cog·ni·tive dis·so·nance – /ˈkäɡnədiv ˈdisənəns/
–Cognitive dissonance is the discomfort a person feels when their behavior does not align with their values or beliefs. Cognitive dissonance is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when a person holds two contradictory beliefs at the same time. (medicalnewstoday.com)
–Cognitive dissonance is a term for the state of discomfort felt when two or more modes of thought contradict each other. The clashing cognitions may include ideas, beliefs, or the knowledge that one has behaved in a certain way. (psychologytoday.com)
–Cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort that results from holding two conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes. People tend to seek consistency in their attitudes and perceptions, so this conflict causes unpleasant feelings of unease or discomfort. (verywellmind.com)
I’m curious if you’re honest enough with yourself to recognize when you’re the bad guy, all while thinking you’re good, and if you experience cognitive dissonance as a result. We tend to read the Bible as if we’re always the good guy in the story. But the funny thing about the Bible that can’t be ignored, is how often even the heroes are proven unworthy.
YOU KILLED CHRIST.
I KILLED CHRIST.
Embrace it. We’re the sinners and we did this. We’ve been doing it. We’ll continue to do it. That can be counted upon. No, you and I may not have been there a few thousand years ago, and we may not have eaten the apple a few thousand years before that, but we certainly are guilty of the same sins in the exact same ways.
I know you know what I’m talking about. Look at how many people enthusiastically tattled on their neighbors during COVID? They immediately pivoted from friends and neighbors to a position of moral authority over others and embraced all kinds of horrible positions because it gave them power and provenance. You couldn’t walk into a gas station without a mask unless you were prepared to hear, “You can’t be in here, sir, unless you’re wearing a mask,” all with a huge smile emanating from under their covered faces. Never mind the linen material they adorned did not protect others or themselves. No, that posture gave them power and they craved it. If you were anything like me, you grew a considerable disdain for them and their posture.
How often though, are we honest with ourselves about our terrible thoughts and behavior? And once we grasp our nature, do we decipher the conflict? How do we feel when we realize our hypocrisy often has no boundaries? You can refer to the feelings associated with cognitive dissonance, or you can recognize the competing precepts I refer to as intellectual promiscuity.
Neither cognition nor promiscuity matter ultimately. Why? Because we’re not the heroes of the story – we’re the villains. Despite our proclivities towards power, or our desire to right every injustice we’ve ever experienced, only the Word of God provides a pathway forward. Christ saves you. You can then pray, take it all to the Lord, and be forgiven. To know the Almighty because you commune with Him is to experience comfort. Yes, you’re going to have a few bad feelings when you realize you’re just as bad, maybe worse, than the Hitlers, Maos, and Stalins of the day. But that cognitive dissonance is the beginning of wisdom. Which we commonly refer to as “Fear of the Lord” so to speak. I read something eerily similar in a really good Book one time…
The discomfort associated with recognizing our sinning ways is the birth of repenting of them. We must first understand we’re the bad guys in this story. Stop continually reading scripture as if you’re the good guy. We must consider both premises if we intend to absorb the context of the lessons. But the AWESOME nature of this story is a thousand times more important once you understand that despite being the bad guys, He accepted our punishment.
May we be salt and light my brothers and sisters!
