If you desire to change the world you can’t simply complain or remain in secret. You have to step out of the shadows, and you at least have to respect those you disagree with who step out from behind their walls of comfort into the public square to challenge and be challenged. To change anything from the world all the way down to the individual self you cannot play it safe. Safe is not an option. You must be willing to risk everything, starting with your reputation in the public and the need to be liked by everyone. You must then outline intelligently the flaws of the opposing position all the while providing solutions to the problems you see, and be willing to take criticism on the chin for the sake of your cause. This must not be done absent of your character, values and integrity with a sense of passion and authentic purpose. Otherwise, others will not have an idea of who you are in regards to who is the champion of such a change. Jesus is the greatest example of this! It doesn’t mean others will follow, but it does mean you can live with yourself and die knowing you truly lived in your conviction, which is worldview dependent, instead of just surviving in a sense of status quo or even shameful cowardice.
What we need to learn more than just about anything in this country is how to have a civil disagreement and learn the art of debate again. We think too much with our emotions, and truth has become an antique on a shelf somewhere that not many find worth the effort to look for in our society. Yet, truth is the only way to freedom.
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