Best viewed at minimum 600px screen width (Rotate your device to landscape orientation)
Featured Advertiser
Visit our
Christian Business Directory
We all need to be active supporters and players in the game of life
Church in the Community - Media Release in the Herald: 28th November 2022
Source: TCN / George Georgiou
Date Added: 2022-11-28
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General,
Date Added: 2022-11-28
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General,
In the seven spheres of influence which this column is exploring, we are called on to celebrate through arts, entertainment and sport in order to strengthen hope and to build the community through holistic presentations of life that engage the whole person.
Sports and entertainment celebrities are what we call “influencers”. If you’re blessed with just the right mix of magic and madness and the mysterious algorithm favours you, you can make a very good living from it.
The obvious question is: who is influencing whom?
Does the star change the habits of their followers, or do the followers guide the star, based on likes and views?
In recent months billionaires have upended their world, sports stars almost lost their jobs, and the “Beautiful Game” has come into no small controversy for FIFA’s choice of the location of the Soccer World Cup 2022.
We are all the products of the roles others play in our lives. And it’s not all bad. It’s in fact getting better and better if we are willing to get our heads in the game.
Those of us who are fortunate enough to have been present during a Rugby World Cup that changed the atmosphere of our nation will know what I mean.
The 1995 RWC showed us that we could fight together for a win rather than fight each other, and then there is the 2019 RWC when black leadership in rugby overcame all odds to produce for all to see a sound, solid, spiritual leader we were proud to have represent us on the world stage.
With social media everyone can be noticed – for good or bad.
There is an influencing event, show, series, tweet, or post at hand, literally, every second.
So, we are compelled to manage our mindsets.
Those of us who hold allegiance to the Christian faith should own our silliness in this space.
While the world was getting “smaller” many of us grew up in a church world that was getting angrier.
Angry enough to want to leave the planet. Our abandonment of some of these spheres of influence has left a vacuum.
It is possible to hold in one hand a sense of world-weariness and in the other hand a light for the world.
It takes good people far too long to embrace new things so that by the time we’ve overcome our resistance, we’ve lost our influence.
I spent high school in a boarding school in KZN. We all did homework at set times every evening, and between the two sessions, we could choose one TV show to watch.
The whole school watched that one show together. (Night Rider comes to mind) Standard 10s in front, standard sixes wherever they could get a view of the lone TV in the prep hall. (Yes, we had standards, not grades in those days, pun intended).
It was a shared experience and created a common language and culture.
That’s all changed now. Options are uncountable, opinions polarising, and your “people” could be digital avatars from anywhere.
So, where does that leave us? Taking our cue from scripture, here are some words to the wise:
Firstly, get over the past, there’s nothing left there for you, and future you is waiting for instructions.
Secondly, get in the game. Become a contributor, not a contaminator.
The idea that we can just criticise the future away is simply unwise.
If your world is getting darker, it’s simply because you’re not light enough for it.
Finally. Become a supporter.
Not just a follower – that requires nothing more than a “like” button.
Not just a believer – that requires nothing more than a nod of the head at the right idea.
I mean a supporter. A merch-wearing, showing up, cheering on, gathering, ticket-buying supporter.
To reach this status calls for a process that’s good for you.
You’ll have to pick a side, a team, a show or an opinion.
You have to be brave enough to share it.
You have to be eager for it to flourish and you have to add your voice to the orchestra of a like-minded community until there’s a rhythm to things in your life.
No more double-mindedness or silence.
This Bible text resonates louder now than ever before: “7 Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the pipe or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes?
“8 Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? 9 So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air.” 1 Corinthians 14: 7-9 NIV
Be salt and light – and be at the top of your game, whatever it is.
George Georgiou
Lead Pastor at Father's House Church
Sports and entertainment celebrities are what we call “influencers”. If you’re blessed with just the right mix of magic and madness and the mysterious algorithm favours you, you can make a very good living from it.
The obvious question is: who is influencing whom?
Does the star change the habits of their followers, or do the followers guide the star, based on likes and views?
In recent months billionaires have upended their world, sports stars almost lost their jobs, and the “Beautiful Game” has come into no small controversy for FIFA’s choice of the location of the Soccer World Cup 2022.
We are all the products of the roles others play in our lives. And it’s not all bad. It’s in fact getting better and better if we are willing to get our heads in the game.
Those of us who are fortunate enough to have been present during a Rugby World Cup that changed the atmosphere of our nation will know what I mean.
The 1995 RWC showed us that we could fight together for a win rather than fight each other, and then there is the 2019 RWC when black leadership in rugby overcame all odds to produce for all to see a sound, solid, spiritual leader we were proud to have represent us on the world stage.
With social media everyone can be noticed – for good or bad.
There is an influencing event, show, series, tweet, or post at hand, literally, every second.
So, we are compelled to manage our mindsets.
Those of us who hold allegiance to the Christian faith should own our silliness in this space.
While the world was getting “smaller” many of us grew up in a church world that was getting angrier.
Angry enough to want to leave the planet. Our abandonment of some of these spheres of influence has left a vacuum.
It is possible to hold in one hand a sense of world-weariness and in the other hand a light for the world.
It takes good people far too long to embrace new things so that by the time we’ve overcome our resistance, we’ve lost our influence.
I spent high school in a boarding school in KZN. We all did homework at set times every evening, and between the two sessions, we could choose one TV show to watch.
The whole school watched that one show together. (Night Rider comes to mind) Standard 10s in front, standard sixes wherever they could get a view of the lone TV in the prep hall. (Yes, we had standards, not grades in those days, pun intended).
It was a shared experience and created a common language and culture.
That’s all changed now. Options are uncountable, opinions polarising, and your “people” could be digital avatars from anywhere.
So, where does that leave us? Taking our cue from scripture, here are some words to the wise:
Firstly, get over the past, there’s nothing left there for you, and future you is waiting for instructions.
Secondly, get in the game. Become a contributor, not a contaminator.
The idea that we can just criticise the future away is simply unwise.
If your world is getting darker, it’s simply because you’re not light enough for it.
Finally. Become a supporter.
Not just a follower – that requires nothing more than a “like” button.
Not just a believer – that requires nothing more than a nod of the head at the right idea.
I mean a supporter. A merch-wearing, showing up, cheering on, gathering, ticket-buying supporter.
To reach this status calls for a process that’s good for you.
You’ll have to pick a side, a team, a show or an opinion.
You have to be brave enough to share it.
You have to be eager for it to flourish and you have to add your voice to the orchestra of a like-minded community until there’s a rhythm to things in your life.
No more double-mindedness or silence.
This Bible text resonates louder now than ever before: “7 Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the pipe or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes?
“8 Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? 9 So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air.” 1 Corinthians 14: 7-9 NIV
Be salt and light – and be at the top of your game, whatever it is.
George Georgiou
Lead Pastor at Father's House Church
Source: TCN / George Georgiou
Date Added: 2022-11-28
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General,
Back to News IndexDate Added: 2022-11-28
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General,
_______________________________________________
Please read our disclaimer
This section of our site aims to keep you informed about news in the local church, and worldwide.
Please email us any items of interest.
Please email us any items of interest.
 |
| Christian News to strengthen God's people at www.gatewaynews.co.za News that is fresh, relevant, edifying and which glorifies Jesus! |
Worthy News is a website with a good selection of news articles from around the world in a number of categories, both Christian and secular. They also offer a free subsciption service to deliver daily news headlines to your email box. Click here to pay them a visit.