I was talking to a good friend of mine a few weeks ago about mourning our loss of "edginess" in various ways as we grow older and become mommies (in her case) and educational leaders (in my case). In addition to our spiritual lives, we also share a gothic/punky/alternative sense of fashion, which has mellowed in the past few years for a variety of reasons.
I was thinking about shock value in our culture the other day. I was thinking about the younger Christian generation's desire to be different than the older Christian's generation, wherein we want to prove that we can be cool too, by not saying that we can't have a beer with our dinner or that we can't ever ever swear. I was thinking about my defensive hold on the gothic part of my history, my wardrobe, my personality.
And then the Holy Spirit knocked me upside the head.
Our power in this world is not in our "edginess" or our shock value. Jesus asks us to be meek instead of loud. In asking us to be meek, he asks us to trust in the power of His Spirit to accomplish the work he has planned. (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:7)
