You don’t learn anything from parrots.
Parrots just repeat stuff you’ve said to them.
Parrots never challenge your thinking.
Do you ever talk to anyone who isn’t a parrot?
Anyone who disagrees with you?
Anyone you trust to tell you the truth?
Anyone?
Not stuff like, “There’s something in your teeth.”
I mean…
…is there anyone you always believe, even when they say outrageous things?
For example, is there anyone who you would believe was abducted by space aliens?
Think of the person who is LEAST likely to be abducted.
The most down-to-Earth (get it?), reasonable, rational person you know…
…insists that aliens snatched him/her.
It wasn’t a dream.
They weren’t high.
There was a spaceship full of alien beings and it was real.
Is there anybody you would believe if they told you this?
(Maybe you believe EVERYONE who says this…which is a different topic.)
Or have you already made up your mind about space aliens?
Because if nobody can tell you anything about extraterrestrial creatures…
…you can’t possibly be a ‘free-thinker’.
Trust me.
…you can’t be Christian either.
(God is more outrageous than space aliens.)
I don’t mean you should find a friend who claims to have seen spacemen.
I mean you should have at least one friend who YOU WOULD BELIEVE if they made that claim.
Acquiring truth requires a healthy amount of skepticism…
…and it also requires faith.
You can’t personally experience everything.
The people you trust to speak the truth will have a profound impact on your life.
These people will change you.
When choosing them…
(and you WILL choose them)
…be wise.
Don’t pick parrots!
Because listening to parrots is no different than listening to yourself.
5 Responses
But parrots teasing cats videos are awesome. They’re like the Internet trolls of the pet world!
Seriously, hard to escape the parrots on the Internet when the social media algorithms actually forces birds of a feather to flock together. We get stuck in our own little echo chambers, everyone is in their own bubbles, unless we manually circumvent it. That’s why people we do disagree with actually seem like aliens to us. They’ve been living in a different cyber-world than us.
I always tell the ladies, “Thank you. You are a friend indeed,” when they tell me my zipper is down after I’ve been walking around like an immodest slob for the last 2 1/2 hours.
But I always wonder why the ladies were looking at my zipper in the first place…
Zipper is the first thing noticed after eye color.
Oh yeah… and that was me with the “Reverse Hotel California” comment on Bob Smiley’s Twitter.
Dave
John,
I completely agree with everything you have said.
Oh.. wait… nevermind….
Though we find it easier (and more comfortable) to surround ourselves with people who think like we do, believe like we do, and often vote like we do, it can make us intellectually lazy.
It also likely means that we are not involved with evangelism. Unless we are street preaching to strangers via a bullhorn and wearing earplugs.
I would wager we all have unsaved relatives and friends we neglect to share the Lord with, perhaps out of fear of rejection or loss of friendship. But if we are living a Christian life, those people should already be aware of our faith.
It should be refreshing to talk with those who are unbelievers, as we will visit again the “why” and “what” of our faith. It will sharpen our minds and strengthen our faith, and possibly by some happy occurrence, be used to bring someone into the kingdom of God.
Also, arguing with a communist, socialist millennial and pummeling them with facts and seeing their world crumble around them is most gratifying.
I jest. Mostly.
In all my years, I have never lost a friend over the sharing of the Gospel or a hearty political debate. If anything, it has caused a closer friendship, where we both understand each other a bit better.
And besides… parrots have mites…
Dave
Luke 6:32-36 (ESV) – “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”
P.S. – Grammarly tried to correct “Most High” with highest… doth grammar have no respect for the Lord?