I may always, this side of eternity, have emotions which get out of whack. I may always be more prone to being troubled in the midst of conflict. I may always be particularly prone to the temptation to be shaken and anxious. But that doesn’t define me. Ever. I’m not an anxious Christian. I’m not a depressed Christian. I’m a Christian. Period. My identity is firmly fixed in Christ. I am His. And by the grace of God, He is mine. It’s impossible to consider yourself a victim when you possess every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. This isn’t to deny pain or difficulty. It’s simply to believe the gospel really is true. 

As usual, I haven’t been following much of the latest news. I did, however, happen to read a recent article by John McWhorter on the Jussie Smollett story. I’ve been reading and thinking a bit about our victimhood culture. I think this is spot on:

He has come of age in an era when nothing he could have done or said would have made him look more interesting than being attacked on the basis of his color and sexual orientation. –John McWhorter

I don’t know much of anything about Jussie Smollett but I do know about our victim culture. As I’ve written, it’s a fig leaf. But an attractive one for us millennials. It’s also an absolutely deadly cocktail when its combined with some of our great American heresies; foremost, our redefining of sin and guilt into psychological problems which afflict us.

Depression and the Appeal of Victimhood

I’ll use myself as an example here. I’ve stated in the past that I battle depression, anxiety, fear, and all those unhelpful things which blend together into a world of confusion. It’d be very easy for me to view myself as a victim of these things. And I can even share a few stories of things which have happened to me that on occasion leads to my turmoil.

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