"LIGHTING UP BUGHOUSE SQUARE"
"BEFORE THE INTERNET, BEFORE TV OR RADIO PEOPLE WOULD GATHER AT CHICAGO'S WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK TO LISTEN TO THE SOAPBOX ORATORS. BECAUSE OF THE CRAZY OR EXTREME VIEWS BEING EXPRESSED BY MANY OF THE SPEAKERS THE PARK BECAME KNOW AS BUGHOUSE SQUARE, BUGHOUSE BEING SLANG FOR A MENTAL HOSPITAL. IT WAS CHAOTIC AND UNORGANIZED. A TRUE ZONE OF FREE SPEECH WHERE ORATORS NOT ONLY HAD TO ATTRACT A CROWD BUT ALSO SURVIVE THE BARRAGE OF HECKLING SEEKING TO DETHRONE THEM FROM THEIR SOAPBOX. THE FASCINATING MIXTURE OF ENTERTAINMENT AND SOCIAL INTERACTION DREW PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE."
"THE SPIRIT OF BUGHOUSE SQUARE, THE DESIRE FOR SOCIAL INTERACTION AND TO SPEAK OUR MINDS, IS STILL A PART OF LIFE. TODAY IT TAKES THE FORM OF SOCIAL SITES SUCH AS FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND EVEN COMMENTS TO CHRISTIAN POST ARTICLES. HOW OFTEN HAVE YOU READ A POST AND THOUGHT, "THAT PERSON IS NUTS!" THAT IS BUGHOUSE SQUARE. THE DIFFERENCE IS ONE OF REACH. WHILE THE BEST OF THE BUGHOUSE SQUARE ORATORS MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET A FEW HUNDRED LISTENERS, A SINGLE POST ON A SOCIAL SITE HAS THE POSSIBILITIES OF REACHING MULTIPLIED THOUSANDS. ALSO, THOUGHTS POSTED TO A SOCIAL SITE DO NOT SIMPLY DISAPPEAR INTO THE ETHER BUT ARE RETAINED FOR LATER CONSUMPTION. THIS IS, BOTH GOOD AND BAD. THE WRITTEN THOUGHT REACHES FURTHER, BUT THE SLASHES OF GOSSIP, SLANDER, AND BULLYING WOUNDS DEEPER."
"HOW THEN DOES A CHRISTIAN NAVIGATE AND INTERACT WITH THIS NEW WORLD OF EXTENDED SOCIAL INTERACTION? HOW CAN WE LIGHT UP BUGHOUSE SQUARE WITH THE LIGHT OF JESUS CHRIST? I BELIEVE THE ANSWER IS FOUND IN TWO PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE. PAUL WRITES IN EPHESIANS, " AS A RESULT, WE ARE NO LONGER TO BE CHILDREN, TOSSED HERE AND THERE BY WAVES AND CARRIED ABOUT BY EVERY WIND OF DOCTRINE, BY THE TRICKERY OF MEN, BY CRAFTINESS IN DECEITFUL SCHEMING; BUT SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE, WE ARE TO GROW UP IN ALL ASPECTS INTO HIM WHO IS THE HEAD, EVEN CHRIST" (EPHESIANS 4:14-15, NASB95). THE FIRST KEY IS THE CENTRAL PHRASE, " SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE." TRUTH IS IMPORTANT AND VITAL. WITHOUT TRUTH OUR WORDS ARE MEANINGLESS. WHILE THEY MAY BE ENTERTAINING, WITHOUT TRUTH THEY HAVE NO ROOT. THE SECOND KEY IS THE MOTIVATION OF LOVE. WHY ARE WE SAYING WHAT WE ARE SAYING? WHAT IS THE MOTIVE? WHAT ARE WE HOPING TO ACHIEVE IN THOSE READING OUR WORDS? IS OUR FOCUS ON THE READERS OR ON OURSELVES? LOVE REQUIRES US TO CONSIDER THE OTHER PERSON OVER OUR NEEDS. HOWEVER, LOVE IS NOT SIMPLY MAKING THE SOMEONE ELSE FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES BUT SPEAKING TRUTH TO ADDRESS THEIR DEEPEST NEEDS. SOMETIMES, FOR THE SAKE OF LOVE, DIFFICULT OR CONTRARY WORDS MUST BE WRITTEN. SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE CALLS THE READERS UP TO A HIGHER STANDARD. THE THIRD KEY IS GRACE. PAUL WRITES TO THE COLOSSIANS, " LET YOUR SPEECH ALWAYS BE WITH GRACE, AS THOUGH SEASONED WITH SALT, SO THAT YOU WILL KNOW HOW YOU SHOULD RESPOND TO EACH PERSON" (COLOSSIANS 4:6, NASB95). ONE DEFINITION OF THE GRACE IN THIS PASSAGE IS " A WINNING QUALITY OR ATTRACTIVENESS THAT INVITES A FAVORABLE REACTION." IN OTHER WORDS, TO WRITE AND RESPOND IN SUCH A WAY THAT DRAWS PEOPLE CLOSER INSTEAD OF PUSHING THEM AWAY. THE NET RESULT, THE GOAL, IS TO BE HELPFUL AND NOT HURTFUL. EVEN THE SIMPLEST SUBMISSION TO BUGHOUSE SQUARE MUST BE EXAMINED IN THE LIGHT OF TRUTH, LOVE, AND GRACE."
"THEREFORE, BEFORE THE E-MAIL OR TEXT IS SENT, BEFORE THE COMMENT IS POSTED, AND BEFORE THE BLOG ENTRY IS SUBMITTED, EXAM IT IN THE LIGHT OF TRUTH, LOVE, AND GRACE. IS WHAT I AM ABOUT TO SUBMIT TO BUGHOUSE SQUARE TRUTH? IS MY MOTIVATION LOVE OR SOMETHING SELF-CENTERED LIKE PRIDE, REVENGE, OR VENTING? HAVE I SEASONED MY WORDS WITH GRACE THAT DRAWS OR BITTERNESS THAT REPELS? BY EXAMINING OUR WORDS WE CAN BRING THE LIGHT OF CHRIST TO BUGHOUSE SQUARE INSTEAD OF BEING ONE MORE "CRAZY" ADDING TO THE CHAOS"
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