks-out, and it comes from this excerpt of: The Longing for Home by Tim Keller when he tells us about Psalm 17. It helps you to deal with all the ups & downs in life [31:43].

You will never understand what it's like to be me

Your mountains are not like mine to climb;

we had different starting points.

Being alive and having a life are not the same thing

You ask… I answer, but I'll probably just lie about it and change the topic

Loneliness on different branches of the same tree

Just let me be

You don't really want to know

Jesus says that our problem is not about superficial things, such as what we eat. Food goes in and out of your body. The things that harm you come from inside – ‘what comes out of the mouth gets its start in the heart’. The real issue is sin in the heart: ‘For out of the heart come evil thoughts – murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make you “unclean”’.

The challenge of Jesus’ words is that while we may not have committed murder or adultery, all of us fall at the first hurdle. The very first attribute that Jesus mentions is ‘evil thoughts’. The solution to our sin is not external rituals, as the Pharisees were suggesting. Only God can change my heart. I need the help of his Holy Spirit to transform and purify me.