Is Goodness now Counterculture?

Stupidity will never be sexy. But intellect is now rarer than I used to give humanity credit for. Excellence even more so.

It never ceases to amaze me how there can be money available for projects but what will frustrate, is finding human beings capable of executing. If people were really good at what they did, I doubt they would be so difficult to find. Quiet or hidden excellence has no economic value.

The Internet was supposed to be the game changer. it was meant to make talent sourcing easier. Rather, it has given pretenders and liars megaphones. It has enthroned rebellion and a shocking twisting of values. "My truth" appears to be more valid than the truth. He who shouts loudest and can sway the largest mob wins every argument. Those who know better shrink in fear, overwhelmed. The messenger and public alliances seem more important than the message.

Then, there are the brilliant people who should lead, but are too lazy and lack self-motivation to do so. They never close. They rarely finish anything. Their brains have been scrambled by the attention deficit brought on by too much social media use. Some are even entangled in debilitating Imposter Syndrome while others require their egos to be massaged in order to finish what they have already been paid for.

Goodness is now counter-culture not mainstream. Those with sense keep searching for validation and sane spaces of expression. And yet, values abound. They are just not promoted with gusto.

To some extent, I blame the Church for the shrinking values space. When Christian organization elections are won by open bribery and corruption, what can you say? When some pastors are censured for rape, corruption and hypnotic compelling of offerings, what mouth do they have to shout, "Values!" When popular online conversations are more about explaining the right to private jets and tithes than about good works, what moral authority does the church have?

When some churches revel in control, condemnation, funky doctrine and judgmental energy, what relevance do they have in the public space? When they eschew politics for a future heavenly home; when they forget that it's a tool to ensure justice, liberty, healing and progress for humanity while on earth; why won't evil thrive? The church is signaling that it lacks power; the main currency of nations. It is strangely communicating that it lacks moral, spiritual, political, moral and spoken power. Even the power of numerical membership has been neutered by division and complacency. If the church had bite, my political leaders would surely be afraid of its bark.

We know the incalculable good the church can do; that it has always done. But when good men and women of God remain shy while evil thrives, the world will keep breaking down. The world needs salt to be preserved.

Even if we hold on to the apocalyptic prophecies of the coming age, we know that as Christians our mandate is to restrain the evil day for as long as possible, so more can be saved. So why this laissez-faire attitude to culture? To freedom and social justice? Why are we not speaking the Word with the sophistication that modern media demands? Language must adapt and evolve even while the core message must remain unchanged.

I am just tired of this thing called Christianity. Especially the black African kind. I cannot find the extreme creativity and excellence of the Holy Ghost in it. I do not sense the unfettered love and authenticity of the Father there. I fail to see the extreme brilliance, reason and logic of Jesus inside. There must be a better way.