The Divine December Challenge (“DDC”). I ask all of you, my friends, and everyone who is your friend, to take my “Divine December” challenge. For the 31 days of December, let’s make all of our social media messages, emails, texts, forwards and spoken comments positive, uplifting and encouraging, as if directed to a Divine audience.
I know you have a strongly held opinion about many things. Some of you are liberal or conservative; pro something or anti something; like this person and dislike that person; believe that certain things are far more important than anything else, and wish others were as enlightened as you are. But is there anyone who is not at least a little tired about the vitriolic way in which we are NOT having a productive dialogue anymore?
Candidly my brothers and sisters, our strongly worded diatribes, rants and forwarded messages are not changing anyone’s mind, except perhaps to harden them deeper in the opposite direction. It is, quite frankly, exhausting. Our interpersonal discourse has devolved to discord. Wouldn’t you agree that it’s a little broken?
And if insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result, perhaps for just 31 days we can pause the insanity. Think whatever you want, but try expressing only thoughts, messages and actions that are positive and uplifting and encouraging (and not disparaging, degrading, insulting or attacking what someone else believes). You don’t need to bring anyone else down to bring your point of view up.
Whether you are Christen or Jewish or … (fill in the blank with whatever you believe system is), for just the sacred and holy 31 days of December, can we try focusing on the Divine? Maybe we can direct our thoughts, words and actions to something bigger than ourselves or our current opinions. Perhaps we can consider focusing on encouraging everyone to do beautiful and wonderful things to help others, without trying to shame those who are not living up to our expectations or beliefs. Perhaps, we can live as we were Divinely called to live.
I promise to try and live a Divine December. I pray you join me on this uplifting and righteous journey. And I ask you to pass along this Divine December challenge to your friends, family and acquaintances. Together, acting more Divinely, we can have a more peaceful, blessed, and perhaps even Divine, December.
And maybe, just maybe, if it feels good enough, we can continue and have an even more Divine new year. Thanks for reading, and may your Divine December journey be blessed.
Bill Marianes – StewardshipCalling.com