Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/541346
JULY 15-21, 2015 UCW 19 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Fayetteville's CONCERT CONNECTION HILLTOP HOUSE 1240 Fort Bragg Rd. • 484-6699 www.hilltophousenc.com Thursday Live Music HUSKE HARDWARE HOUSE 405 Hay Street • 437-9905 www.huskehardware.com July 15 Tommy King July 16 Tommy King KICK BACK JACKS 5081 Morganton Rd. • 223-7676 Friday LiveMusic THE CROWN COMPLEX 1960 Coliseum Dr. • (910) 438-4100 www.crowncomplexnc.com July 16 WKML New Artist Showcase Parking Lot Party July 17 FTCC Summer Concert Series Aug. 29 J. Cole featuring Big Sean Oct. 3 Miranda Lambert Oct. 9 WIDU Anniversary Quartet SPECIAL EVENTS Festival Park July 24 Fayetteville After 5 Aug. 28 Fayetteville After 5 When I turn on the TV, open a magazine or even hit my favorite online desti- nations, I don't always see what's there. I am often blinded by what's missing. It's love — genuine feelings and actions of unconditional compassion for our fellow humans are hard to find on an ongoing basis. And to argue with myself — love may not be missing, but it's definitely hidden away. Maybe it's just my opinion, but it seems as if I am constantly being expected to choose. I can be politically incorrect, taking a truth-without- grace stance against cultural issues, or be politically correct, which can sometimes turn into a grace-without-truth situation, all but surrendering to culture — even if it goes completely against my personal beliefs and Christian worldview. I don't like either of these options. Truth without grace isn't really true. In fact, it's more akin to aggression disguised as discernment. And grace without truth isn't really gracious. Rather, it's an enabling codependency disguised as love. As a Christian and an individual, I genuinely care about others. I believe there is a hope for this and future generations, but that hope would loom brighter if we agreed to stop finding new ways to be offended, and more ways to broadcast our offense. What would the world be like if we stopped welcoming professional troublemakers? What if Al Sharpton stopped showing up in cities across the country, and Rush Limbaugh sat down and shut up for a while? We give these people room in our world to make trouble. Under the guise of cham- pioning someone else's cause, they are pros at interjecting just enough truth to get us riled against someone we might otherwise care for. What we are left with is a culture of outrage — one where we are constantly pit- ted one against the other in the offense-of-the-day. Pitiful. And we — as a culture — should be ashamed. Another couple of what ifs — what if Christians — not in spite of our beliefs, but because of them — took the opportunity to stand out as a loving minority? What if we became more like Jesus, who welcomed and ate with every kind of person? He has long beckoned us to follow in His footsteps. If we did, perhaps those who don't ascribe to Christian theology could more easily accept that we only want a world where love and com- passion for one another are at the root of all we do. Regardless of your beliefs about God, morality or all the other things we are arguing in the media and on every street corner, take the time today to love. Take the time to care. And take the time to help some- one without the promise of something in return. It might just catch on. Where's the Love? by DAN DEBRULER What if Christians — not in spite of our beliefs, but because of them — took the opportunity to stand out as a loving minority? DAN DEBRULER WCLN Station Manager, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@ upandcomingweekly.com. 910.484.6200