Over on the main blog this week, I wrote about the Met Gala – the annual showing of opulence and extravagance that’s all about which celebrities can shock the world the most with their outfits and personas.
The point of that article was this: being truly countercultural in society today isn’t about dressing up as ridiculous as you can and getting attention for it. No, being truly countercultural today would be putting yourself Second, not trying to be first. That’s really shocking.
So here on the feed, I want to double down on that concept. And I want to specifically talk about one way to be counter-cultural.
It’s this: Let it go. Yes, let it go.
Recently, I was somewhat annoyed by someone who canceled on me. I had every right to be upset. I was frustrated, so I started typing out a text explaining that frustration. Or more accurately, I was going to use some biting humor to get my point across.
Before I did that, though, I talked to my wife. I explained why I was annoyed. She agreed with me. But then she said something else: “Let it go.”
It wasn’t what I wanted to hear at the moment. I felt justified. I was justified. But you know what? She was right. My biting remark wouldn’t have made the situation better. And while maybe I would have felt better for a moment, in the end I would have regretted it.
Here’s what I realized: As a Christian, I am called to turn the other cheek. I’m told to be humble. I’m expected to watch my tone. I’m commanded to show kindness even when I’ve been wronged.
As I reflected on what my wife said, I couldn’t help but think about how all of that is truly counter-cultural. The world tells us to fight back. To put people in their place. To let them have it.
Jesus on the other hand? He tells us to leave it to him. He tells us to love no matter what. And I think if we practiced that more, even in the littlest of situations, we would set an example that the world could not ignore.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t times we need to be open and honest, especially if we’re sensing a pattern in people. But I think if we’re honest with ourselves, we could practice a little more “let it go” in a lot of situations.
So in the end, let’s be a little more like Elsa – a little more like Jesus, really – and just “let it go.”