Rage Bait

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Be wary, 
Discerning Christian,
Of having itching ears
Which seek the sound
Of Roaring condemnation,
And cold criticism.
Over confession,
Community,
And compassion.

Be wary,
Discerning Christian,
Of the one 
Who can only spout 
Fault, Blame, and Critique,
Yet never sings of the merit 
And Faithfulness 
Of the Body of Christ. 

Be wary,
Discerning Christian,
Of the hot-tempered ones,
Who stir up strife,
For the sake of their gods
Named Influence and Applause
And Self Righteousness. 

Be wary, 
Dear Brothers and Sisters, 
In this noble pursuit 
Of judging rightly. 
Let us all Fix our eyes 
On following Jesus.
Fasten our thoughts 
On what is True, 
Promote the Honorable, Right, and Pure,
Focus on the Lovely, 
The Admirable. 
Think about things that are excellent 
And worthy of praise. 

Next time they dangle the bait,
Enticing you with rage,
Don't click.
Instead, be aware, 
Discerning Christian,
Of algorithms that march 
To the beat of sensationalism
For it will shape
Our hearts
Our minds
And therefore
Our lives. 
 

--AW