Selfie no more?

The Selfie.

Urban dictionary defines it so eloquently - “A picture taken of yourself that is planned to be uploaded to Facebook, Myspace or any other sort of social networking website. You can usually see the person's arm holding out the camera in which case you can clearly tell that this person does not have any friends to take pictures of them so they resort to Myspace to find internet friends and post pictures of themselves, taken by themselves. A selfie is usually accompanied by a kissy face or the individual looking in a direction that is not towards the camera.”

Dear Urban dictionary, 

Myspace is gone. #RIP.

Condolences,

Beth

Here is my definition of a selfie.  A selfie is a picture of just the picture taker who then proceeds to talk about themself.  

This is just my opinion and I realize I'm treading on sacred ground - the self, but here it goes. I haven't made anyone mad today yet, so maybe this will count. The occasional picture of something hilarious, a new haircut, skincare advertisements or botox procedure gone wrong can be quite entertaining and just fine, that is not what I am talking about.  I am talking about the constant self-promotion. 

Let’s  be honest.  We all spend too much time thinking about ourselves anyway.  Don’t you ever just get on your own nerves?  I do. Well, if you are narcissistic you probably don’t because you are perfect, but for the rest of us, don’t you sometimes just want a break from YOU?  

I keep trying to imagine if Jesus had recorded himself on his iPhone.  “Look Dad!  I turned water into wine!  #miracles” or  “Anyone need some fish? I have extra. #12baskets”  or how about this one, “Check out this before and after of my friend with leprosy.  #ihealedhim”  

How awesome would it be if we coined the term, “you-ie”??  I love the community I am a part of because they do such a great job of honoring other people.  Wouldn’t that be amazing if we could start highlighting those around us? Interesting things that are going on in our world?  Hilarious moments of others lives?  

Right now our church is going through the book of Philippians, and whether you believe in Jesus or not, these words are powerful. 

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

(Philippians 2:3-4 ESV)

This is why I am anti-selfie.  I already struggle enough with being self-centered and need help remembering to look around me.  We all see the people who constantly post selfies and have our different judgements and thoughts, but I wonder if anyone ever talks to them who truly loves them and seeks to understand what is going on in their interior world. Is there pride, loneliness and/or so much insecurity? Are we afraid we will be forgotten? All of us have our struggles and if God were to ever allow me to meet and become friends with Kim Kardashian I hope that I could talk to her out of a place of deep care for her and not annoyance and maybe she could help me dress better and show me more of who she is as a person. 

Larry says it best, “Never speak hard words to someone unless your love for that person has formed a vision for who that person could become, a vision that generates tender feelings for the other.  And never speak hard words if you discern that you are demanding a change in another for your sake.”

So, for all of us selfie takers, myself included, join me in becoming a “you-ie” culture?  I think there’s more to you than what you post, so lets find out who that person really is.  Show the world and people around you.  I think it will shift things in relationships and in perspective.