Tuesday, June 5, 2012

I Want To Be Genuine...Not a Convincing Counterfeit



Genuine - not fake or counterfeit; original; real; authentic

Have you ever seen a picture that was so gorgeous that you were almost sure it had to be doctored?  Or something so strange you knew it couldn't be real?

This is definitely...


           NOT REAL!


But  it is amazing how authentic it looks.







These days, as kids watch movies, I often wonder if they can even tell the difference between the genuine and the computer generated images since it all melds together so smoothly.  I remember watching Sci Fi movies and groaning to my brother, "That doesn't even look real."  Corny effects helped to expose the artificial origins.  How are we suppose to detect the difference these days?

The "fake" looks so convincing anymore.  Bombarded with "perfect" images everywhere, we can hardly remember what a picture of a woman looks like without the airbrushed transformations on every crease and shadow of her face and body.  We crave the authentic and yet are drowning in the believable artificial!


Convincing Counterfeits.
                            We are surrounded by them.
                                                           Sometimes....we are them.


Legalism is very dangerous because of how authentically good it looks on the outside when inside, it's not as it appears.
     Legalism convinces the brokenhearted to put on a mask of happiness.
     Legalism makes mirages out of unhealthy marriages.
     Legalism controls the child to behave instead of learn.
     Legalism hides corrupt priests in honorable looking robes.
     Legalism hides the truth for fear of what others may say.

I've been trying to put into words how important being "real" with each other is. I'm struggling to gather my thoughts.  Perhaps it's because I am in the process of learning this myself.  It's difficult to write about something when you're still formulating your thoughts.  Bear with me.  I plan to write on this through out the week.

As one of my favorite quotes says..."We do not write in order to be understood, but we write in order to understand." -C. Day Lewis    Guess I have yet to understand genuine.  I know I want to be real and allow others to feel like they can be real around me.  It's one of my favorite things about God.  He is who he says he is and he takes me as I am.  No airbrushing needed.  In fact, he's seen every part of me - even the garbage.  It doesn't get anymore real than that!





1 comment:

  1. When I was young... I looked for my "mask" often--it wasn't just for others, it was for me. I wanted to be the all things to all people--I knew God would bless me if this was my goal... but then I got so busy "being all things" that I slowly lost my first love of God and being all things to myself to continue to understand the depth and love of God.
    I'm old now :-) I hate the mask, it still jumps on my face at times--but ripping it off and being honest with myself and open to God and also to others(even when it doesn't "sound" spiritual) has been difficult, but grows understanding. God is everything--I will never understand all things in life, but He does.
    Thanks Candi

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