Poison

One of the most powerful works of art I have seen in a very long time is found in a place known as “Freak Alley” in downtown Boise, ID.  I stumbled upon this piece recently as I was walking this outdoor art display. Every year in August this community art project is eligible for new art to be added to it and this year I found my new favorite.

Pause and take a minute to really look at it…

 
What does it say to you?

 
To me it spoke a LOT! Especially because during that time I had just ended a Facebook/ media fast and found myself incredibly disheartened with the state of social media upon my return.

Poison.

I found the social media interwebs a mess of lonliness, longing, lust, comparison, desire, neediness, pride, heartache, etc. my heart began to grieve.

This work of art beautifully articulates most everything I was feeling about my findings in returning to social media. That most people have turned into “brainless robots that are being fed an almost nuclear sludge- poison- that is making them fat and is turning to waste”. This art piece is brilliant in so many ways! The placement of the brain behind bars, the placement of the overall piece as it’s over the garbage collection, the placement of the Facebook and Twitter icons and so much more.

Never before have I seen the effects of social media on myself as I did this most recent return. I found that while away from social media any thoughts of depression I had, any loneliness/ feelings of being left out that I felt, any anxiety etc. simply didn’t exist. I found myself being fully present in my days, able to remember things more clearly, with more joy, and more at peace about how things were unfolding day to day. Why was this the case?

Comparison wasn’t creeping its way into my bedroom and trying to have its way with me anymore.

Hear me out! I love the thought behind social media to keep people connected but to be quite honest I hate what it has done to our culture. When I went back on social media this most recent time I found myself grieving and mourning over some of my “friends” and their posts. Their posts cried out to me “see me! Know me! I’m hurt! I’m needy!” Their posts we’re craving attention and affirmation from man! Craving for someone to be authentic with, someone to feel with, someone to notice!

I believe that ultimately that is the desire of every human being. To be seen, known and loved for who they really are! People are craving authentic relationship and real connection that is only being pacified on social media! This is NOT the real thing!

Social media tries to model true connection like artificial insemination tries to model true intimacy. It’s lacking something.

Comparison is poison and I see it wreaking havoc in the minds, hearts, and homes of those I know and love. Recently NPR published an article talking about social anxiety and comparison. I had heard about this article but didn’t read it until a few lines back and found that it really confirms a lot of what I’m writing about here. (Read it- you won’t regret it). I also heard of a sermon that was shared recently on FAR that talked about comparison as being the deadly poison in relationship – it was the source of contention and in most cases death of relationship (divorce) in couples. I see this every day! I see/ saw this in myself as well!

I could spend 2 minutes on social media and find that I could compare myself to at least a dozen different people. “This one and her kids, this one and the missions work she’s doing, this one and her pregnancy announcement, this one is engaged, this one just got married, man my friends are on an adventure without me?! – and what am I doing?!” I can also see how people would compare themselves to me and that’s a huge reason why I’ve tried to back off of what I’m posting. Is my life amazing and amazingly blessed? Yes, yes it is. Is it also sometimes hard and ugly? Yes, most definitely! Do I want to be a source of comparison or envy in someone’s heart? No, no I don’t. So instead I choose to share fun things with a select group of people that I know very deeply and know won’t feel left out or needing to compare themselves to me.

I’ll say it again, comparison is a poisonous cocktail aimed to destroy community, companionship, camraderie and our consciousness. I hate it.

Comparison is aimed to deconsruct a person’s self-worth- aimed to destroy the human soul.

I write this not out of anger toward anyone but more out of love and desperation for those that I love to walk in freedom and in wholeness. That they would know the height, the depth, the breadth and the width of the Perfect Love- that they would know their value, their irreplaceable worth not only to their Creator, but to the World. My friends, I’ll say it again, you are irreplaceable! You are perfectly and beautifully you! You are made in the image of an amazing Creator!

So who are you really posting that stuff for? Is to make yourself feel more secure and better about yourself and your life? If it is, you have no need for comparison! It’s never too late! Flee from that deadly poison!

Love always,

❤️