Smiling At the Future

“In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so.” – Anton Ego in Ratatouille

How easy it is to criticize and complain.  It’s easy to tear down, to put others down, and supposedly build ourselves up in the process, isn’t it?

I am most often surprised at the seething criticism and spite that comes from people within the same artistic disciplines or within the same faith.  For example, many photographers seem to thrive on tearing other photographers apart. They have certain ‘standards’, questions they ask to bait you, such as “Well, did you ever shoot with film?”  They ask this as though photographers of the digital age using digital cameras and digital darkrooms are less of an artist, as though it requires less of a vision, or less of an ‘eye’, or less knowledge.

They’ll pounce on others and tear them down and tear them apart, decrying any level of success that they have.

It’s so much easier that way.  It’s easier than, say, stepping in and coaching and helping that person (if they desire that).  Or wishing them well.  Or even, in a more positive vein, building up something ‘better’.  It’s easier to sit back, not expend any energy, not get invested, and just criticize.

It’s Everywhere

We’re capable of doing that in any area, aren’t we?  We tear down movies, art, other people’s work, other people’s accomplishments.  We tear down the church, the pastor, the worship leader.  We sit and complain and criticize rather than doing something.

Nevermind that we don’t even give credit for someone having the nerve, the guts, the sheer courage to put themselves and their work out there.  We don’t give them credit for the time, effort, sweat, the hard work that they put in.  We don’t give them credit for being ‘where they are’ and that they’ll grow and develop and become better over time.

Nevermind all that.  Getting to that point alone takes work.  But what about going even deeper?

Other Options

To be truly honest?  I struggle with this at times.  I do.  I’m as guilty as the next person at times. For me, it is especially difficult when I come across things that I am absolutely, 100% diametrically opposed to.  I struggle very often with the movements (oh yes, there’s a movement) out there in ‘the Christian world’ that wants to define for us what a ‘true woman’ is.  And of course, she bakes. Her sole purpose in life is to procreate.  She cannot fulfill God’s purpose for her without doing so. There’s a certain type of woman we’re meant to be and the rest of us are not ‘true women’.  And so on.  You know the drill.

Ya think that might get to me?  Yeah.  It does.  And what I’ve wanted to do is rant and rave and scream and yell.  What I’ve wanted to do is get my back up and tell ‘them’ what they can and cannot tell me — and who God says I am, and that He outranks them, thank you very much.  ;-) I’ve wanted to point out the traits that they criticize in other women are the very traits they’re exhibiting.

And then it hit me.  That’s the easy answer, isn’t it?  It’s easy to shake your fist at the wind.  It’s easy to get wrapped up in emotion and start standing on chairs and yelling and screaming.  It’s easy to join a populist-styled ‘movement’.

It’s harder to do as we’re told in James 4:

“Do not speak against one another, brethren.  he who speaks against a brother, or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law;  but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it.  There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and destroy, but who are you to judge your neighbor?”  - James 4:11-12

Does that mean we just let it go and don’t do anything?  No.  But it changes your perspective as to what you do and how you do them.  It’s harder, for example, to leave them to the work they’ve chosen to do — and to step back and decide instead — to build something.  To ‘be the change‘.  It’s harder to disengage and instead find and build a community that uplifts and builds us up to be who God meant for us to be.  That celebrates who we are.  That brings people together in a positive way that helps others and contributes.  It’s harder to welcome a variety of voices that builds a beautiful, vibrant chorus when singing all together.

What have you been criticizing and complaining about lately? What really gets you going?  Is there something there that you can do instead?  Ways you can contribute?  Ways you can build something positive out of it and rather than criticize, create?

Love,

deb

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 at 10:27 am and is filed under Be the Change, Pressing On, Who You Are. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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