A late response...

I have seen your tweets, your status updates, and your blogs about this, and, I suppose, this one won't be as timely. But my response is to people who say they follow Jesus. You see, I watched the same youtube videos, hulu, huffington post... And I witnessed the audience react to the news.

Wait, maybe you didn't see it. Watch this:




There, in under two minutes, now you are somewhat up to speed.

Like I said, I have read your tweets, your updates, your blogs... and quite honestly, I am disgusted on a few levels. Here is my response to more than the video:

1. Letterman did bad things. And Clinton did bad things. In fact, bad things are done all the time. However, many folks don't tweet, or update, or blog until those bad things have to do with some type of sexual bad thing. The internet was bubbling with ecstasy when Ted Haggard finally came forward. We (our culture, both on the left and the right) are obsessed with sex.
   
2. The audience at Letterman's taping celebrated that behavior with laughter and applause. We (humans) joke about and laugh with the ongoing stigmas that we watch on SNL, The Soup, VH1, ET, ad nauseum... I think (and I am probably wrong) that he was brilliant in the fact that he disclosed everything. His humor style (self deprecation) leads to this full disclosure, if you think about it.
3. Not many people were shocked or surprised at his confession. Many of you (and you know who I am talking about) made that abundantly clear in your judgmental tweets, updates, and blogs. This made me angry. I could write and get on my own soap box, but that would be unwise. You are bad, too (or so says I John 1:8); don't tweet, update, or blog about someone else's badness in a self righteous way, please.
   
4. And then there is the audience's LIVE reaction to Letterman's news of applause and laughter. Many of you, my Christ loving friends, have made it a point to respond to their reaction with disgust, out right judgment, anger, intolerance, and societal embarrassment. Many of the tweets, updates, blogs had the statement: "It is sad that Letterman fans applauded and laughed with him about his sin." (Or something like that)
   
5. I have a theory (it is probably wrong): I think our culture laughs nervously and celebrates the idea of "celebrity" being human (depraved). Anytime we can connect to the celebrity, the other, the image, we love it. Therefore, I believe the laughter and applause is a connection that says to the celebrity, "Thanks for being bad like us. We know you are human. Keep making us laugh so we don't have to endure the pain of our bad choices. We're here for you."
   
6. With my theory, I think the conversation concerning the audience's reaction is elevated past the surface of celebrating bad behavior. It is camaraderie, connection, and our very deep need to know we are not alone and that we are not the only bad people. This does not make the bad things being done okay, but it does make sense of the reactions.
7. I think the reaction is yet another outcry for connection to something bigger...and anticipation of something, if you will (Romans 8:18-20). And with this thinking, it makes me want to share the human connection of Jesus more and more. If people connect to Jesus (God, perfect, the other, celebrity out of reach feeling of a person), their reaction is likely to be one of applause and laughter followed by authentic life connection.
   

So, in essence, how should we respond? I have expressed my aggravation with what I have read, but am I wrong to be aggravated? I think we should ask more questions and elevate the conversations past ourselves when we react to each other (each of us, God's creation...even the people laughing in the Letterman studio). We should get to know each other more and peel back these surface discussions to reveal something deeper. We are all bad people. We all need a magnificent rescue. We all desire a connection to something greater and bigger. I cannot, for the life of me, understand how we are having that conversation when we (as followers of Jesus) continue to tweet, update, or blog our self righteous illusions. Tell me I am judgmental and bad, I am cool with that. Believe me, I know. But don't respond to this out of anger. Have a real response with a real opinion about what I said.

Wait, last thing: what if we were angry and reacted to injustice and things that made a difference where we live? I suppose this conversation is cyclical...like from the 80s lol

There, any thoughts?