Ripple Effect
Imagine or picture yourself being near a peaceful, serene lake on a beautiful day. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, and not one cloud in the sky. There is a little bit of a soft, cool breeze blowing and you can see it going through the trees. You hear some birds chirping away. What could be more perfect? So you go to the edge of the lake and you see some small rocks. It made you think back to when you were a kid and you skipped rocks in the creek near where you lived. So you stand at the edge and carefully consider which rock you will pick to create the perfect wave of ripples that will be sent into the peaceful serene lake once you make it skip. You pick and throw, the rock skipped, and then you see a set of ripple sent out rippling through the water as they flow across the lake. You think, yes, I did that, how cool to see it skip and flow. What a way to spend the day.
As you think of this image of the perfect day and perfect ripples set off by you picking the right rock to throw into the water ponder these thoughts. Just as it is in your imagination or memory if you ever had a day like this, so is it in life and our everyday lives. You might be wondering what she is talking about and think what does one have to do with the other. Hold on. I promise I will make the connection with this flow of thoughts. There is a reason that there is a law in physics stating that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Equally the case when we tell our kids their actions or choices have consequences. I’ve personally taught my children that if you make good choices you get fun things, and just as true if you make bad choices you get not so fun consequences. This principle of with every action there is a reaction is equally true for the rock being skipped in the lake, our kids getting a reaction based on their choice of actions, and for each of us in life as we make individual choices. It creates a chain reaction that sends out a wave of ripples out around us into our pond, the ponds of others, and eventually into the collective pond of our culture.
In consideration of the knowledge that with each decision we make creates a wave of impact on others and the collective feel of our culture then we must contemplate with our choices what reactions we are creating. Also, we must reflect on what kind of ripples we want to create, and thus what potential impact we want to have on those around us and in our culture. It’s been said we either contribute or containment so we must decide whether we want to create and send out bad, negative, toxic, or harmful waves of influence that contaminate or will we send out good, positive, healthy, helpful waves of influence that contribute and make a difference.
In pondering these questions and choices it requires all of us to each truly consider carefully the choices we make and the actions we take. We must be aware and realize the potential influence we can have or create based on our own actions and choices. When we are considering the choices we decide to make we are always choosing between two or more things. Usually, it’s something like there is a good choice, a bad choice, a better or worse choice, or the best choice. It could be as simple as choosing between the good or bad choice. In these instances we must decide which choice we will make or which rock will pick up to toss in the waters of our pond, the pond of others, and our cultural pond. Will we choose to throw the pebbles of injustice, unrighteousness, immorality, dishonesty, disobedience, meanness, untruthfulness, being unkind, uncompassionate, unforgiving, jealousy, greed, malice, rage, hate among others that create ripples that are toxic, harmful, polluted, destructive and contaminated. We also can choose the pebbles of goodness, morality, virtue, righteousness, justice, obedience, justice, honesty, truthfulness, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, mercy, self control, contentment, a giving nature, peace, and love among others that create ripples that are healthy, helpful, uplifting, encouraging, loving, building up, and contribute to others around us in our the pond we live in.
You might be saying to yourself as you read this, I get what she is saying and maybe even you agree but you are thinking how could I possibly influence or create change for anyone around me much less our cultural pond. That’s a valid question. Let’s look at it closer and break it down to this question. There are a couple of things that I would like to take under consideration. First of all, we all have a story, message, a voice, a part to play and some way of contributing no matter how small or big it may be. Secondly, we are all gifted talents to use for the purposes of helping, serving, others, doing what we are called to do by God and bring glory to Him and His name.
Thirdly, consider while standing at the lake, choosing that one rock or pebble and how that pebble and the one action of throwing it into the water of the lake can set off a chain reaction of one ripple making another ripple making another ripple and so on. This is no different in real life and our lives as we pick up the pebbles representing our choices whether good or bad. If we pick bad or toxic choices then we can set into motion an influential ripple effect of harm, toxicity, and negativity that flows out into our waters, ponds of others, and then into the pond of our culture. Equally, this is true of our good choices as well. We have seen time and time again that either one bad choice sets into motion a chain reaction leading to more bad choices and consequences. Equally the same is just as much true of good, positive and helpful choices that can set into motion a chain of positive influence and change. It doesn’t matter if we ever know or see the impactful ripple effect that flowed out and was set into motion by our one simple action.
Furthermore, it could be the simplest thing of a kind word, act, or gesture towards someone that can be so impactful. Most great movements in history can be traced back to how it grew to be great. It was originally started by a simple choice or an act of a particular individual who decided to choose it and do what they did. In doing whatever they did it set into motion maybe at first small rippling waves that eventually grew and grew into the movements and causes that we have come to know about. It was all possible because in one instance in time, one individual decided to make one choice to act by picking a pebble and throwing it into their pond and the pond of others. It is this one action that set into motion a flowing ripple effect chain that grew into a movement or cause that was one of change, making a difference, and reviving that person’s culture and the world they lived in. There are endless numbers of examples of how one small act set into motion big things that changed the course of history, culture, and our world.
Equally this is true of the Bible. God’s word is filled with countless ways and examples of how God’s use people in big and in small ways to accomplish great things. Moreover, more times than not it is seen over and over again how God uses the ordinary to achieve the extraordinary in the most unexpected ways, and oftentimes comes from the most unexpected of places and people as well. Some of the examples we will discuss in a later part of this book will demonstrate and illustrate this idea of creating change by sending out rippling influential waves into our world with our choices. As we continue forward through the following chapters, let’s consider how we can apply these principles in our lives and be creators of the waves that will be impactful in our ponds, the ponds of others, and the cultural pond we live in to be the makers of change and difference in our world.
Conforming to Our Culture or Christ
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
—Roman 12:1-2
The first book, Scripture, Spirituality and Our Culture, in this series very much focuses on the idea of Scripture, spirituality, our culture, and the place of these things in our culture today, or our culture’s place in line with our spirituality and Scripture. In consideration of these topics and discussion, it basically boils down to one question and the discussion that revolves around the consideration of this question. If an individual has chosen to start the path of following Christ as her or his Lord and Savior, then that person must consider these things. Who are we, who does our identity lie with, and who or what will we conform to in our life and faith journey as we travel through this life? These are big, major, macro thoughts and questions with much bearing on our journey of faith we are traveling. These questions have a great impact over the influence Involved in the ripples in our ponds. There is one fundamental and central verse that speaks to these questions, and it is found in Romans 12:1-2.
This verse and the actions found in this passage helps us to understand these questions and discover our answers. In seeking the answers to these questions we need to have knowledge and an understanding of the meaning of the specific actions in this verse. Presented in these verses is the idea of sacrifice, which is defined as to make a sacrifice or offering of something. In the context of this verse it would be related to being dedicated to the service of God, to be godly, and devout. Also presented in these verses is the idea of being acceptable, which is defined as capable or worthy of being accepted. A third element to define is the act of worship, which is defined as reverent honor and homage, or to feel an adoring reverence or regard for God. Fourthly, the action or act of conforming or what it is to conform is defined as acting in accordance or harmony such as to comply or to conform to rules. Also, it is to act in accord with the prevailing standards, attitudes, practices, etc., of society or a group. To transform is to change in form, appearance, or structure, condition, nature, or character; to metamorphose. The final element of the action in this verse is renewal, which is defined as the act of renewing or state of being renewed.
In our comprehension and consideration of the definitions of these terms and actions discussed in this verse we can consider the application it has for us, our ponds, the ponds of others, and our culture and how it all fits together. We can also know what we must choose. If we follow the path of Christ, then we will understand what we are called to do. Furthering our understanding of conforming, we can also consider the examples we have in the Bible that demonstrate and live out these very actions and verses. In many of the chapters of this book we will be taking a look at the multiple examples the Bible provides of people who stood up and were firm and strong in their stance against the cultural waters of their days. They went against the grain of their culture and conformed not to their culture but to God, His laws, precepts, principles, commands, and ways. These people were the embodiment of Roman 12:1-2 by living out what they were called to do to go against the rushing, rippling streams of the cultural water of their day.
Having the context of the beginning of this series, going forward this book will be doing a thorough deep dive into what it really means to live the words of Romans 12:1-2. We will examine, explore, and discover what it is in the actuality of the real world to live a life of faith, striving to be conformed to Christ and not this world. It means to put those words into practice to create influential rippling waves that have an actual impact on this world we live in. We can start to understand how we can impact our cultural waters. What influence will we have on our culture and what ripples we will set into motion in our cultural waters? In what ways will we be makers of difference for Christ in our culture and the world today?