He has come of age in an era when nothing he could have done or said would have made him look more interesting than being attacked on the basis of his color and sexual orientation. –John McWhorter
I don’t know much of anything about Jussie Smollett but I do know about our victim culture. As I’ve written, it’s a fig leaf. But an attractive one for us millennials. It’s also an absolutely deadly cocktail when its combined with some of our great American heresies; foremost, our redefining of sin and guilt into psychological problems which afflict us.
Depression and the Appeal of Victimhood
I’ll use myself as an example here. I’ve stated in the past that I battle depression, anxiety, fear, and all those unhelpful things which blend together into a world of confusion. It’d be very easy for me to view myself as a victim of these things. And I can even share a few stories of things which have happened to me that on occasion leads to my turmoil. But I’m convinced that a good chunk of my issues comes from failing to truly believe that God loves me. That doesn’t make me a victim–that makes me just like Adam and Eve before they bit into that forbidden fruit.
So when I’m struggling with trust and my world becomes shaken because I’ve taken my eyes off God, it is quite tempting to blame the black dog of depression instead of my own faithlessness. I can pretend like the most interesting thing about me–that which defines me–is this battle. Stories are powerful. Stories sell. And stories of pervading doubt and a “this sucks” narrative have a greater appeal to our cynical culture than a story of actual self-redefining redemption. There is a certain draw to being beyond healing. So it’s quite tempting in our climate to major on the struggle.
It feels so wrong, so insensitive, so beneath Christ, to dare suggest to such a soul as mine that the root of most of my malady is a rebellious and untrusting heart. Sin…my own willful sin…has made ravage of my heart. Sin has made everything all twisted and confusing and cloudy. If I’m a victim, it’s a victim of my own self.**
I know, I know. It’s complex. Believe me, I’ve battled this thing for so long that I know it’s not as simple as “dig into Jesus” or “have more faith”. But it’s also not freeing or helpful to run head long into this deadly cocktail of being the helpless victim-hero. Consider these helpful words by Alfred Poirier. Poirier is commenting on the change we’ve made in redefining man’s greatest problem. Rather than viewing ourselves as sinners we see ourselves as “empty cups which need to be filled”. Now consider:
“Though initially this might not sound like such bad news, really it is the counsel of despair. Sin is a moral category, and a person’s morals can be changed. A sinner can be saved and sanctified. But a leaky cup is an ontological category, and ontological things cannot change. Once a dog, always a dog. Once a leaky cup, always a leaky cup. You can fill a cup, but a cup remains a cup—something always leaking and always needing to be filled. Thus the message implied is that we are broken and cannot be fixed. We are leaky cups. (The Peace-Making Pastor, 50)
I may always, this side of eternity, have emotions which get out of whack. I may always be more prone to being troubled in the midst of conflict. I may always be particularly prone to the temptation to be shaken and anxious. But that doesn’t define me. Ever. I’m not an anxious Christian. I’m not a depressed Christian. I’m a Christian. Period. My identity is firmly fixed in Christ. I am His. And by the grace of God, He is mine. It’s impossible to consider yourself a victim when you possess every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. This isn’t to deny pain or difficulty. It’s simply to believe the gospel really is true. Maybe, by the grace of God, I really will see real healing even this side of glory.
The Most Interesting Thing About Me
The most interesting thing about Jussie Smollett is that he is made in the image of God. I don’t know his standing with Christ. But I can certainly tell you that the most interesting thing about me isn’t that I struggle with anxiety, depression, fear, doubt, worry, etc. but that I’m a rebel sinner whom God has chosen to set His affections upon.
In-Christ.
That’s the most interesting thing about me.
What about you?
Don’t answer what you believe is supposed to be true. Look to the stories you tell. What’s the most interesting thing about you?
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Photo source: here
**If you truly have been sinned against, I’d likely phrase much of this in a different way. Certainly, we are still responsible for our responses to sin against us. We do not get a free pass. And our own sin in the midst of being sinned against can compound our problems. But, there is a pastoral sensitivity that is necessary in such a time. I’m not speaking in that voice here because my rebellious heart needs grace–but a sharper type of grace. The grace of a kick in the rear.
