19/10/2023
โ ๏ธ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐: ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐โ ๏ธ
This latest viral video of a certain church in Quezon City is getting infamous. I would like to take this opportunity to voice out, not my opinion, but some takeways na pwede nating matutunan from this issue. I will be analyzing this case both as a communicator and as a Christian.
(๐๐ฐ๐ณ๐ณ๐บ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ด๐ต. ๐๐ง ๐ฎ๐ข๐บ ๐จ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข ๐ฌ๐ข ๐ฎ๐ข๐จ๐ฃ๐ข๐ด๐ข, ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐จ๐ฐ! ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ฏ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ฐ ๐ข๐จ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ด๐ต.)
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๐๐๐๐ - A recent viral video of a group of people posted a video on social media. Ako po, personally, I know the format kasi may isang content creator na ganyan din po ang ginawang format ng video. Breaking the 4th wall, using a dry form of humor with sarcasm to make certain social commentaries about the generation today. Obviously, they also did this format (which happens a lot nowadays) but the content is obviously very different. Instead of a social commentary, they made some remarks about some Christians making a decision to exit a local church - which happens a lot nowadays, especially with the changing of times and needs of the people. They also used the same content formula.
However, instead of being funny, iba ang naging impact or effect ng content nila - it came across as shaming, offensive, hurtful, insulting and downright insensitive.
Whether or not that was their intention, hindi po natin alam. Although, we can educatedly guess na hindi yan yung gusto nilang mangyari. Pero we can observe na hindi naging effective ang communication. In short, sablay.
๐๐จ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ค๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐ ๐๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ.
1.) ๐๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐.
Obviously, they copied the content format thinking that it can come across the same way. Pero meron kasing tinatawag na content appropriation - which means, you need to create your content based on 1) your intended message and 2) your target audience. And it shows na there was a lack of good judgment on the part of the content creators to appropriate their content - kasi hindi nangyari yung intended effect ng message na gusto nilang ipaabot.
2.) ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง - ๐ข๐ญ'๐ฌ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐.
I love humor, and I love dry humor. I love watching Saturday Night Live, Mad TV, Stand Ups, and Bubble Gang. When I was in theater, I used to do comedy. And I believe that comedians are some of the most intelligent people on earth. By definition, humor is making light of something, and there are many forms of humor - dry humor is one of them. Dry humor is the HARDEST type of comedy. Kasi you need to be really intelligent in order to be able to pull this type of comedy off - PLUS IT USES SARCASM.
When done right, it can be really funny and make light of a certain situation. Kaya most of the time, sarcasm ang ginagamit ng mga comedians when doing a social commentary kasi nga MABIGAT yung issue, so they use it to make fun or lighten it up to get their message across. However, if you mess a part of the delivery - katulad ng tone of voice (which is a BIG part of pulling sarcasm off) - it will just be downright mean and can look like an attack. Most will say, you don't need to take it personally kasi hindi naman ikaw ang pinatatamaan or it's not personal. Yes, that's true, BUT (HUGE BUT) if your delivery is off - IT'S OFF.
3.) ๐๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ.
I always say this in my class - a good communicator is not "madaldal". A good communicator is someone who is able to get their message across clearly and coherently. How would you evaluate that? Kung yung intended effect ng message mo happened. This is clearly a case of not only misjudgment but also of poor communication skills.
And based on the comments, the supposed leader of the church is also part of the video. Sabi ng isang book na nashare sa akin ng mentor ko before, "A good leader needs be a good communicator." Sabi pa ng book na yun, if a leader is not a good communicator - hindi sya dapat maging leader at all. Why? Because if you're not able to communicate well, then hindi mangyayari yung need na mangyari. And to be honest, I've been a Christian for more than 10 years now - serving as a worker and a leader. I've also pastored the youth and our local church before, and I can say - with all the love in my heart - that most of our "leaders" in church need to develop their communication skills - BIG TIME. I think this is a wake up call that we need to be more purposive in our communication rather than just blurt out what we want to say for the sake of saying it.
4.) ๐๐จ๐ง'๐ญ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
For my fellow Christians, I appeal to you - learn to guard yourselves from the flow of this world. We have often preached about Romans 12:2. But we often direct this towards non-believers because we relate this to salvation - which is true. But, also remember we are still in the process of santification. And as long as we're here in this world, we will constantly undergo a process of rebuking, correcting and encouraging - hanggang sa muling pababalik ni Lord Jesus Christ.
Marami po sa mundo ngayon, lalo na sa social media, that appears harmless but it's harmful. There are lot of content that seems good, but it leads to death - literal. And don't be fooled by the thinking na we can just easily adapt a "wordly" formula to reach out to those who are out in the world. NO.
As Christians, regardless of how we serve the Lord, should understand there is a BIG difference in reaching out to the world and being "wordly". The Bible says that we reach out to the lost by being their SALT & LIGHT.
And we can definitely fall into the pit of being "Worldly Christians" -kasi nga nasa mundo pa tayo. Hindi lang po sa bisyo or pagmumura nasusukat yan. It's also if we behave like the world does, if we conform to how the world thinks and how it acts.
Being insensitive, mean, shaming and bullying, especially to our brothers and sisters in the faith - lalong-lalo na kung iisang local church tayo - sa panahon na dumaraan sila ng spiritual crisis, struggles in personal relationships within the church- IS VERY WORDLY. I ask you, stop this nonsense. This is a religious spirit that needs to be dealth with. Jesus didn't come to save a religion - Jesus came to seek and save the lost PEOPLE and restore their relationship back to the Father.
People need to be understood, loved and cared for, IN ALL FACULTIES. And if there is anything that is hindering them to move forward in the faith, then let's be led by humility to admit na tayo yung barrier to their spiritual growth. Humility will lead us to seek the problem and resolve it.
But IF THEY SHOULD DECIDE TO LEAVE, bless them and pray for their success. If we are the cause of their stumble, then let's act with love and give way for the Lord to move - kung yun ang kailangan.
5.) ๐๐ฑ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ ๐
๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ.
To those who were hurt by this video, as a Christian, we ask for your forgiveness. This video paints us in a very bad light and it's in all humility that I admit to this fact. But it would be a grave mistake to use this specific instance to generalize the whole Christian community. HINDI PO KAMI LAHAT GANUN. There are Christians who embody the teachings of Christ- to care for the people and is happy to see our fellow brothers and sisters thriving and growing - REGARDLESS OF WHERE OUR LOCAL CHURCH IS. This is clearly a lack of judgement on their part. But it's just right to also practice one fundamental teaching that the Lord Jesus taught us -FORGIVENESS & GRACE - it' the first step we need to heal from this incident.
Allow them to learn from their mistakes. But if they don't, they they're up to God's judgment.
May all of us learn valuables lessons from this mishap.
May the love of Christ be with us all.
