Seinfeld, a "show about nothing," is a philosophical topic in and of itself. I think Nietzsche might have written that already. Of course, it doesn't really mean "nothing" as much as it means "mundane," but "a show about the mundane" doesn't have the same ring to it.
One of my favorite scenes is when George Castanza has one of his characteristic meltdowns, because his friends, Elaine and Jerry, invited George's girlfriend Susan to the movies. This supposedly rips the Castanza continuum, because it now collides two of George's worlds--the world of Independent George, which he enjoys with Jerry, Elaine and Kramer, and the world of Relationship George, which he enjoys with his girlfriend Susan. Interestingly, and probably not intentionally, in his explanation of the two-worlds theory, he makes an allusion to Jesus' words to the Pharisees and teachers of the law: "A George [house] divided against itself cannot stand." (Matt. 12:25)
The brilliance of this scene is that it is, in fact, mundane. It happens in regular life all the time. People live their lives as multiple selves. They are: work self, school self, relationship self, independent self, family self, out-with-the-guys self, church self, etc...
As Christians we are not immune to the reality of operating in separate spheres. We divide our time among work, school, family, hobbies, and church. Do we live genuinely as undivided selves in whatever "world" we happen to be inhabiting at the moment? Or, like George, do we find ourselves modifying our personality and behavior to fit that world? What is the properly Christian thing to do?
Over the last few months, my small group and I have studied the Gospel of Matthew, and one of the themes that has clearly emerged is Jesus' criticisms of the Pharisees. They were wolves in sheep's clothing (Matt. 7:15) and white-washed tombs (Matt. 23:27). They fasted and prayed but did it only for the purpose of being seen as holy. (Matt. 6:5-18) They paid the required tithe but paid in coins that would clang when they hit the bottom of the metal coffers. In public they "loved" God. In private, their dark sin despised the light of God. By the estimation of both Jesus and his cousin John the Baptist, the Pharisees were a hypocritical "brood of vipers." (Matt. 3:7; Matt. 23:33) Are we George Castanzas any different?
There is one more world that I have not mentioned yet. The world you inhabit when you're alone. What kind of person are you when you're alone, hidden from the perception of others? What if all your worlds could suddenly see the world of Alone George? In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis compares this to suddenly turning on the lights in the basement and seeing the rats scurry. Jesus called his followers to cultivate the inner life--to get rid of the rats, rather than give them warning and time to hide. Pray behind closed doors, give in private, fast but don't tell others you're fasting, don't lust in your mind, don't have anger toward your brother. Love God in ways that no one even knows about. If this is the person that you allow God to make you on the inside, it will be considerably easier to live authentically on the outside.
We must try to cultivate one genuine self who tries to walk in obedience to the Lord in whatever world we find ourselves, especially if we are alone in that world. Our coworkers, classmates, and family members should all be able paint the same portrait of the same person. And, that person should match the person we are when we're alone.
George (and Jesus) was right--A person divided against itself can't stand. If you're trying to live in multiple worlds, you likely feel isolated, lonely, and stressed out. If you're trying to be genuine but can't ever seem to do it, you probably need salvation and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
We all need wisdom, and God gives it abundantly to those who ask.
"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." --James 1:5
Is it possible for a truly saved person to become this way? I have found myself mindlessly "going through the motions" and I have begun to doubt my salvation.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteI do believe that a saved Christian can find themselves living this way. It's just a sin problem that all people struggle with. While I don't believe it revokes our salvation, I do believe it breaks our intimate connection with the Holy Spirit. When we walk in the Spirit, we feel the joy that goes along with it. When we walk in the flesh, we lose that feeling of joy. I believe this is why David requested, "Restore to me the joy of my salvation." Thankfully, we are saved by the quality of our Savior, not the quality of our faith.
Practically speaking, I think discipleship is the best remedy to your problem. It sounds like you just need to walk through life with someone older and wiser, someone who has already walked the path you're on. (Weekly meetings are helpful.) If there is someone in your life who would be a suitable mentor/discipler, ask that person if they would disciple you. We aren't meant to walk this road alone. Like our Trinitarian God, we are inherently social beings.
Thanks for your comment. You're my first. Blessings. Please feel free to contact me any time.
Mr. Mooney, I have never seen the show you mentioned, but my parents have and they loved it, because it was about regular, boring life!! I love the way you interpret the "George scene." This has always been a problem with people (Christians). Christians really have to watch this area because others are always watching to see if we are messing up! Our witness or lack of can hinder their growth as a Christian. I know this is something most of us need to pray about and work on in our lives.
ReplyDeleteAnna Cain
I have personally seen this show and loved it and I noticed as well how it's about nothing at all but at the same time it is so entertaining. I thought you asked a good question in this and that was, "who are we when others aren't around?" I think we all have issues with acting different with different people because we just want to fit in and that's the best way to do it is to act like the person your'e trying to impress. However, this is not healthy in a Christian based society. We as Christians can often have trust issues and we must rely on God to help us through our situations.
ReplyDeleteWell, I have never seen the show so I can't testify to the "nothingness" of it. But I do agree that we tend to live as if we have different "selves." Like you said, there is our school self, our home self, our friend self, and our alone self. I think the main reason we don't often see this as two-facedness (I made that up) is because we don't want to condemn ourselves because we are just as guilty as the person next to us. But really I think the main question here is why is it so hard for people to be themselves all the time? Why do we feel like we need to act differently around other people? Maybe because we want to fit in with our friends, impress our teachers, or please our parents. Or maybe we just aren't happy with who we really are. Because after all, I am the only person who truly knows me. Definitely gave me something to think about.
ReplyDeleteAllison Hopkins
I totally agree with what you are saying. Who you are on the inside determines who you are to other people. I believe that instead of trying to overcome a particular sin, one should ask Jesus to change his heart. For example, if someone was trying to overcome cussing, it would be hard to just altogther just stop saying any and all profanities. It dosen't just happen at will (although it does take will and determination). To overcome something like foul language, one should ask Jesus to change their heart, and they should spend time cultivating their relationship with Christ. As they are transformed on the inside, it will show on the outside. Trying to stop an outter sin is like just mowing weeds. It certainly gets rid of the ugly appearence of weeds, but the root is still there and eventually they grow back. Very good post, thanks!
ReplyDeleteI think this post is very relatable, and a common problem in Christ followers today. We have a tendency to seperate and build walls. We like having life in neat little boxes. A school box, a home box, a church box. But as we settle into our boxes we become comfortable, while in fact we are , to a point, living a lie. But, like you said, it all comes down to who you are when you are alone. Just you and Jesus. Thats who you really are, no matter what your "boxes" migt indicate.
ReplyDelete-Audra Staley