Can't We Just Get Along?

 (This is semi-tongue-in-cheek)

I've noticed a trend on Facebook, in article comments, Twitter, etc. the last year or so that really bothers me. Maybe it's been going on for a long time and I was oblivious to it; maybe it's because the end of the world is at hand...

Whether it be Republicans and Democrats, Christians and atheists, homosexuals and homophobes, there seems to be an overriding need to be right. This happens constantly on Facebook - someone blasts out a status about how they feel about something, and anyone that disagrees is automatically an idiot, and you get some long winded explanation about why the original poster is right, and then an equally long winded explanation stating the reasons that the original poster is wrong, and you get counterpoints and counter-counterpoints (Kudos to you if you get that. You are my kind of people. If you don't get it, you're an idiot. I don't care what you say. No, you're still an idiot. Just Google it and you'll see how right I am.).

I find that this happens mostly in my age group (I'm 26), and I always feel the same way - embarrassed. You know what my parents were doing when they were 26? Working their asses off and raising two kids, with three more on the way by 30. I don't think they had much time to speak to each other, much less waste time on Facebook or Twitter (Or Blogger. Well played, sir.). The last time I checked, I am much dumber than I was when I was 22, when I was much dumber than I was at 18. I think by the time I'm 30, I might be dragging my knuckles while breathing through my mouth. Do you get my point?

I'm not saying that people are stupid, far from it. I know tons of smart people my age. I guess I don't know many humble people my age. Man, this spring, I thought I was going to have a great year. I had my fields looking great, no weeds, irrigated early, and then you know what happened? No rain for two months. Sunflowers popped up out of nowhere. I had rows wash out so that irrigation water didn't run where it was supposed to and ran everywhere it wasn't. Earworm, bad pollination, Goss's Wilt, spidermites. You know how it feels to get knocked down a peg? Because after all of that, I do.

See, it's ok to be wrong. Sometimes you learn more by being wrong than by being right. If you don't understand that, give it time. You will. I cannot imagine how dumb my 30 year old self will think my 26 year old self is. Once you can admit you're wrong, it feels kind of good. There's not as much pressure to be right. And maybe I'm wrong here, but I think people respect someone who can step back and admit that they were being an idiot. You know the kind of person that I don't like? One that argues that they are right even when they know they are wrong, who will never admit to not knowing that answer, or who has never gambled and lost. Pretty much the guy that I am 98% of the time. It doesn't feel good to be humbled, but when I am, I always try to figure out what I'm supposed to learn. What does God see in me that He doesn't want to? The more I look, the less I know, and the more I lean on Him.

For those of us that follow Christ, we need to remember that one day, this won't matter. All that matters is the faith that we were saved by grace, through faith, when Christ died on the cross. It won't matter who won the 2012 election, it won't matter that corn is $8/bu and it sure as heck won't matter if you were as dumb as me. Our reward is not of this earth! If trying to prove your genius to the minions on Facebook or Twitter is your reward, I'd say you have a pretty meaningless life. My reward is in Heaven. Where is yours?