CLARITAS A JOURNAL OF CHRISTIAN THOUGHT
INFLUENCE
FEATURING “Current Warning” When It’s Not “For You” 10 Tips to Maximize Your Influence to Live a More Fulfilled Life
SPRING 2021 | ISSUE 12
CLARITAS is the Latin word for “clarity,” “vividness,” or “renown.” For us, Claritas represents a life-giving truth that can only be found through God.
WHO ARE WE? The Cornell Claritas is a Christian thought journal that reviews ideas and cultural commentary. Launched in the spring semester of 2015, it is written and produced by students attending Cornell University. The Cornell Claritas is ecumenical, drawing writers and editors from all denominations around a common creedal vision. Its vision is to articulate and connect the truth of Christ to every person and every study, and it strives to begin conversations that involve faith, reason, and vocation.
Letter from the Editor Choosing a theme for an issue is as fun as it is challenging. It needs to be broad enough to give writers room to work, focused enough to give guidance, unique enough to spark creativity, and profound enough to be not just relevant, but uplifting. The choice of Influence as our Spring 2021 theme was itself influenced by both these guidelines and a conversation with fellow Claritas members. What began as a humorous quip about all art essentially being some sort of “fanfiction,” aka the “nothing new under the sun” idea, turned into a great wonderment about the many influences of our lives and just how deeply they affect us. I found myself thinking about my own life as an English major. I study the influenced works of others which, in turn, influence my own work. I thrive on literary inspiration and have contrived my writing style, vocabulary, and interests after works that I have read. Even my role in Claritas is dynamically influential, from the guidance of former EICs who left rather big shoes to fill to its shaping of my experience at Cornell. If influence is an integral part of our lives and of who we are, why is it important now, and why should we be talking about it? According to Merriam-Webster, the word “influence” comes from the Medieval Latin word “influentia” which, curiously enough, is the same source for the word “influenza.” The word “influential” first referred to “a celestial fluid [fluens] that was believed to flow from the stars,” supposedly affecting the actions of people on earth. Although the link between “influence” and “influenza” is of medieval origin, it does carry on to modern times. Finding ourselves near the end of a global pandemic, this connection seems almost ironic—a virus that brought its influentia to our day-to-day routines, our futures, and, ultimately, life as we know it. As vaccines increasingly roll out and the world gradually adapts its regular pace, “returning to normal” just doesn’t sound right. Fundamentally, the concept of influence is rooted in the power to change or affect. That power can come from both living and inanimate sources and the result can either be a negative or positive change. This is what the Influence issue explores, from articles about our daily rhythms, social media, and “self-help” to substance abuse, false teaching, and marketing, as well as works of art, poems, and a short story about the complexities and diversity of influence. I myself recently encountered this beautiful oddity of influence within my faith and studies. During the arduous, rewarding journey that was the completion of my Senior Honors Thesis, I often found myself at a loss for, not just words, but inspiration. In a desperate moment, I finally remembered where my help came from and turned to a student’s prayer written by Saint Thomas Aquinas that beloved Claritas alumni had once shown me. The prayer reads “Come, Holy Spirit, Divine Creator, true source of light and fountain of wisdom! Pour forth your brilliance upon my dense intellect, dissipate the darkness which covers me, that of sin and of ignorance. Grant me a penetrating mind to understand, a retentive memory, method and ease in learning, the lucidity to comprehend, and abundant grace in expressing myself. Guide the beginning of my work, direct its progress, and bring it to successful completion. This I ask through Jesus Christ, true God and true man, living and reigning with You and the Father, forever and ever. Amen.” Slowly, but surely, praying St. Aquinas’ prayer before my studies became a sort of routine: I would sit quietly, listen to worship music, read Scripture, and then pray. There was no sudden magical transformation; I certainly did not feel inspired or willing to write all the time. However, the change that occurred in me was indeed miraculous. In beginning my work by beseeching the help of the Holy Spirit, my entire attitude and outlook on my studies altered. No matter how much or how little work I did, my sense of fulfillment remained sound. Whatever it may be and wherever it may come from, influence has the capacity to teach us, offering the potential for positive change and growth. Fortunately for us, there is one influence that is eternally good—mysterious, but good. It is as Colossians 3:17 tells us: “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” For His influence is something we can always count on for good.
Peace of Christ, Paola Mendez-Garcia Editor-in-Chief
[1] Merriam Webster Online. “Influence,” accessed May 2021, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/influence [2] Merriam Webster Online. “Influenza,” accessed May 2021, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/influenza [3] Thomas Aquinas, “A Student’s Prayer,” accessed at CatholicLink, May 2021. https://catholic-link.org/quotes/a-students-prayer-by-st-thomas-aquinas/
Staff
Paola Mendez-Garcia Editor-in-Chief
Kimberly St. Fleur Blog Manager
Amy Crouch Production Manager
Jack Kubinec Managing Editor
Seth Bollinger Business & Audio
Estelle Hooper Design Manager
Contributors
Cecilia Lu
Chloe Cropper
Special Thanks To Chesterton House Advisor Nicole Riley
Eunice Ngai
Grant Kelley
Emily Choi
Kelly Jawork
Caroline Hinrichs
Olivia Simoni
Table of Contents Everyday Lives: An Ode to the Ordinary Eunice Ngai
Grief poem Cecilia Lu
10 Tips for Maximizing your Influence to Live a More Fulfilled Life Jack Kubinec
To the King! Paola Mendez-Garcia
Under the Influence drinking and loneliness during COVID-19 Caroline Hinrichs When It’s Not “For You”: Seeking God’s Image in an Age of Algorithms what’s in a reflection? reconciling what I see in the mirror with what God sees in me Chloe Cropper A Day in the Life Emily Choi
I Kissed False Teachings Goodbye Grant Kelley
Current Warning Kelly Jawork
The Sisters Emily Choi
Marketing Jesus the complexity of the evangelical industrial complex Seth Bollinger Manna Olivia Simoni
Everyday Lives: Ode to the Ordinary
Eunice Ngai
Some of my favorite moments in books and movies are surprisingly ordinary. They’re neither at the most intense and heart-wrenching scene of the story, nor at a character’s blazing moment of revelation. Instead, they depict the everyday: the steadiness of a daily routine, the honest depiction of our needs and dilemmas, the joy of pursuing a new curiosity or sharing a moment with loved ones. Media about the everyday reaches beyond books, as vlogs, routine videos, and self-help books about the habits of successful people have increasingly become more popular. On YouTube, creators behind such media range from university students (Ruby Granger), popular influencers (Emma Chamberlain), to even doctors (Ali Abdaal). These videos, which feature YouTubers brushing their teeth, making their morning beverage of choice, or unboxing packages from the mail, accompanied by an engaging voiceover narration or interesting cinematography, garner hundreds of thousands to millions of views. What is it that makes these representations of the everyday so appealing? I find that I’m drawn to such content, because not only is it comforting to know that even Sherlock Holmes needs to eat, but it also helps me make sense of our shared yet unseen experiences. Writing and thinking about the everyday, it turns out, is a skill we all practice. The novelty in these books
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for our mental health, but it is also vastly unrealistic and inaccurate.
and videos is that those who have insight about the smaller things in life can creatively document them, and show others that joy can be found in their daily experiences, too. This is particularly relevant in an era of social media, which has given us the mindset of relegating the everyday to the back of our minds as something inferior to life’s more exciting moments. In the YouTube video “Sartre on Why Social Media Makes People Depressed,” a literature student cites philosopher JeanPaul Sartre’s approach that life, when examined more closely, is a continuous flow of experience. No matter how much we mentally and linguistically divide it into categories, saying that we had breakfast, or have watched a movie, there is no explicitly defined start or end from any of these moments to another; these moments and their transitions are all part of life’s continuum. [1] THE PROBLEM COMES WHEN ATTEMPTS MEDIA SOCIAL INTO DOWN LIFE BREAK TO OF PACKETS “DISCRETE WHICH FROM ,” ADVENTURE “CHERRY-PICK” MUST WE ENJOY… TO S EXPERIENCE TO UNABLE US MAKES THIS LIFE’S WITHIN CONTENT STAY CONTINUOUS FLOW.
The problem comes when social media attempts to break life down into “discrete packets of adventure,” from which we must “cherry-pick” experiences to enjoy. [2] When we overemphasize some moments as good, it devalues other moments, and makes us unable to stay content, as we are always neglecting the seemingly dull present for the better event to come. Thus, the traditional dichotomy between the quotidian and the noteworthy is not only unsustainable
Social media immortalizes these cherrypicked moments of life into boxes on our profiles, reckoning to ourselves and others that they make our identities. But in order to get a more accurate understanding of who we are, it might be more constructive to think about the unseen ways we spend our time. According to research conducted by psychologist Wendy Wood, “43% of everyday actions are enacted habitually while people are thinking about something else.” [3] Researchers who seek to address pressing societal issues by changing people’s behavior are targeting habit formation. [4] And as writer Annie Dillard poignantly puts it, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” [5] THIS NEWFOUND ATTENTION TO THE INFLUENCE OF THE EVERYDAY RENEWS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT LIFE— AS WELL AS TIME—IS AS MUCH CYCLICAL AS IT IS LINEAR. This newfound attention to the influence of the everyday renews our understanding that life—as well as time—is as much cyclical as it is linear. And yet we act as though we exist only on a timeline, telling our lives to others as a sequence of moments neatly divided up into past and future. What if the cyclicality of time means that time travel isn’t as inconceivable as we once thought it was: what if I can change what I do this morning, and know it will have an effect on my morning five years later? Perhaps instead of hinging my life on one world-shaking moment, what if I focus on doing one small action well today, which, for the next few years, will accumulate like puzzle pieces into a grander picture? The book of Daniel provides glimpses into the habitual existence of a character of profound internal strength. Daniel
was among the Jewish youth taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon to be in the king’s service. Having resolved “not to defile himself with the royal food and wine,” [6] Daniel requested for himself and his friends to stay on a diet of vegetables and water. Even as he miraculously interpreted the king’s dreams, risked (and ended up enduring) being thrown in the fire furnace and lions’ den by consistently refusing to pray to the king, he ultimately committed the greatest act of resistance by continuing to sustain his routine: “Now when Daniel learned that the decree [that anyone who prayed to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to the king, would be thrown into the lions’ den] had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” [7] Perhaps it is no accident that the biblical author saw Daniel’s seemingly mundane habits of diet and prayer just as worthy of mentioning as the miraculous events in his life: the real radicality in his life stemmed from his daily routine. Acknowledging the power in our everyday experiences and routines can allow us to develop perseverance and strength in faith and identity, as in the example of Daniel, yet it also enables us to conceive of new possibilities. Last semester, I read a thought-provoking article which described how people read architectural blueprints differently than they do other texts: far from viewing it as a static diagram on the page, they engage with it by imagining their ideal homes, spatially placing themselves in the picture, thinking about the furniture they might put and where, and so on. Similarly, when we plan our time and think of the daily routines of people we admire, we temporarily imagine ourselves living a different life, allocating our time as furniture through their unique perspective on the world. “Holmes was certainly not a difficult man to live with. He was quiet in his ways, and his habits were regular. It was rare for him to be up after ten at night, and he had invariably breakfasted and gone out before Watson rose in the morning.
Sometimes he spent his day at the chemical laboratory, sometimes in the dissecting-rooms, and occasionally in long walks, which appeared to take him into the lowest portions of the city. Nothing could exceed his energy when the working fit was upon him; but now and again a reaction would seize him, and for days on end he would lie upon the sofa in the sitting-room, hardly uttering a word or moving a muscle from morning to night.” Sherlock Holmes’ daily routine, from A Study in Scarlet (1887)
One easy way I have found to start implementing positive changes into my life is through combining two goals I want to achieve into a singular habitual cycle. For example, I decided to combine my goal of wanting to read more with my goal of keeping a consistent sleeping schedule through the habit of reading before bed. I had heard someone recommend this, and sure enough, by the third day, I began looking forward to my reading time, which in turn gave me motivation to go to sleep earlier. It was amazing to witness how far setting up these systems, simply by being aware of our in-built tendency for consistency, could go towards achieving our goals. Yet understanding the everyday is not only a window for us to consider changes to our own lives: leaning into the daily experiences of others also gives us a better understanding of where people are coming from. The pandemic, by overturning all characteristics of quotidian life, has only increased awareness of the disparity between our daily experiences. As Caroline Godard reflects in her article on quotidian literature, “Residual Time,” her everyday Covid-19 experience as a student who is able to stay home “hardly compares to that of an essential worker, a hospital staff member, a high-risk individual who has just contracted the virus, or that individual’s family.” [6] Sharing this feeling, I now realise that
I need to pay attention to the everyday of my neighbors, and concern for their unseen struggles in order to love them more wholly. RECOGNIZING THAT MY MUNDANE EXPERIENCE IS NOT SOMEONE ELSE’S ALLOWS ME TO QUESTION MY ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT WHAT SHOULD BE NORMAL, AND, FINDING WHAT IS UNJUST AND NEEDS CHANGING, CHALLENGES ME TO TAKE A STEP FURTHER, AND DO MY PART IN SHAPING A NEW EVERYDAY. Recognizing that my mundane experience is not someone else’s allows me to question my assumptions about what should be normal, and, finding what is unjust and needs changing, challenges me to take a step further, and do my part in shaping a new everyday. Godard continues, “To pay attention to the everyday is to observe how these structural inequalities complicate the “commonality of experience”… Thus, to speak ethically about our shared existence, we must either redefine the everyday or recognize its limits.” [7] I once sympathized wholeheartedly with Sherlock Holmes’ declaration, “My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplaces of existence.” [8] Now I see his words quite differently; we can’t all be genius detectives, after all! There is complexity and beauty in the commonplace—and we have the opportunity to shape it. Eunice Ngai is a freshman from Hong Kong studying in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be found reading books, learning (/about) languages, or indecisively writing to-do lists.
[1, 2] “Sartre on Why Social Media Makes People Depressed,” YouTube video, posted by R. C. Waldun, 13 November 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8Zr8pUHpVc [3] Palmer, Chris. “Harnessing the power of habits.” APA.org, American Psychological Association. 1 November 2020. https:// www.apa.org/monitor/2020/11/career-lab-habits [4] Gardner, Benjamin, and Amanda L. Rebar. “Habit Formation and Behavior Change,” Psychology. 15 January 2019. https:// www.researchgate.net/publication/330406744_Habit_Formation_ and_Behavior_Change [5] Popova, Maria. “How We Spend Our Days Is How We Spend Our Lives,” BrainPickings. https://www.brainpickings. org/2013/06/07/annie-dillard-the-writing-life-1/ [6,7] Godard, Caroline. “Residual Time,” Diacritics, 5 August 2020. https://www.diacriticsjournal.com/residual-time/ [8] Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan, “The Red Headed League,” The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Newnes: London, 1892).
Influence | 7
Grief poe m
Cecilia Lu
I fault e As if d myself. every time I wished you away in it actua anger lly happened.
As if when I saw y and decided to c our call, a I pushed you awall you back, y until later was to , o late.
I graduated high school, started college, started a new decade of life. ilestone a reminder of the m ileston hm es Eac ’d continue to miss: u ly yo ther graduation I’d on need 1/2 tic kets for. Ano ther decade. o An ther Ano like deserts, Nights anses in which I pace p d, ex certain of th n is life. u
Days like leftovers, spent longing for any life other than my
own.
But God, You saw me. In my bitter black coffee anger Morning tears and emptied evenings. You lifted the bricks of grief from my backpack of shame carrying them in your own hands. You showed me a new family portrait. One where I was, brought into your parenthood, family, kingdom. Cecilia Lu is a junior from upstate NY. She studies art and occasionally writes.
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10 Tips for Maximizing Your Influence to Live a More Fulfilled Life Jack Kubinec
Influence | 9
Jack Kubinec is a sophomore from Louisville, KY, studying sociology. He tried wearing blue light glasses during the daytime this semester but became discouraged after his older brother called him a poser.
Go into your school’s alumni database and email a successful person in your field. Maybe they’ll give you an interview.
Create a LinkedIn page for yourself. Spend the night scrolling through your feed and wondering how everyone around you became so much more successful than you are.
Take cold showers. It’s better for you. Science says so. Never criticize someone you’re trying to influence. Dale Carnegie says so. If you follow these rules, you’ll become influential. In matters of faith, it’s best to use that influence for Jesus. Create cool graphics, ask deep questions, exude all the charisma your 5’8½” frame can muster. As if by fate, your influence will grow. Suddenly, you’re not so-and-so, leader of a Bible study. You’re so-andso, leader of a well-attended Bible study.
Pay attention to social cues. To win others over, it’s always good to have a handle on how the people around you are feeling. If you ever find yourself in the backseat of a pickup truck hurtling down country roads while the driver is drawn to tears explaining how a sunset helped him overcome depression, be sure to wonder whether or not he is oversharing. Once you decide that yes, he is oversharing, be sure to feel guilty for not paying attention to what he was saying in the first place. This will prompt you to ask a really insightful follow-up question. Asking good questions is crucial to maximizing your influence.
A glitch in the system, your Bible study co-leader sends you an email in handsome Georgia font informing you that she doesn’t want to co-lead with you anymore. Suddenly, your well-attended Bible study is a sparsely-attended Bible study. Everything is crumbling down. You feel small. 10 | Claritas
Think about the lifeguard who sat with you at the diving board for hours in the sweltering heat while you couldn’t figure out how to dive. Each time you approached the diving board, you would tuck your head and jump with the intention of diving but something in your brain would make you pull up at the last second. You don’t so much remember how it felt when you finally landed a dive, but what has always stuck with you was the lifeguard who watched you fail countless times and still had the patience to smile and tell you it was okay each time you bobbed to the surface in failure.
When you’re young and trying to grow your influence, make sure to find an older, wiser mentor. I was 18 years old when I found my mentor, and he’s become the biggest influence in my life. I was sitting beside a lake, feeling glum about my formerly-well-attended Bible study when my mentor approached me. As he got closer, he towered over me, and for the first time I felt distinctly created, as if my mentor was asking where were you when I laid the foundations of the Earth? When he finally did speak, his voice came from nowhere, and I heard a single word: enough. Enough. I’ve spent the time since that day trying to unravel what he meant.
Sometimes the most influential thing to do is to not use your influence at all. In the moments before Jesus was put to death, soldiers spat on him, clubbed him, and twisted thorns into his skull. Meanwhile, he maintained their beating hearts, filled their lungs with air, and allowed the vocal cords they mocked him with to vibrate and create sound. Jesus knew his fate, but he chose to sideline his own influence. “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.” Those words leap off the rustling pages of your Bible. They careen around your room, knocking over all those books you bought but never got around to reading. You scramble out of your chair and begin chasing the words around, trying desperately to strap them back down to the page where they belong. After you’ve grown tired and given up, the letters begin rearranging themselves in a cloud above your head. They leave a simple message that follows behind you as you leave your house and walk to campus. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth. Influence | 11
To the King!
Paola Mendez-Garcia
In a small cottage in the English countryside, the embers of a fire crackled quietly. The warmth from the hearth that had filled the den slowly began to ebb as winter creeped in through the cracks and crevices of the O’Connor home. Evangeline O’Connor spun around on the ball of her foot, her white cotton dress swaying as she moved to pick up a fresh log for the dying fire. Placing her hand on the bricks of the fireplace in order to toss the wood in, she noted that they were fairly warm. Still, it wouldn’t hurt her to put on some wool socks. Better to not catch a cold while John was away. Sitting in her olive armchair, Evangeline watched the snow fall steadily out the window, humming parts of her favorite hymns quietly as she pulled socks onto her feet. She knew the sun hadn’t quite set since there was still some light out, but she also knew that it was much too late for little ears to be listening. Peeking out from the hallway that led to their bedrooms, young Kieran O’Connor watched his mother spin. He tilted his ear towards her to better hear what she was humming. Jesus What a Friend for Sinners! He didn’t know the words very well, but he recognized the tune. Kieran quite liked when his mother sang to him. It made him feel all warm inside. As he slowly began to inch closer to Evangeline, he watched her delicate hands smooth the lace that lay over the side table. Kieran’s eyes fixated on the gold band that she wore on the fourth finger of her left hand. He didn’t really understand what it meant, but he knew that it was a symbol of the love she shared with his father. Kieran suddenly felt a deep sadness. With each passing day, he only seemed to miss his papa more and more. Evangeline went to tug on the table lamp’s pull-chain, but paused abruptly at the sound of small footsteps coming into the foyer. Tippy toes. Little one. Evangeline cocked an eyebrow and, without indicating that she had spotted him, she turned on the turquoise lamp and spoke. “Darling boy, why are you out of bed?” Kieran froze in his place. He’d been caught. “I can’t sleep.” Evangeline turned expectantly towards her
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son. As Kieran’s chubby hands brushed his black hair away, two pairs of dark eyes locked on each other.
and pushed them over the counter that he had yet to look over without help. One day I’ll be big enough. One day.
“And why’s that?”
“Thank you, kind sir.” “You’re welcome, my good lady.”
Kieran took in a shuddering breath, clenching his small fists and wiggling his toes. He didn’t want to make her upset. He looked away from her and down at his feet. He spoke quietly, almost to himself. “I miss papa.” Looking up at the sound of fingers tapping on mahogany, Kieran noted the whispers of a smile turning the corners of his mother’s mouth. He exhaled soundly and shyly returned the smile. Being the strong woman she was, Evangeline refused to dwell. They would make it through, together. And so Evangeline stood quickly and smoothed down her apron. She collected her long brown hair and twisted it into a knot that fell instantly when she crouched down in front of her six-year-old son. “Me too. Tea?” “And biscuits.” Evangeline grinned brightly, buttoning her crimson cardigan before picking little Kieran up in her arms. Her nimble fingers tickled his side and her nose nuzzled his neck. He was warm and almost sticky with sweat from lying under his heavy covers. Laughter bubbled from Kieran’s lips as he kicked his legs playfully, clasping his plump arms around his mother’s neck. Evangeline carried him into the kitchen. Resting on her hip, and with his fingers in her soft hair, Kieran watched her put the tea kettle on the stove. Yes, they would be just fine. “Go on and get the biscuits. You can grab some Gouda from the icebox too. You like cheese, don’t you, mouse?” “Yes! I love, love, looove cheese!” Hmm, the poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese. Evangeline puckered her lips in amusement as she let Kieran down gently. He slid down his mother’s side and marched away to retrieve their snacks. Kieran quickly returned with his gatherings
Evangeline placed the biscuits on a ceramic plate and sliced the cheese with a shiny butterknife. As the kettle began to whistle, Kieran watched her attentively. She had begun humming again as she scooped tea leaves out from a pale yellow jar. He watched with sheer fascination as his mother poured the boiling water over a strainer. Into the teacups the chamomile tea went! Weird how the water just changed color… almost like magic! As Evangeline began mixing warm milk and honey into their tea, Kieran remembered that his father had given her that porcelain tea set for her birthday. He liked the royal blue patterns and he always felt extra special, and was extra careful, when she let him drink from them. Evangeline noticed her son watching her with wide, pensive eyes and, in a playful bout, she reached her foot out and wiggled her toe against his tummy. “Momma!” Kieran laughed heartily, swatting at her feet, and stepping back. She handed him the plate and, carrying the tea in her own hands, walked back into the den. “Careful now, dearest. We don’t want to make a mess.” He followed after her slowly, inching to the chair step by step and staring intensely at the plate. Evangeline turned to find Kieran still stepping steadily into the room. Overly cautious bean. Her face brightened with delight. “Godspeed, little one. Take courage.” Kieran scrunched up his nose and, quite heartened by his mother’s words, quickened his pace. He made it safely to her knee and pushed the plate onto the table. Evangeline leaned down and, after scooping him in her arms, plopped back into the arm chair. She exhaled loudly and Kieran wondered if she was tired. She was being silly, of course. But he was the type of son to always be concerned for his mother.
“Blanket?” “Yes, please.” Kieran leaned his entire little body over the armchair and picked up the hefty quilt that he had helped her make. Or at least helped pick out the patterns for. Evangeline wrapped the blanket around them and rubbed her chin against his hair. Kieran wriggled like a worm as she showered his rosy face with light kisses. “Momma!” She proceeded to blow a raspberry into his round cheeks. In response, Kieran stuck his tongue out at her. “Ah, perhaps you need to go back to bed.” “Mother! You started it!” “Hmm, very well then clever boy. How shall I make it up to you?” “Maybe you could read to me?” Evangeline studied her son’s face closely. He returned her look. “Sure, let’s read a little before bed.” “I’ll go get–” “Hold your horses, Kieran Reuel. We must first prepare for the journey.” “Oh, yes.” They ate and drank of their bedtime snacks in satisfied silence. As Kieran nibbled on a biscuit with small baby teeth, although a few were already missing, Evangeline brushed crumbs from his footie pajamas. She sipped her warm tea with ease. It was lovely. And if John O’Connor were with them, it would be pretty much perfect. “I’m all finished! Can I get the book now?” Evangeline slowed her movements, amused by Kieran’s eagerness. “Mother!” “Patience is a virtue, little one.” Kieran pouted and Evangeline grinned in return. “Ah, tantrums get you nowhere.” “Mommaaaa!” Pleased with her teasing, Evangeline patted
her son’s back. Kieran jumped up keenly and crawled out of her lap. To the bookcase he went! “Hmm, whatever shall we read? A fairy tale? A mystery? How about some Peter Rabbit, eh?” “No! You’re being silly.” “Well, I’m not a mind reader. How should I know what you want to read?” “But it’s the same book we’ve been reading every night before bed. Honestly, momma, how could you forget?” “Ah, I see. Go on and fetch it then, darling. We don’t have all night.” Faster than his legs could carry him, Kieran marched towards the bookcase. He ran his small fingers across many leather spines, delighted by the sensation it sparked on his skin. “Careful not to coat your hands with dust, Kieran.” He lifted his hand and instead searched with his eyes. His face brightened as he spotted the gold lamppost and pretty lettering: The Chronicles of Narnia. Ever so gently, he gripped the top of the spine and pulled the large, red book back against his chest. He wrapped his arms around it protectively and, with great dignity, marched back to his mother’s lap. Evangeline took the book gingerly and enveloped Kieran with the blanket. Engrossed in his mother’s movements, Kieran watched as she located a red ribbon that marked where they had stopped reading before. “Let’s see. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe...Where did we leave off?” “Chapter seven! We’ve just met a talking Beaver!” “Oh yes, here we are, Mr. Beaver’s speaking…” “Yes, that’s it!” Once again amused by her son’s eagerness, Evangeline began to read with exceptional ease and animation. Kieran clung to every word as her voice took the shape of each character. He noted the inflection of her voice with great delight. “And now a very curious thing happened. None of the children knew who Aslan was any more than you do; but the moment the Beaver had spoken these words everyone
felt quite different. Perhaps it has sometimes happened to you in a dream that someone says something which you don’t understand but in the dream it feels as if it had some enormous meaning—either a terrifying one which turns the whole dream into a nightmare or else a lovely meaning too lovely to put into words, which makes the dream so beautiful that you remember it all your life and are always wishing you could get into that dream again. It was like that now. At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in his inside. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music had just floated by her. And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realise that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer.” Kieran frowned, peering into his mother’s face with growing curiosity. Evangeline simply continued to read, her eyes dancing with glee. What ever did Mr. Lewis mean? Why did Aslan’s name make everyone feel different? Kieran recognized the sentiments that the Pevensies felt but he didn’t quite understand what they meant or what they had to do with Aslan… a very curious thing indeed. “Meanwhile the girls were helping Mrs. Beaver...” Evangeline was reading in a passion, as if she were in a play, switching from costume to costume as she went, but little Kieran was no longer listening. He was lost in a deep reverie that often falls upon thoughtful children. None could really explain what was occurring in his young brain, only that the gears were turning. “‘Oh, yes! Tell us about Aslan!’ said several voices at once; for once again that strange feeling—like the first signs of spring, like good news, had come over them…” At some point, Evangeline had begun reading chapter eight, and finally, her words sunk into Kieran’s ears, stirring his thoughts and feeding the wonder that was growing in his heart. There it was again… the strange feeling, like the first signs of spring, like good news.
Influence | 13
THERE IT WAS AGAIN… THE STRANGE FEELING, LIKE THE FIRST SIGNS OF SPRING, LIKE GOOD NEWS. “‘Why don’t you know? He’s the King. He’s the Lord of the whole wood, but not often here, you understand...’” A king! Kieran’s ears pricked up. His little back straightened and he peeked his head over to look at the open book in his mother’s hands. He had only just learned to read, but he tried to follow along, his young heart beating with anticipation. “‘He’ll put all to rights as it says in an old rhyme in these parts:— Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight, at the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more, when he bares his teeth, winter meets its death and when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.’” Evangeline’s voice had risen a bit in excitement and Kieran was quite literally at the edge of his seat. We shall have spring again… “‘I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-theSea. Don’t you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion—the Lion, the great Lion.’ ‘Ooh!’ said Susan, ‘I’d thought he was a man. Is he—quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.’ ‘That you will, dearie, and no mistake,’ said Mrs. Beaver, ‘if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.’ ‘Then he isn’t safe?’ said Lucy. ‘Safe?’ said Mr. Beaver. ‘Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ’Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.’ ‘I’m longing to see him,’ said Peter, ‘even if I do feel frightened when it comes to the point.’ ‘That’s–’” “Mother.” Evangeline paused at the sound of Kieran’s voice. She turned her face towards his and furrowed her brows. He had a strange look about him, his eyes wide and bright, his face a bit pale. “Yes, poppet? Is something wrong?” “Yes.” She didn’t know why but Evangeline suddenly felt frightened. She closed the book and placed her hand on his forehead. No, not unusually warm. Before she could speak, her
14 | Claritas
young son placed his small hand on hers, the one that was still resting on The Chronicles of Narnia. Kieran spoke with pensive tenderness.
name. The very reason they were brought to Narnia was so that by knowing him there for a little, they could know Him better here.” “It’s the same for us, isn’t it?”
“Why did the Pevensies feel like that when they heard Aslan’s name?”
“Yes, that’s right, Kieran. We read these books so that our small understanding can better equip us to know the real good news. The different perspective tends to shed light on things we sometimes overlook, don’t comprehend properly, or even forget to appreciate as we should.” “I see...Thank you, momma.”
Evangeline’s heart swelled. Her eyes searched his face, Kieran was solemn and full of wonder. He was so serious it made her want to laugh, but there was something grave in the furrow of his brow that made her remain still. Sometimes he seemed more like a little man to her than her little boy. Lord, give me strength. “Because Aslan is the great lion, the King of the wood and the son of the great EmperorBeyond-the-Sea.” “No, no, I know that. But why would that matter?” “Hmm... because he’s the true ruler of Narnia.” “But the Pevensies aren’t even from there.” “No… but…Well, in the Silver Chair, which we have yet to read, Aslan tells a character, a Human child who is to go to Narnia much like the Pevensies, that they would not have called to him unless he had been calling to them first. It’s the same way for the Pevensies. Aslan had chosen them for very special reasons.” “What are those special reasons?” Evangeline hummed with contemplation and moved to place the book on the table. She adjusted Kieran on her lap and turned her whole body to face him. Kieran’s eyes remained fixed on his mother’s kind face. “Well, that they may learn from Narnia valuable lessons to return to our world with. That they may heal as a family. That they may each find their own calling. And that they may know and revere Aslan as he knows and guides them, which they come to understand later when he demonstrates the greatest act of love. But we must keep reading first, little one.” “I see… so is Aslan kind of like the good shepherd, Jesus?” He really was so clever. Evangeline squeezed him tenderly and pressed her cheek against his hair. Kieran waited patiently. This was critical. “In this make-believe story he is Him, yes. In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which we’ll read later, Aslan tells Lucy and Edmund that he has another name in our world and that they must learn to know him by that
WE READ THESE BOOKS SO THAT OUR SMALL UNDERSTANDING CAN BETTER EQUIP US TO KNOW THE REAL GOOD NEWS. THE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE TENDS TO SHED LIGHT ON THINGS WE SOMETIMES OVERLOOK, DON’T COMPREHEND PROPERLY, OR EVEN FORGET TO APPRECIATE AS WE SHOULD. Evangeline looked down at him and could tell that the gears and knobs in his young mind and heart were turning and working with diligence. Kieran was deep in thought when his mother nudged him playfully. Evangeline knew it was time to turn in. “I think that’s enough for tonight, Kieran Reuel. Let’s get you to bed.” Without protest, Kieran wrapped his limbs around his mother as she stood from the chair to carry him to bed. He watched the quilt slip onto the ground and with tired eyes kept his gaze on the red book that sat on the table until it faded from view. Once in Kieran’s room, Evangeline lowered him onto his bed. As Kieran crawled under his blankets, Evangeline closed the curtains and turned off his light. She then tucked him in tight and kissed his forehead lovingly. Kieran blew her a small kiss in return. Evangeline began closing the door, her hand twisting the knob as she stepped back. Their eyes met in the growing darkness. “Goodnight, momma.” “Goodnight, beloved.” Little Kieran waited until his mother’s footsteps faded down the hall. He threw off his blankets, quietly, and stepping lightly to avoid creaking, padded his way to the window. He tugged open the curtains his mother had closed. Moonlight fell upon his small face, filling a fraction of the room with light.
HE WATCHED THE STARS TWINKLE AT HIM IN QUIET CONTEMPLATION, A SILENCE THAT FOR A CHILD CAN ONLY MEAN THE MOST ENLIGHTENED OF MOMENTS. He watched the stars twinkle at him in quiet contemplation, a silence that for a child can only mean the most enlightened of moments. Kieran got on his knees and sat back, putting his small hands together like his father had taught him. He closed his eyes, squeezing his eyelids and furrowing his brows; for he was focusing very hard, putting forth all of his young belief. “Hello? King? My name is Kieran, although I’m sure you know that since momma says you made me in her belly a long time ago. Did you know that my middle name is Reuel? Father says that means ‘Friend of God,’ so you can talk to me if you want. You know, because I’m your friend…”
WAS IT OKAY TO TALK TO A KING LIKE THAT? ASLAN WASN’T A SAFE LION…BUT HE WAS A GOOD ONE. SO GOD TOO WAS A GOOD KING AND HE’D UNDERSTAND. He paused. Was it okay to talk to a King like that? Aslan wasn’t a safe lion…but he was a good one. So God too was a good king and He’d understand. Kieran took a deep breath, adopting a noble air and trying to think of how respectfully to speak. He only had to take courage… “I know you must be very busy taking care of papa and all of your creatures this winter. But I was hoping that you could listen to me for a bit. You see, momma and I miss papa and I’d like you to please bring him home safe… There’s something else too. Real small… Momma always says that you are a King, my King, and like my papa too and so I was hoping that you could be with me too…I think I’m supposed to ask if you’d let your Son, Jesus, come into my heart. Could you? I’d really like that. You see, Mr. Lewis wrote that the Pevensies loved Aslan because he loved them first and my mother said that you work the same way. Well, I don’t know if you know this although I suppose you know everything being the Creator of the Universe! But, I love you, a lot a lot, like I love momma and papa. I can’t explain it. But I just know. Like the Pevensies. And I think that means you love me too, my mother says so everyday, that I am a child of God, of the King!”
In his excitement, Kieran almost forgot how serious his prayer was. His cheeks reddened slightly as his bright smile waned. He really wanted to be like a knight. Brave and strong. But he felt shy… “Um…Would you please send your precious Son, the Prince, to be with me? Father always says that I’m one of His sheep, although I don’t really know what that means since I’m clearly a boy! But… he says that Jesus leaves all the other sheep to come take care of me because He’s the good shepherd and he loves me so much… And momma says that Jesus is the best friend, the most dearest friend, we can have… I could really use a friend… If it’s not too much to ask... Oh! And please protect our home and keep us warm! And if you’re not toooo busy, could you send papa home soon? Whenever you can. Um…” Kieran opened an eye slightly, hoping that wouldn’t stop his prayer from getting to the King. He didn’t think God’s messengers could see him in the dark, but they are magical so maybe they could. Hopefully they’d understand that he was only six and couldn’t always remember how he was supposed to say goodbye. “Oh! Thank you for your pro- provisions and let thyyy will be done! In… In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.” He chewed his lip and mumbled a few more amens for good measure. Just in case. To make up for accidentally opening his eyes. Through the slight crack of the door, Evangeline peered in and watched her son pray. A small, soft smile spread on her lips. The Lord is good and his steadfast love endures forever. What an image of Christ to be found in the fruit of her womb, the flesh of her flesh. Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven. Indeed. These days it seemed like he taught her more than she taught him. What a gift to behold the faith of a child!
from one place. “Praise be to the King!” Kieran heard his mother close the door, or maybe it was the wind, or maybe it was God’s angels. Either way, he jumped up and scrambled into bed. His little heart fluttered with peace and his eyes closed, almost immediately, by themselves, no matter how hard he tried to keep them open. His eyelids drooped heavy and his limbs relaxed. Kieran’s head began to swim with bright images of a fantastical world, a courageous knight in the King’s grand court, a great, roaring lion, and a good shepherd with the kindest of smiles filled all his dreams… Kieran turned and sighed deeply. “To the King!”
THOUGH POOR ON THIS EARTH, OH, WHY SHOULD I CARE? SINCE GLORIOUS THINGS FOR ME GOD DOTH PREPARE; THOUGH TRIALS ABOUND, YET, STILL I MAY SING: ALL GLORY TO GOD, I’M A CHILD OF THE KING. I’M A CHILD OF THE KING, A CHILD OF THE KING: WITH JESUS MY SAVIOR, I’M A CHILD OF THE KING. Paola Mendez-Garcia is a senior from Puerto Rico and Houston, TX, studying English Literature with a minor in Spanish. She can be found hammocking among the trees on the Slope, with her nose in a book, or drinking coffee in Temple of Zeus, nose still in a book. Fluent in obscure 80s movie references, rock music, and Christian apologetics, Paola enjoys nothing more than to widen her friends’ horizons, as well as her own. She’s a lover of the arts through and through!
WHAT AN IMAGE OF CHRIST TO BE FOUND IN THE FRUIT OF HER WOMB, THE FLESH OF HER FLESH. LET THE LITTLE CHILDREN COME TO ME AND DO NOT HINDER THEM, FOR TO SUCH BELONGS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. Evangeline turned the doorknob quietly and finally pulled the door closed. Humming slightly as she walked, her heart filled with the greatest of joys, a delight and contentment so unique it could only come
Influence | 15
Under the Influence
Caroline Hinrichs | drinking and loneliness during COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken so much and changed so many of our daily rhythms. A year into America’s changed patterns of living, alcohol consumption has risen sharply, especially among young adults. What does it mean that so many of us are trying to escape our daily realities, and how can we find beauty in the mundane apart from the influence of alcohol? I recently turned 21. I had never really planned on having the wild bar outing that the movies claim every 21st birthday to be, but the pandemic complicated the day even further. Would I drink? Would it be warm enough to get together with friends? More than anything, I knew what I didn’t want to do: imbibe alcohol alone.
drink [3]. The New York Times reports that many patients at an alcohol clinic during the pandemic included college students who felt socially disconnected after being sent home for online school [4]. The isolation imposed by the pandemic doesn’t take that craving for social approval away; if anything, it’s made it stronger. But what makes loneliness so repulsive that people will spend money and risk hangovers to try to escape it?
However, the numbness of alcohol does nothing in the long term to save us from our isolation. As we wait for the world to be safe again, we have better options than drowning our sorrows or trying to forget them. First, we can call our loneliness good, because we know it comes from our God-given desire to love and be in relationship with other people. No one is wrong or broken for feeling lonely.
To put it simply, humans were not made to be alone. When WE CAN CALL OUR LONELINESS GOOD, God—the triune, BECAUSE WE KNOW IT COMES FROM OUR relational creator of GOD-GIVEN DESIRE TO LOVE AND BE IN the universe—made RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER PEOPLE. people, he said, “Let us make man in our The pandemic’s disruption of normal own image, after our social rhythms coincided with a huge likeness” (Genesis 1:26 increase in alcohol sales nationwide. ESV). Being made in the Hospitals across the United States image of God means that we have seen heightened admissions for Coming to this share his innate relational capacity. alcohol-related illnesses such as liver realization has been This is shown after God makes Adam, cirrhosis [1]. A survey conducted by helpful for me. Before the pandemic, I the first man. God proclaims that “it Johns Hopkins during the pandemic was a busy extrovert who found meaning is not good that the man should be saw people who reported more stress and joy in my daily interactions with alone,” and promptly creates a helper during the COVID-19 pandemic people. However, when the pandemic and companion for Adam: the first consuming significantly more alcohol hit, it became clear that a lot of my woman, Eve (Genesis 2:18). Adam had than those with lower levels of stress friendships were shallow. By “shallow”, the companionship of the one true [2]. The most frequent reported causes I don’t mean that my friendships God, and had dominion over all the of this heightened stress driving people weren’t real or meaningful. I mean animals of the earth, and yet it was still to drink? Loneliness. Social distancing, that many of my relationships were good for him to have human company. less time with family and friends, and rooted in convenience, in the fact that This primal truth from the origins of the closure of schools and workplaces we saw each other often at classes or the world still speaks to the nature of were all mentioned by more than half of extracurricular activities. I had been humanity today. Adam calls Eve “bone the stressed respondents. filling up my desire for companionship of my bones, and flesh of my flesh”— by filling up my schedule, but that was our very bones cry out for the love we Drinking to drive away loneliness is not no longer an option. were made to crave. And when this a new phenomenon. People, especially desire goes unfulfilled, we do college students, drink to facilitate At first, I felt isolated and angry. I anything to stop the social interactions and to lose prayed to God for guidance on how to pain. social inhibitions that we feel escape my loneliness. At times I felt so may make us less “fun” much hurt that I wished for something to be around. Social to numb me. But I couldn’t fix my camaraderie is the loneliness by ignoring it or by being THE ISOLATION IMPOSED BY THE most cited reason that angry at the things I couldn’t control. I PANDEMIC DOESN’T TAKE THAT CRAVING college students use took a look at the parts of my life and FOR SOCIAL APPROVAL AWAY; IF ANYTHING, to explain why they realized that my priorities were IT’S MADE IT STRONGER. 16 | Claritas
really messed up. Pre-pandemic, my life’s focus was mostly on getting where I needed to be at the times I needed to be there. I was so busy that simply attending classes, extracurriculars, and religious activities took up the majority of my brainpower and energy each day. The cessation of extracurriculars and the subtraction of travel time in these odd pandemic times was actually giving me a new opportunity to pour my energy into loving the people that God had placed in my life. In the book of Matthew, a lawyer asks Jesus what the most important commandment of the Jewish law is. Jesus has a simple answer: “And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets’” (Matthew 22:37-40, ESV). Living a life to honor God
people in a Christlike way. I started doing something that I admit I rarely did before the pandemic—being the first one to reach out to make plans. I made a list of friends and set a goal to catch up with one of them every Saturday for the rest of the semester. Writing everything down and downloading an app to track this habit made it much easier to achieve. This has worked really well in allowing me to connect both with God and with others.
Making an intentional plan is also key to breaking free from the cycle of alcohol dependence. According to Dr. Vanessa Kennedy, director of psychology at an addiction recovery center, precommitment can be helpful: this practice of making a plan for how many drinks you will consume and when LIVING A LIFE TO HONOR you will GOD DEPENDS ON THE consume CORE PRINCIPLES OF them LOVING GOD AND LOVING can help OTHERS. individuals to consume alcohol in moderat ion depends on the instead of excess [5]. core principles of loving God and loving Social support is key to others. success—involving a friend, roommate, or family member in this plan makes It wasn’t my fault that I was seeing fewer it much more likely to stick to the people on a daily basis, but it was predetermined schedule. possible for me to intentionally grow
Reaching out and intentionally loving other people can make us feel less lonely in a way that alcohol cannot, but whether we are alone or with others, God is always with us. There is freedom in knowing that we don’t have to cover our suffering up, but can bring it to our heavenly father in prayer. Psalm 22:24 says “He has not despised the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cries for help.” God hears us, and he knows our suffering. If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol addiction, you can call SAMHSA’s helpline at 1-800662-HELP (4357) for referral to local treatment options. Caroline Hinrichs is a junior studying Nutrition in the College of Human Ecology. She hails from Massachusetts and enjoys making food, friends, and music.
[1] O’Connor, Anahad. “Excessive Drinking Rose During the Pandemic. Here Are Ways to Cut Back.” The New York Times, April 2021. https://www.nytimes. com/2021/04/12/well/mind/covid-pandemic-drinking. html. [2] Grossman, Elyse R, Sara E Benjamin-Neelon, and Susan Sonnenschein. “Alcohol Consumption during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey of US Adults.” PubMed. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, December 9, 2020. https:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7763183/. [3] LaBrie, Joseph W, Justin F. Hummer, and Eric R. Pedersen. “Reasons for drinking in the college student context: the differential role and risk of the social motivator.” PubMed. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs vol. 68,3: 393-8. October 30, 2014. https://www. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4214145/ [4] O’Connor 2021. [5] O’Connor 2021.
deeper in relationships in order to love
Influence | 17
Chloe Cropper | what’s in a reflection? reconciling what I see in the mirror with what God sees in me
I vividly remember the day I caved and downloaded TikTok. It was a blustery April morning, and the extremely cute elementary schooler whom I often babysit begged me to duet her dancing video. She quickly informed me that I was “too stiff” for the app. My lack of dancing ability aside, I kept the app because it was the beginning of quarantine and I was desperate for any semblance of human connection, but it ultimately brought about some unexpectedly negative side effects within my life. With hundreds of millions of users worldwide, TikTok has quickly become one of the most popular social media apps. As a video-based app, it encourages users to be authentic and to share from the most mundane details of their lives. While on the surface this may seem like a welcome, lighthearted change from other social media apps, the influence of Tik Tok is actually terrifying. I found it seeping into my life in unpredictable ways— my screen time suddenly skyrocketed. But, perhaps the most dangerous part of TikTok, at least for me, is the app’s infinite, personally curated algorithm. The main feed of TikTok is known as the For You Page (FYP). What each user’s FYP looks like depends on the types
of videos they interact with the most; TikTok tracks what users like, save, and watch and then creates an algorithm specific to their interests. The infinite scroll feature means that 18 | Claritas
the app never runs out of new content to show the user. Through a combination of the FYP and the infinite scroll feature, TikTok has made itself virtually impossible to put down. So, when you are scrolling endlessly through TikTok, what do you actually see? The goal of most users when posting a TikTok video is to go viral by garnering many likes and views. There are a variety of ways that a user can go viral, but there is one underlying factor that can be traced back to most viral videos: physical attractiveness. The more a TikToker caters to modern beauty standards, the more likes and views they will get. Comment sections under TikTok videos are ruthless about physical appearance, and promote a very specific narrative surrounding the definition of attractiveness. This obsession with appearance is not unique to TikTok, but the endless scroll feature makes it feel more potent than on other apps. It creates an intense pressure that motivates many users to go to extreme lengths to look a certain way. This happens subtly sometimes; I would start scrolling through my feed to kill time and end up down a rabbit hole of negative content that constantly left me looking in the mirror and feeling dissatisfied with what I saw. Many of the most viral trends on TikTok promote negative body image. #whatieatinaday and other similar, farreaching hashtags encourage viewers to eat little to nothing in order to lose weight. Under these hashtags, you might see a video of someone proudly proclaiming that they drink iced coffee and
chew gum instead of eating and have lost 15 pounds while urging others to do the same. A great deal of these videos also include users calling themselves fat, asking their followers to rate their bodies on a scale of 1-10, or begging for tips on “how to lose weight fast” with captions like “I can’t be pretty until I lose these last ten pounds.” Other trends glamorize diet fads and overexercising. Frighteningly enough, TikTok rarely does anything to regulate all of this proeating disorder content. When I first downloaded TikTok, I made the mistake of liking a video from a fitness influencer’s account; my feed quickly became an echo chamber of negative body image content. Personally, I struggle LE GG BE with a deep desire U R IN ST TO to be K E E V R I SI I TO T K I C T DE A Y, LL EP T TR AND E . A A S, E N SU SO A D ED EYE S IS R I PE TH DER D’S TH WI NSI ORL TED considered C O E W R BA attractive in TH ACE EX the world’s eyes, and TikTok exacerbated this issue. Seeing videos of other girls successfully losing weight by overexercising and undereating made me feel pressure to do the same. I felt hopeless because I knew that I would never look like the bikini models that were going viral. It sounds almost laughable that an app would have so much power over me, but doomscrolling through fitness content truly became an addiction. It took a long time for me to realize that my fixation with how I looked had become a huge idol in my life. I was hypocritical, and justified my obsession by comparing my social media presence to other people’s, patting myself on the back for not having feeds full of selfies and bikini photoshoots. I had
unknowingly adopted a “holier than thou” attitude when it came to my own vanity, feeling self-righteous because I had convinced myself that I was less vain than the average person. It was hard, therefore, for me to face the fact that even though I may not be the biggest selfie-taker, vanity about my appearance had still manifested itself in my life in other ways. While this is a deeply personal struggle that I am still battling through, I think it is important to talk about.
my body is a war that I wage every completely and totally irrelevant: “And single day. I recognize that no matter not only the creation, but we ourselves, how hard I try, a complete eradication who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, of my insecurities is not within my own groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for control. Instead of striving for a perfect adoption as sons, the redemption of our mindset towards my body, I instead bodies” (Romans 8:23). In a culture that strive to equip myself with the discipline is perpetually assailing us with messages necessary to deal with negative thoughts about what we should look like, it can when they inevitably crop up. For me, be difficult to remember this message this has come through not only spending of hope and keep from getting lost in time in prayer and in Scripture, but also outward appearance. through creating a concrete step-by-step process to handle my negative thoughts, Although I cannot control the fact from spending that I am inherently a sinner and will Social media, less time in front always stumble and struggle with these including TikTok, of the mirror, to thoughts, I can recognize and repent is not going away. journaling, to from my sins. When it comes to my Even though I taking time off struggle with body image, I do not think eventually deleted from social media. that there is a perfect solution, but I THE IMAGE OF GOD my TikTok can continue to repent, pray, and find DOES NOT FIT INTO account, there God created me in beauty in the fact that I can use the A CERTAIN BOX OF are still so many His image (Genesis body that God has given me to reflect PHYSICAL APPEARANCE; other apps that 1:27). I have Him in a way that is far more profound IT IS INSTEAD A FAR LESS foster comparison recently taken a than a number on a scale. TANGIBLE IMAGE OF and toxicity. It’s new perspective on UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. about more than this often-repeated just social media; scripture. I have this obsession no idea what with how we look God looks like. E TINU has completely I know that CON AY, AND AT N A IC , PR T TH pervaded our culture. I know that I am He came here as Jesus in human PENT THE FAC GOD E R TO “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm form, but other than that I Y IN THAT EAUT E BODY LECT HIM B D 139), but I still have trouble believing know next to nothing about EF FIN U SE TH RE TO R FAR MO this in my heart. There is no easy His appearance. The image of I CAN IVEN ME ON T IS G BER remedy to such a deep-rooted issue. I God does not fit into a certain HAS WAY THA N A NUM A spent a long time feeling trapped by my box of physical appearance; IN A OUND TH ALE . C F S O A fears and insecurities about my body; it it is instead a far less tangible R P felt like a hole that I would never be able image of unconditional love. to dig myself out of. What I have come Thus, when I think about the to learn is that although there is no fact that God created me in quick fix for struggles with body image, His image, I think about how it is possible to find hope through small beautiful it is that He gave me this steps of progress. body as a tool to spread His love. When I think about the people that Confiding in my close friends and I have interacted with throughout my mentors was a big step in the right life, I rarely recall what they looked like. direction for me. It is infinitely more I think instead about their kindness, difficult to tackle our burdens alone, or intelligence, or compassion. What and I could feel the difference that their lingers is the way they made me feel, not love and support made in the way I saw the way that they looked. myself. They also provided a layer of Chloe Cropper is a sophomore from Pittsburgh, PA, studying Industrial and Labor Relations. She loves accountability; they know the warning Ultimately, my battle with my body being outdoors, chocolate chip pancakes, and the signs that point to my lapse back to reflects my fundamental desire Pittsburgh Steelers. negative thought patterns, and are able for fulfillment. I treat my outward to encourage and pray for me through appearance like a destination, something those times. that will bring me wholeness. At the end of the day, however, all of the physical Fighting my negative thoughts about flaws that I obsess over will be rendered
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A Day in the Life Emily Choi
Emily Choi is a sophomore from Ridgewood, NJ, studying Communication with a minor in Fine Arts. She enjoys rom-com and action films, bowling, and painting.
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I Kissed False Teachings Goodbye
Grant Kelley
“You ruined my life, Brooke, I want you gone. I want you to go away.” [1] These words were spoken by Taylor, one of the major characters on CBS soap opera The Bold and The Beautiful, after having frequently accused Brooke of stealing her relationships. While the phrase “ruined my life” might seem like an exaggerated response to such an incident, Taylor’s frustration actually mirrors my own experiences. A church I attended in high school “ruined” my life by using false teachings from a book written by Joshua Harris called I Kissed Dating Goodbye to remove relationships (and relationship
opportunities) from the congregation, including one of my own. The church became “defunct” after having spent years diverting resources away from event management, event promotion, and generation of tithes and instead using resources to fracture relationships in the church. After causing the church to become defunct, four of the five major leaders left the state (and all five refused to discuss reparations for those who they had so negatively influenced). This article will track the course of false teachings: from the time they enter the church, through the time they could potentially harm the congregation, and to the time for Christians to use specific strategies to rectify the problems that false teachings cause.
The Southern Baptist Convention, the largest evangelical denomination in the U.S., claims in its doctrinal statement that the Bible is “totally true and trustworthy.” [2] If Christians believe the Bible to be the only inerrant source of Truth, they would most likely respond negatively to the idea that members of a congregation formed an understanding of God and Christianity using a book external to the Bible. Regardless of this belief, many American churches still use extra-biblical sources to teach and guide their congregations. Imagine the ways these churches might react to the suggestion that they are teaching and acting based on books with incorrect information. “How could something like that happen?” you ask. Well, churches might have accidentally used books with false teachings because they believed that the author had spoken truth before (or because they already have substantial respect within Christian circles). Some churches might use these books because of their novelty, often before the author has the chance to receive feedback. And, sometimes, these books are used because the topic contains several “moving parts’’ and complicated issues that unwittingly mislead the congregation enough for the church to openly teach the false content or implement its moderate teachings incorrectly. Explanations like these are often used to justify the teaching of these books, even if serious falsehoods fill its pages or if its teachings are disgracefully used to enforce policies that negatively influence the lives of a congregation. Still, how can any excuse be used to “explain away” the actions of churches who taught from (and implemented policies partly based on) a book of extrabiblical, problematic teachings written in the 90s by a 21-year-old who later admitted that the book was not credible (and who no longer is a Christian, got a divorce, made a documentary referring to the book’s inaccuracy, and gave a Ted Talk referring to the inaccuracy of the book’s policies)? [3] Joshua Harris’s I
Kissed Dating Goodbye is a tragic example of false teachings— and their impact on a congregation. The book sold over a million copies (a great deal of which circulated to more than one person). Churches all around the country have used their perceptions of I Kissed Dating Goodbye to inform church policy in harmful ways. One might ask what this situation shows us about our relationship with Scripture. Sometimes, we focus so much on wanting to seem like good Christians that we cannot confront a false teacher lest we appear uninformed or ridiculous. Sometimes, we accept everything our pastor says as absolute truth (much to God’s dismay and to the dismay of the secular world, who deem it off-putting when Christians place blind faith in the policies and ideas of pastors and church leaders). This opposition to our “blind faith” in pastors and the Church is biblically justified. Although God calls some to be leaders of the Church and commands believers to hold fast to their teaching, we are also warned in 1 John 4:1 to “not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” For every church enamored with I Kissed Dating Goodbye or any other extrabiblical book, the book serves as a sign about their relationship with the Truth—a sign about their relationship with God.
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RATHER THAN FOCUSING ON THE WORD OF GOD AND THE SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT AND WELL-BEING OF ITS CONGREGATION, CHURCHES USING BOOKS LIKE THIS TEACH IDEAS AND IMPLEMENT POLICIES THAT NEGATIVELY INFLUENCE AND HARM THEIR CONGREGATION, MANIPULATING THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF CHRISTIANITY INTO SOMETHING CONTRARY TO GOD'S WORD. Rather than focusing on the word of God and the spiritual development and well-being of its congregation, churches using books like this teach ideas and implement policies that negatively influence and harm their congregation, manipulating their understanding of Christianity into something contrary to God’s word. Instead of doing this, churches should focus on using Scripture as the primary source of teaching the “best practices” on dating, relationships, and communication to their congregation, such as key virtues of kindness, compassion, humility, and patience. These best practices (and policies) could have led to increased opportunities, increased connection to God, and improved congregational well-being. Paul discusses these kinds of Christian behaviors in Colossians 3 when exhorting the church members to avoid false teachings. Furthermore, according to Colossians 3, a focus on the word of
God would have moved the congregation closer to God. False teachings are barriers against joining the faith—and thus have a significant impact in the lives of nonChristians. If Christians act with no credibility, we represent ourselves as unable to tell truth from fiction (or
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worse, people who have no desire to tell truth from fiction). Many nonChristians consider joining a church or otherwise have openness to doing so— but then recognize that many Christian teachers “get away with” profiting from nonsensical teachings, contradicting the Bible, and lacking accountability. significant impact in the lives of nonChristians. If Christians act with no credibility, we represent ourselves as unable to tell truth from fiction (or worse, people who have no desire to tell truth from fiction). Many nonChristians consider joining a church or otherwise have openness to doing so— but then recognize that many Christian teachers “get away with” profiting from nonsensical teachings, contradicting the Bible, and lacking accountability.
a conference called Essence that help us determine how to react to false teachings. [4] While few people have a problem deeming false teachings as “unacceptable,” most people do not seek or implement legitimate consequences to those in the church who have taught these false teachings. We know that false teaching should have consequences, and yet we choose to avoid confrontation and instead elect to remain comfortable. In the past, I myself violated the first of these two policies when it came to the churches who “ruined lives” in justifying policies that stemmed from discussing I Kissed Dating Goodbye. I said to myself,
ALTHOUGH WE KNOW THAT FALSE TEACHINGS WILL NOT JUST MIRACULOUSLY DISAPPEAR, WE AS CHRISTIANS HAVE NOT JUST AGENCY, BUT THE RESPONSIBILITY, TO RESPOND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BIBLE. Although we know that false teachings will not just miraculously disappear, we as Christians have not just agency, but the responsibility, to respond in accordance with the Bible. We do not need to accept, ignore, or laugh at false teachings. Instead, we have the ability to point out errors and even rebuke false teachers (2 Timothy 4). Furthermore, the Bible empowers us to command false teachers to stop spreading their incorrect messages (1 Timothy 1). Even Jesus himself rebuked hypocritical “blind guides” in Matthew 23. The Bible urges us to silence false teachers, allows us to feel anger towards them, and tells us to expose them (Titus 1, Ephesians 5). While this exposure might help prevent people from believing the lies of a false teacher in the future, its true value lies in the change that it can bring to the hearts and minds of those who first believed in the false teachings. “Don’t act like you don’t know when you do know” and “do not accept the unacceptable” are two policies from the “Spiritual Code of Conduct” speech Iyanla Vanzant presented at
“I don’t understand why those churches won’t go back and fix what they’ve done.” And I even thought, “I’m not sure why people wouldn’t want those churches to go back and fix what they’ve done.” In reality, I did know why, and chances are you know too. These churches harmed their congregations by implementing false teaching from extrabiblical texts, but if people confront these false teachers about what they’ve done, the likely response is one of denial or retaliation. The motives of the confronters will be called into question, and perhaps even false accusations will be made. The psychological concept of “operant conditioning” from behaviorist B. F. Skinner (coupled with the “law of effect” from psychologist Edward Thorndike) helps us understand this further. [5] The “law of effect” tells us that consequences (for behavior) will modify the probability
of that same behavior happening again in the future. When I confronted one member of a church about discussing I Kissed Dating Goodbye, the response was slander, convincing others that I was not as good of a Christian as those who agreed with the book’s policies. This response to my “confronting behavior” about their false teachings decreased the probability that I would engage in the behavior of confronting church members about false teachings in the future. The aforementioned “operant conditioning” concept describes the process: behavioral change (reduction in my behavior of confrontation) resulted
from the response (slandering me). The prominent Christian writer Tim Challies lists the seven traits of a false teacher as the following characterizations. [6] Though they overlap, each of these offers an independent method for identifying false teachers. We know (from Luke 6, Acts 20, and 1 Timothy 4) that we can recognize teachers based on their fruit (meaning the result of their teaching and the result of their behavior). The list of characterizations begins with “heretics,” whose teachings contradict the Bible, and “charlatans” who use their teachings to enrich themselves. This could look like someone who sells over a million copies of a book containing false teaching by promoting the book in churches and convincing congregations that the purchase will improve their relationships with God. The “prophet” characterization of a
false teacher might look like one of the individuals in various compilations of pastors claiming that Donald Trump would win the 2020 election, such as Kenneth Copeland and Paula White. [7] The fourth characterization, the “abuser,” needs no explanation as the false teacher blatantly exploits their role in the church at the expense of others. The fifth characterization, “divider,” means that a false teacher might use a lesson or sermon with the underlying intention of disrupting or dividing a church congregation. Challies refers to the “tickler,” a sixth characterization of false teachers, as someone who merely tickles the ears of the church by teaching “acceptable” or watered down parts of the Bible. The seventh characterization, the “speculator,” refers to a false teacher who has an obsession with novel ideas, trivial matters, or original end-time prophecies. In Hebrews 13, Paul commanded us not to get “carried away” by strange teachings. He noted that these strange teachings offer us no benefit. Many false teachers offer strange teachings by focusing on pleasing people or avoiding difficult and unpleasant truths, like abuse, pride, premarital sex, and God’s wrath, while others implement additional policies, like high schoolers not being allowed to date, that kissing must be saved for marriage, or that additional tithing will save you. When identifying these false teachings, compare the views of the teacher in question with the views of God, as indicated in the Bible. Do the teacher’s views of relationships differ from God’s views? DO THE TEACHER’S VIEWS OF RELATIONSHIPS DIFFER FROM GOD’S VIEWS? DO THE TEACHER’S VIEWS OF SALVATION DIFFER FROM WHAT JESUS TAUGHT? Do the teacher’s views of salvation differ from what Jesus taught? Upon noticing significant differences between the teachings of a human pastor and the teachings of Jesus, take action by asking God for discernment and by using lenses such as the seven characterizations of a false teacher to determine whether
Truth is being taught, not just by religious teachers, but also by those of outside the church, such as politicians, those representing media outlets, and other public figures. As Christians, we must wisely discern what teachings we allow to influence a church congregation. False teaching is a serious issue in the church, and outside of it, and it is not something to be taken lightly or ignored. It is our responsibility and calling as believers to recognize the power God has granted us through Scripture to identify and respond to false teachings, as well as to love and bring aid to those who have fallen victim. We must take action today by using tools such as the aforementioned techniques to connect people to the Truth as indicated in the word of God and prevent false teachers from continuing to keep people from the body of Christ, the true Church. We must, in other words, kiss false teachings goodbye. Grant Kelley is a Master’s student in the ILR school with an HR&O Concentration. He is from Orlando, FL, and enjoys football, frisbee, music, hiking, and discussing Christianity.
[1] The Bold and the Beautiful, directed by William J. and Lee Phillip Bell. 1987; Los Angeles: CBS, television. [2] Southern Baptist Convention, “On Biblical Scholarship And The Doctrine Of Inerrancy.” 2012. https://www.sbc.net/ resource-library/resolutions/on-biblical-scholarship-and-thedoctrine-of-inerrancy/ [3] Joshua Bote. “He wrote the Christian case against dating. Now he’s splitting from his wife and faith.” USA Today, 29 July 2019. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/ nation/2019/07/29/joshua-harris-i-kissed-dating-goodbye-iam-not-christian/1857934001/. [4] Danielle Young. “Iyanla Vanzant: The Do’s And Don’ts Of Getting Yourself A Spiritual Code Of Conduct,” Essence Magazine (2017). https://www.essence.com/festival/2017essence-festival/iyanla-vazant-empowerment-speech/ [5] Saul McLeod, “What Is Operant Conditioning and How Does It Work?” Simply Psychology, 2018, https://www. simplypsychology.org/operant-conditioning.html. [6] Tim Challies, “7 Sure Marks of a False Teacher.” Challies. com, 2017. https://www.challies.com/vlog/7-sure-marks-of-afalse-teacher/. [7] Julia Duin. “The Christian Prophets Who Say Trump Is Coming Again,” Politico (2017). https://www.politico.com/ news/magazine/2021/02/18/how-christian-prophets-givecredence-to-trumps-election-fantasies-469598
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ing n r a Curre nt W Kelly Jawork
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Kelly Jawork is a senior from outside of Philadelphia, studying mechanical and aerospace engineering. Otherwise, she loves running, backpacking, and rock climbing!
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The Sisters Emily Choi
The oceans influence and are influenced by humans. The currents transport warm water from the equator toward the poles and cold water from the poles back to the tropics. Thus, ocean currents modulate the global climate, helping to curb the uneven distribution of solar radiation reaching Earth’s surface. A life without ocean currents would be impossible: regional temperatures at the poles and equator would be so extreme that much more of Earth’s land would be inhabitable. The oceans serve as places of mystery and grace, but people fear the unknown and the strange, subjecting the oceans to the consequences of their harmful actions. Humans can side with the oceans by vocalizing their care for them and living a more sustainable lifestyle by reducing the use of pollutants and single-use plastics.
I could live life one blue paint at a time.
Pelagia, 11” x 21”, acrylic on canvas
For me, painting these oceans has been an act of repetition and relaxation that made a year of quarantining at home a little more blissful. Although no one knew where the world was heading,
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Azules del Mar, 10” x 14”, acrylic on canvas
The Drink, 8” x 11”, gouache on paper
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Resilience, 21” x 11”, acrylic on canvas A lava lamp is a provider of light for those who need comfort and peace in the dark. It doesn’t provide bright light because it doesn’t have to… the mood is humorous and groovy, which I believe is needed for these difficult times. The waxy bubbles move up and down, in the same way that life constantly brings in its case of highs and lows. They travel amidst the darkness, always in motion, never ceasing for a moment’s rest in this race.
Emily Choi is a sophomore from Ridgewood, NJ, studying Communication with a minor in Fine Arts. She enjoys rom-com and action films, bowling, and painting.
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Marketing Jesus
Seth Bollinger | the complexity of the evangelical industrial complex Did you know that a pair of Saint Laurent Men’s Wyatt Leather Harness Boots costs $1,095?
With this background in mind, you can understand my bewilderment when I saw Steven Furtick, the pastor of the popular Elevation Church in North Carolina, rocking those $1,095 Saint Laurent boots. Elevation Church in many ways is the quintessential modern evangelical megachurch, with passionate preaching by the likes of Furtick, rock-concert worship, and nearly 30,000 attendees across 20 campuses. When I’m describing a “megachurch,” I’m referring generally to a church with a 2,000+ congregant turnout every weekend that lacks a traditional denominational affiliation. Megachurches have become more common over the past few decades and tend to focus heavily on outreach and evangelism.
While mindlessly scrolling through Instagram one day, I was astonished to find a picture of these ridiculously expensive Saint Laurent boots on a very unique account. Strewn across the page were posts featuring famous megachurch Now, the effectiveness of this approach pastors with screenshots of the prices to ministry is unquestionable: in their of their particular attire. The account 2019 annual report, Elevation Church name was @PreachersNSneakers, reported 30,687 decisions to follow touting 249,000 Instagram followers to Christ over the year, an incredible date with their own podcast and book by statistic that showcases the many the same name. With the tagline, “The positives of large church ministry. Lord works in mysterious Colorways,” [3] But another astounding statistic this account has been controversial. is the annual revenue of the church: [1] The creator of the account, Ben nearly $80 million in 2019. [3] Many Kirby, recalled in commentators from his book that “[his] inside and outside actions [to create Christianity have the account] were raised concern purely meant as about megachurches THE BREADTH a joke, a way to generating revenues AND REACH OF process [his] own of this size due to THE MODERN annoyance via potential abuses of MEGACHURCH IS social media.” [2] wealth, such as using OVERWHELMING Soon the account church funds to buy AND POSSIBLY became a place private jets or, like CONCERNING. for disenfranchised in Furtick’s case, evangelicals to designer clothing. bash these celebrity But revenues of pastors for their this size are not fashion choices, uncommon among and it has since become a platform for megachurches. Life.Church, the largest popular discourse about the balance church in America, reported a 2019 between wealth and ministry. revenue of $163 million in 2019. [4] The breadth and reach of the modern
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megachurch is overwhelming possibly concerning.
and
What are we to make of this massive ministry of influencer-style pastors in designer clothing preaching sermons that take the form of self-help sessions with some scripture thrown in? The megachurch model offers a ripe opportunity for studying the relationship between faith and marketing and can perhaps enable us to see how a culture of consumption influences our view of the gospel. It’s hard to deny the enormous influence that marketing has as something that we interact with on an almost minuteby-minute basis. Whether it’s the ads between our Snapchat stories or the large Apple logo on our MacBook Pros, marketing is one of the most intimate tools used by corporations to influence their consumers to buy certain products today.
Fundamentally, marketing is all about creating value for a brand. When a customer values a brand or product then they maintain a favorable attitude toward it, thus increasing brand loyalty and—eventually—profits for the company. Businesses determine their marketing strategies based on what they believe will generate the most value. These strategies can involve improvements to anything, ranging from the customer experience, to store layouts, to advertisements, to product offerings; all of these marketing techniques seek to maximize value to
layouts, to advertisements, to product offerings; all of these marketing techniques seek to maximize value to consumers. Peter Drucker, an influential management consultant of the 20th century, expressed that “Marketing is the distinguishing, unique function of the business.” [5]
sustaining cycle of megachurch pastors and Christian media companies that focus on churning out content based on their congregation sizes, social media followers, and guarantees for profitable products such as books and other media. Now, from a business perspective, this makes complete sense—when a publisher is investing in the printing of a Today megachurches might not be much new book, it is crucial for them to know different than businesses: integrated that there is a market for it. But for cafés and bookstores, comfortable modern evangelicalism, the EIC theory lounge areas, and indoor playgrounds takes a somewhat cynical approach, undoubtedly create “value” for new claiming that Christianity has become attendees. Modern commoditized, megachurches show marketed like any us that marketing other product, and MODERN is perhaps the packaged neatly in MEGACHURCHES SHOW most unique a 180-page book US THAT MARKETING function of modern with a “living IS PERHAPS THE evangelicalism—or, your fullest life” MOST UNIQUE maybe, the fusion central theme. FUNCTION OF MODERN of evangelicalism In this view, the EVANGELICALISM—OR with capitalism. modern evangelical MAYBE, THE FUSION OF But what happens industrial complex EVANGELICALISM WITH when capitalism has decided to CAPITALISM. and Christianity profit off of faith converge? In the early while becoming 1960’s, a very similar question was asked about capitalism spiritually bankrupt. and America’s military. But is this really true? As I scanned the On January 17, 1961, President Dwight lists of Christian Bestselling books in 2020 D. Eisenhower gave a farewell address published by the Evangelical Christian to the nation in which he cautioned Publishers Association, several of the America about the potential for a books addressed incredibly pertinent “military industrial complex,” wherein issues ranging from relationship advice the American military becomes to leadership to daily devotionals. In integrated closely with large weapons fact, I noticed that many of these famous manufacturers who then influence authors and speakers have influenced public policy. This level of singular my own spiritual journey: Paul David influence could be attained by the Tripp’s devotional New Morning unsettling marriage between military Mercies, for example, is a staple in my and industry which, Eisenhower family’s household. Tim Keller, with warned, would create the “potential for his many bestselling books, has shaped the disastrous rise of misplaced power.” my intellectual curiosity enormously [6] through books like The Reason for God and The Meaning of Marriage—both of which, notably, have been bestsellers Borrowing from Eisenhower’s for years. Not all of these bestselling terminology, Skye Jethani—writer, books may carry the historical gravitas speaker, and host of the podcast “The of Augustine’s Confessions, but one still Holy Post”—now argues that there doesn’t need to look far to find famous is a whole new category of industrial modern speakers and authors who have complex on the rise today; this he has positively impacted countless lives. dubbed the “evangelical industrial complex,” or EIC for short. [7] The This is where I believe the cynicism EIC, Jethani proposes, is a selfof the EIC theory overshadows the
potential benefits of the modern church structure. While profit may be the goal many of these Christian media outlets (and a goal which, I would even argue, is a necessity in today’s society), these organizations genuinely seem to want to influence believers and nonbelievers alike to engage with their faith in new and refreshing ways. Additionally, megachurches that take in millions in revenue often allocate much of that money to church outreach and building expansions to fit the needs of even more congregants. Critics of megachurch pastors and famous Christian authors try to show that wealth is their nefarious motivator, but there is not sufficient evidence to make this judgement on a broad scale. All that notwithstanding, the EIC theory draws another critique of modern evangelicalism that certainly has more validity: an overemphasis on consumption in the modern Christian megachurch. From the beginning of the capitalist system, consumerism has played a role in how each generation interacts with the products and services they use. As the cultural context has changed in the country, the marketing strategies of secular business corporations have too. Today, companies are increasingly catering towards Generation Z, the world’s current high school and collegeaged generation born between 1995 and 2010. According to the business consulting firm, McKinsey, Gen-Z differs from previous generations significantly with their behavior rooted in “the search for truth.” [8]
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visiting the homepage of their website, the cultural context of the time, which there are a few headings that catch can lead to evangelism and greater one’s eye: “Let’s tailor your experience,” Christian influence, and ingratiating “There’s an eGroup for you,” and the church with popular culture, which “This is church. Anywhere.” [9] This can reduce the importance of orthodoxy buffet of options offers churchgoers and dismiss biblical teachings. a personalized Christian experience When thinking about the church’s that caters to their role in American every desire and consumerist culture, seems to embrace perhaps we need Gen-Z has WHEN this consumerist to reflect on how grown up in a THINKING ABOUT THE culture, rather than our own actions context of social CHURCH’S ROLE IN push against it. may perpetuate this networking, digital AMERICAN CONSUMERIST culture even more narratives, and the CULTURE, PERHAPS WE This catering than the truth of the ability to consume NEED TO REFLECT ON to every desire gospel. content at extremely HOW OUR OWN ACTIONS comes in stark fast rates. They find PERPETUATE THIS contrast to the New I will be the first to value in inclusivity, CULTURE. Testament, which admit that I am a personalization, and makes it clear that consumer at heart: activism, and expect corporations disciples of Jesus I love gadgets, and to offer all of these elements in their are called to give up having more “toys” is services and products. Possession all of our earthly desires to follow Jesus. a constant struggle of mine. I am easily and ownership are less important to In the book of 1 Peter, it is written that swayed by products or services that offer Generation Z and businesses have been “Since therefore Christ suffered in the me a personalized, tailored experience. adapting to subscription models in flesh, arm yourselves with the same way When I start to really reflect on how order to keep up. In short, Generation of thinking...so as to live for the rest of I “market” my faith to others, it too Z is the most consumption-heavy and time in the flesh no longer for human may be characterized by a consumerist inclusive generation yet. passions but for the will of God” (4:1mentality: church-hopping, mindless 2). Consumerism is a desire inside every scrolling through Instagram pages, A consumerist one of us cultivated and listening to mounds of mediocre mindset is built on a by our culture Christian music. While an unfortunate strong mentality of and by our selfish reality, the Evangelical Industrial individualism and is motivations that Complex is built into the way that we fodder for corporate CONSUMERISM IS should be resisted. experience our faith nowadays. And yet marketers and A DESIRE INSIDE this imperfect system has still given me advertising firms. EVERY ONE OF US Still, it’s important opportunities to be challenged in my One only needs to CULTIVATED BY to recognize that faith through new books, bring my nonlook to social media OUR CULTURE AND consumerism in Christian friends to a hip church, and apps such as TikTok BY OUR SELFISH its best form is lead worship in large group settings with or YouTube to see MOTIVATIONS THAT inherently a mirror simple, easily singable songs. While it’s that content creation SHOULD BE RESISTED. of our desire to know easy to point out the flaws of the EIC, is at an all-time high. more and more of the positive side effects of it are pretty Why sit through a Christ and to have a undeniable as well. 10-minute video, personal relationship or even read a few with him. If marketing is fundamentally So, is it right for Christian pastors and pages of a book, when you can watch about catering to consumerism, then speakers to wear designer clothing and roughly 10–40 TikTok videos in the perhaps a church marketing Jesus in a for churches to generate large revenues? same amount of time? Consumption is beautiful, life-changing way can speak While it doesn’t sit well with me—and a part of our culture, and it’s not going to this desire for “more” found in there is evidence for the inappropriate away anytime soon. our consumerist society. The church use of wealth in church cultures—I operates within the context in which don’t really know. Marketing the gospel While consumption has trickled into the it exists; the adaptability to different towards a culture of consumerism evangelical church over many decades, cultures is a unique power of the brings with it all sorts of messy situations the internet culture of the 21st century orthodox Christian tradition that allows where designer clothing signifies has made it easier than ever for churches for incredible outreach and beautiful relevance rather than religiosity, or to cater to new congregants using diversity within the body of Christ. But where nice sneakers are just a result of consumeristic marketing. Let’s look there is a fine line between adapting to personal fashion choices. The fusion of back at Elevation Church again. Upon 30 | Claritas
capitalism and evangelicalism, culminating in the EIC and large megachurches, leaves us in a complex web of questions that we must sort through on a systemic and personal level. How do my desires get in the way of my humility towards Christ? But how do I also share the gospel with this young, social-media-crazed generation? Is profit a bad thing for Christians in ministry to pursue?
Seth Bollinger is a junior from Lancaster, PA, studying AEM and Marketing. He enjoys reading, listening to podcasts, watching movies, and buying Apple products––in other words, he is a classic consumerist Gen-Z student.
[1] PreachersNSneakers, accessed April 6, 2021, https://preachersnsneakers.com/ [2] Kirby, Ben. Preachers N Sneakers: Authenticity in an Age of For Profit Faith and (Wannabe) Celebrities. Thomas Nelson, 2021 [3] “Annual Report 2019,” Elevation Church, accessed April 6, 2021, https://elevationchurch. org/annual-report/ [4] “Life.Church,” Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, accessed April 15, 2021, https://www.ecfa.org/MemberProfile. aspx?ID=22274
While marketing is all about creating value, we must remember that the value of our faith does not lie in wealth, status, or cultural relevance, but in the glory and grace of Jesus.
[5] “Peter Drucker On Marketing,” Forbes, accessed April 15, 2021, https://www.forbes. com/2006/06/30/jack-trout-on-marketing-cx_ jt_0703drucker.html?sh=33792ea0555c [6] “Ike’s Warning Of Military Expansion, 50 Years Later,” National Public Radio, accessed April 21, 2021, https://www.npr. org/2011/01/17/132942244/ikes-warning-ofmilitary-expansion-50-years-later [7] Skye Jethani, “The Evangelical Industrial Complex & the Rise of Celebrity Pastors (Pt. 1),” Christianity Today, last modified February 20, 2012, https://www.christianitytoday.com/ pastors/2012/february-online-only/evangelicalindustrial-complex-rise-of-celebrity-pastors.html [8] Tracy Francis and Fernanda Hoefel, “‘True Gen’: Generation Z and its implications for companies,” last modified November 12, 2018, https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/ consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/true-gengeneration-z-and-its-implications-for-companies# [9] “Homepage,” Elevation Church, accessed April 27, 2021, https://elevationchurch.org/
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32 | Claritas
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Olivia Simoni
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Influence | 33
Olivia Simoni is a senior from France and Dubai, studying English Literature. About to graduate, Liv is slightly depressed about saying goodbye to the campus and people she loves, but is stoked to embark on the next crazy chapter—marriage and moving to the other side of the world! (Insider tip: if you buy Liv a chai, co-create a good inside joke with her that you've both taken too far, or complement her kindergarten-teacher style clothes, you'll instantly be her friend!)
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