Another post with the too familiar chorus, “I really am going to get better about regular updates…” Anyway, here’s some of the things catching my interest over the last few weeks:
Seth Godin writes on Destabilizing the Bully Power Structure, noting that:
“Bullying persists when bureaucracies and hierarchies permit it to continue. It’s easier to keep order in an environment where bullying can thrive (and vice versa), because the very things that permit a few to control the rest also permit bullies to do their work. The bully uses the organization’s desire for conformity to his own ends.”
It is interesting to think of this in the context of the church. I’ve always assumed that bullies who find their way into churches (and church leadership) do so, because it can be an environment where it can be easy to assume power, and it is filled with people who will tend to tolerate or excuse “bad” behavior in the name of “Christian love” and “forgiveness.” But what if there is something else happening at a deeper systematic level that helps foster an environment where bullies are welcomed and protected into the life of the church?
Semi-related – Shane Koyczan doing his poem “To This Day”… for the bullied and beautiful.
Wil Wheaton: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Embrace Failure.
Fred Clark: I Do, In Fact, Care Who Started It. Make sure you read the whole article, but I’ll share the xkcd cartoon Fred included that really made the point for me:
Hugh MacLeod: All Art Is Religious Art.
Scot McKnight put this up on his blog, I’m not sure what it says about me given that I like the “geek” movies, but the “hipster” bands.
From: BecomeCareer.com
Dan Dick: Vital Is As Vital Does.
Ta-Nehisi Coates: The World that Hip Hop Made.