Twitter Church, I Love Your Stinky Kind of Beauty

May 15th, 2008 | uncategorized

A million years ago when I wrote that pens should be mightier than toilet plungers, A Musing Mom commented, “Some truth stinks and we really donâ€™t need to read the smelly stuff.”

That’s a comment that stuck with me. Because it’s such a tricky thing. See, I’m a big fan of Keats:

‘Beauty is truth, truth beauty,â€”that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.’

If something is true, it will also be beautiful. Something that is true and stinky, still has a stinky kind of beauty. Sound crazy? Have you ever had limberger cheese? Or anchovies? They are truly delightful–and their stench is part of their beauty.

It is stench for its own sake that we need to be careful about.

For example, culling through my own Twitter comments this weekend, I found one that horrified me. Kevin Hendricks was bemoaning the fact that so many writers don’t follow the guidelines we editors send them. “Why?!” he asked.

I responded, “Because they are idiots.”

Ouch. What was I thinking? That isn’t the kind of stinky beauty that tastes good on crackers. In fact, there’s nothing beautiful about that comment at all.

But there is a kind of beauty in my ability to delete stupid, ugly twitter comments like that. So that’s what I did.

Which reminds me about something I just read on CultureSmith. More and more people are getting into the twitter thing, using services like twirl (the application that made Twitter work for me), facebook, twitpic, snurl or tinyurl, and twitterfeed.

Christians have to wonder what it looks like to be the church on twitter. In short, What Would Jesus Tweet? Or would he Twitter at all?

Personally, I think he would. Twitter may have a stinky kind of beauty. But it’s still a beauty that’s got lots of room for truth. As long as I can delete my own stupid comments from time to time.

Viewing 10 Comments

spaghettipie 6 months ago 1 point
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Sadly, I don't know that much about twitter - except that I think about Tweety Bird for some reason every time I hear that word. Guess that's what I get for spending so much time banished to the "seedy underbelly" of blogland.

ack! sent there again. Here's what it said:

My 404 page is better than yours.

Welcome to the seedy underbelly of this otherwise upstanding Web site. Please choose from the following in order to get back on track:

* Try the ol' back button on your browserâ€”it is the most used button on the Web, you know.
* Head on back home.
* Try the navigation menu at the top â†‘ of the page.
* Search or click on a link over in the sidebar.
* Subscribe to this site's feed so you don't have to come here for updates.
* Relive the glory days of high school football and punt, but please do not strain your groin.

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real live preacher 6 months ago 1 point
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The editor comment - lol. That's the sort of thing we all just toss off. Kind of a conversational thing. But then it's online. At least it was your own comment.

Now I love the editors I work with (ahem), but I must say that there are different editorial philosophies. And you ought to agree on which one you are using. Are you writing as an essayist or a journalist? But in my experience, editors are almost always right within the boundaries of their philosophy. I love working with editors. It makes the final product better. And the work is all that matters.

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Sam 6 months ago 1 point
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Real live,
If I was still an editor I'd have to say "I love you, man."
Too few appreciated it when I took a chainsaw to their copy.
Like you note, it was all to make the final product better (and fit space alloted the story). When possible, writers would watch as changes were made.
-Sam

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Sam 6 months ago 1 point
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Should read "if I were still an editor." I've grown too dependent on spellcheck. "Allotted" is the correct spelling above.
Now I'll go get more coffee.
-Sam

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Marcus 6 months ago 1 point
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spaghettipie, I'm sorry that I do not have the technical expertise to prevent exposing my underbelly. Thanks for being patient and continuing to try... I wonder if that's why comments are down a bit?

Gordon, my editorial philosophy is probably worthy of a whole post. I'll have to think about that some more.

Sam, only another editor would appreciate you pointing out the error in use of the subjunctive mood.

Ah, subjunctive. It's my favorite mood. After a nice date, dim the lights, make some good coffee and dance with your significant other in the living room to the slow jazz of "what if" and possibility. An occasional conditional statement adds spice and variety... Grammar love.

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David Rupert 6 months ago 1 point
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Jesus was really the first at the abbreviated use of language. Look what he packed into his delivery -- words that were short, to the point, rich with allegory and deep in meaning.

"ILUVUDUDE"

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paul merrill 6 months ago 1 point
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Ah - the truth vs. softness toward another battle. Some of it boils down to personality. It's easier to confront for some than for others. But we all know we NEED to confront sometimes. I'm usually too chicken.

But that may not have been the point of your post.

Would Jesus twitter? I dunno.

My question is: would Jesus have an iPhone?

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GL HOFFMAN 6 months ago 1 point
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I am being asked to Twitter, but can't quite fathom doing it. I am trying my best to keep up with you and do one blog a day, ok one every other day or so--I am streaky--and am not sure what I would put in it daily, er, hourly. I am not that deep,perhaps. That is what my kids tell me at any rate.
have a great rest of Sunday.
gl

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Ted Gossard 6 months ago 1 point
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Quite interesting, Marcus.

I like the idea that truth is beauty and beauty the truth. A good thought and oh so true. And the delete comment option is good, though I can just flood someone's blog trying to explain myself!

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Tanya Dennis 6 months ago 1 point
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Also a fan of Keats, I agree that all truth is beautiful. Sometimes painful, but always spectacular.

As for twitter, I'm with spaghettipie on this one. I'm not really sure what it is or why it is. It just is and I'm not doing it yet. :) I do facebook, though!

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