i dont mean to beat a dead horse, but ive been thinking and i'd like to clarify.

this is my problem with david bazan: i cannot judge his personal life, and i don't want to, but from the stage (which is the context in which the majority of us know him) he lacks grace.

righteous anger, discontent, and valid complaints do us no good - and i think become sinful - if we are not gracious towards others while we strive to make changes. without extending grace, without making a difference, we are blowing hot air. we are complaining in order to sound intelligent, in order to puff ourselves up with pride. this generation has plenty of ideas - we know what has been done wrong and we are plenty upset about it - and that is great! that is what i love about my generation. but it's time to quit thinking we are better than everyone else and start working on it.

i sent an email to a friend recently expressing some of my concerns and frustrations about people who differ from myself, and instead of agreeing with me and joining in, which i more or less expected, she sent back a very beautiful and graceful response that reminded me of the need for all of this: "there's always hope and room for growth for everyone...you'll grow in grace for other people...and eventually redemption will come to us all." wow.

so, bazan is just adding more fuel to the fire when our fire is already burning hot enough. i don't mean for this to be attacking him, because that is cowardly and pointless and a waste of time and i dont even know the man. im sure the poor man has had enough blog posts complaining about him in his day. it is just that he got me thinking about a very widespread and dangerous problem, one that very much includes myself.

it is so hard to find grace in this world. it is so hard to be gracious in this world. but eventually redemption will come to us all. how comforting!