i saw a picture today that made me laugh but at the same time reminded me about how much certain things annoy me. the picture was of a girl who had been drinking curled up over a toilet throwing up. that’s a normal college picture, right? right. well, the thing that made it not normal is that on her back she had a tattoo of a cross and the words matthew 5:13-16. the irony was funny, but the truth was pretty upsetting. it’s hard to be the “light of the world” or “a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden” or to “let your light shine before others” when you’re bent over a toilet puking from drinking too much.

one thing i’ve learned over the years and reminded of lately is that speaking the truth will offend people. i want people to like me, i really do. it’s just a natural feeling. it’s nice to be liked. at the same time, i know there are things that i see and and hear that aren’t right that i know will make people angry if i call them out on it. tonight i’ve decided that i just don’t care anymore if the things that i say make someone angry. this post is not about one person in general. it’s not about what one person did. it’s going to be a lot of generalities that maybe you fall under, maybe you don’t. it’s just what i felt like writing about. if you don’t like it, well, quit reading. i won’t be offended.

the first thing i want to touch on is people who live a double life. this is one of the things i’ve noticed big time the past few months. these people act like great people and say and do the right things when they’re around me or talking to me. they do this because they know i don’t agree with some of the stuff that they want to do. they think if they don’t talk about it that i won’t know it’s going on.

people who know you, know what’s going on.

there’s no use hiding things like that. if someone knows you, they know when you’re hiding something. they know when things are going on that shouldn’t be. when you disappear for a while then suddenly reappear like nothing happens, it’s pretty obvious what was going on.

be yourself, even if that involves admitting mistakes.

i would much rather have a friend that acted the same way all the time and didn’t hide the things they do. if you hide things, you’re basically admitting to yourself that you know that what you’re doing is wrong but don’t want to admit them to other people. that’s just stupid. people that take the time to get to know you and develop a relationship with you generally will still feel the same about you, even if you screw up. they’ll likely even care for you more if they know you’re struggling with something.

another thing that i don’t get, and really don’t like, are the people who go out and drink multiple times a week and then show up in church on sunday morning and act like they’re great christians. i saw it growing up and thought coming to liberty i wouldn’t see it anymore. boy was i wrong. i see it more here than i ever do. i know people who go out and drink until three in the morning only to wake up and go to church. don’t get me wrong, i’m glad they’re going to church, but if you’re going to claim to be a christian, and act like one on sunday morning, do a favor for the rest of us and act like one the rest of the week.

it’s saturday night. i started writing this around 10:30 or so. all of my “friends” are out doing something tonight. i’m pretty sure quite a few of them are together. the next time i see them, they’ll come up to me and tell me how it’s been forever since they’ve seen me and that we need to hang out and all of that, completely forgetting that the night before or a couple days before, they were all hanging out together anyways. i’ve learned that when that happens, chances are they’re doing stuff that they know i don’t agree with. i thought that would end when i left coastal, but i guess fake people are everywhere, especially in large groups of “christians.”

i’d much rather hang out with people who never claimed to be christians than people who do and don’t act like it.

i know that this entry has been “preachy” and i know that there’s a really good chance that i’ve made some people mad. that’s not the point of this at all. i’m not trying to make anyone mad. this is just what i felt like writing about – people who say one thing and do another. if that’s you, and you’re mad, i’m not sorry. if that’s you, stop doing it. it’s ok to make mistakes. we all do. it’s not ok to make the same mistakes over and over and over and pretend like they don’t happen.

the only thing i ask of anyone reading this is this: if you claim to be a christian, act like it. don’t just act like it in front of other christians, act like it all of the time.

say your prayers and take your vitamins.

have a nice day.

-jonathan