Spiritual Masturbation

Over coffee this morning, a good friend reminded me that so much of our “insider talk” as Christians basically equates to masturbatory language. We talk and talk, ascending to higher plains of intellectual enlightenment, making ourselves and each other feel satisfied in the short-term — but not too long afterward, we are unsatisfied and actually feel bad. I’ve begun to look at the majority of doctrinal debates, and thus the majority of Christian blogs, in this way. It’s self-congratulatory: “Aren’t we great for knowing these facts or believing these propositions.” The majority of these conversations make painfully little difference to anybody but ourselves, and yet we continue to expend energy on them.

In the end, these masturbatory exercises rarely lead us to communal or individual transformation, let alone action. As our world cries out for redemption and healing, we basically ignore its cries and choose intellectual pursuits and shallow debates instead. God help us. (no, really … Lord, Help Us!)