Living In A Bubble

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."

~Proverbs 27:17 

I was flipping the channels the other day, and one of the cable news channels was reporting on a story.  According to the reporter, it was the worst decision our government had ever made in our 250-year history.  I flipped to another cable news channel, and they were reporting on the same story—of course they were reporting the complete opposite.

And we wonder why we’re always fighting with each other?  Because we make decisions based only on whose idea it was rather than if it’s a good idea or not. Our leaders are talking past each other, each convinced the other is completely wrong.  Nobody is ever listening—just talking.

And it’s not just on the national level.  I've watched this scene play out countless times in our communities, too. And at family dinners and on social media and in workplace conversations. We’ve forgotten how to have a conversation.  We’ve forgotten how to work together.  What we’re really good at is building invisible walls around ourselves.  Creating perfect little bubbles where everyone thinks exactly like we do.

But there's the uncomfortable truth we must face. These bubbles aren't protecting us, they're making us weaker.

When we only surround ourselves with people who nod along to everything we say, we're not growing—we're stagnating. There’s a Biblical principle in Proverbs 27:17 that tells us "as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." But iron doesn't get sharper by rubbing against silk, it gets sharper through friction.  Through resistance.  Through contact with something equally strong but different.

When we live in our comfortable echo chambers, we're essentially trying to sharpen our minds with cotton balls. We lose the ability to defend our beliefs because we've never had to. We become intellectually soft, emotionally fragile, and surprisingly easy to manipulate, because we've never learned to think critically about ideas that make us uncomfortable.

So why don't we break out?

The honest answer is fear. We're terrified that if our friends see us reading something they disagree with, they'll judge us. We worry that exploring different viewpoints means we're betraying our values or becoming wishy-washy. But this fear is actually making our convictions weaker, not stronger. When you're afraid to examine opposing arguments, you're essentially admitting your beliefs can't handle the scrutiny. That's not confidence.  That's insecurity. 

Here's something I’ve done for many years that I think you should try.  For the next 30 days, spend a few minutes reading one article or watching one video that presents a viewpoint you typically disagree with. You don't have to announce it on social media. You don't have to tell anyone.  Just expand your understanding of both sides of any given issue. 

Choose quality sources. Thoughtful perspectives from people who've clearly done their homework. Read with curiosity, not defensiveness. Ask yourself: "What might I be missing? What valid concerns does this person have?" You might be surprised by what you discover.

One thing I have to do a lot as a pastor is defend my faith.  In the world we’re living in today, I have to strongly defend what I believe.  In order to do that, I have to be well versed in what I believe, and what evidence I have to know it to be true.  And I also have to be well versed in the inevitable arguments that will be launched against what I know to be true.  That means I spend a great deal of time listening to people talk negatively about faith.  I read books I strongly disagree with.  I spent a lot of time listening to pastors who preach a false gospel.  And every once in a while, believe it or not, as the result of this kind of scrutiny what I believe shifts because my understanding has grown.     

When you regularly engage with different perspectives, something remarkable happens. You don't become wishy-washy—you become unshakeable. You understand your own beliefs more deeply because you've tested them. You become more persuasive because you understand what concerns other people have. You become more compassionate because you realize that most people, even those you disagree with, believe what they believe for a reason.

Most importantly, you become someone who can't be easily fooled or manipulated, because you've developed the intellectual muscles to think for yourself.

So burst that bubble.  Come out here in the real world and have a discussion.  Let’s learn from each other!

~Pastor Todd Creason