Gangs and Bullies III (RV)

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths . . . 

 - From 2 Peter 1

A  bully is a single person that lords it over others. Usually he gets away with it, because there are not enough people standing up to him, or the system in place at the time is not sufficient to change his behavior.

But did I just employ a male pronoun in describing bullies? That was only for rhetorical purposes. For, I have witnessed, and experienced, female bullies. Three, in particular, in my career, were younger than I, by ten, fifteen, or twenty years! Age and gender do not define a bully. It is about position, authority, and leverage. The workplace is fertile ground for bullydom.

We think everything that goes against our wishes, today, must be attributable to some sinister other source: a bully.

A bully can be taken down, by a bigger, meaner bully. Bullies often beget bullies. And a bully doesn't always require brute force. There are bullies in academia, and their leverage is their degree, their published papers, their fancy words. 

People of great intelligence today mock Christians and their belief in "myths." If you're a seeker, on the fence, not sure what to believe, and some attractive, popular, and famous intelligent person shows up on TV, making fun of Christians and their unscientific myths, you will be less likely to seek further, at least, in the Christian direction. Thus does a smart person bully millions. 

A bully can be stopped by a crowd, a massed throng of angry people that are tired of being bullied. Sometimes the crowds hold up placards mocking the myths of Christians. And others join along, because we like the fun of laughing at others. It feels good to feel smart. And it feels good to sock it to those mean people that talk about unselfish, responsible, dignified codes of behavior. 

If I am in a large enough of a crowd, or gang, then a bully cannot hurt me . . . nor can anybody that makes me uncomfortable (another form of bullying). So if we cannot be a bully ourselves . . . than at least we can join a mass that will like and share my posts, and defend me with ample f-bombs if anyone ever questions me. 

The closer you get to Truth, and the nearer you are to the Lord, the fewer people you will find. You'd better be ready, for you are an easy target for bullies. And if you resist the angry gang surrounding you, they too can hurt you. 

When they taunt you for your belief in "myths," it can hurt your spirit. We want to be thought of as intelligent. 

The Apostle Peter anticipated this. He knew Christians would be accused of believing in myths, so he put it plainly: "We didn't just come up with this stuff. We saw it with our own eyes. We were there."

You do not believe in a myth. You believe in a Truth that is bigger and (if necessary), meaner than a bully. And your position, alone in the presence of Christ, can withstand the largest, most ruthless protesting crowd.

You can be you. You can be an individual. You can be yourself. And you can be brave.