Rotten Tomatoes

I googled and learned that the practice of audiences throwing rotten tomatoes in disapproval of a poor stage performance came from a scene featuring tomatoes in a 1992 Canadian film. 

In looking at my rotten tomatoes, I cannot even imagine being plummeted with a ripe tomato let alone a rotten one. A nasty experience for sure but more so a major blow to the emotions. I mean that kind of outward disapproval could prove devastating. While the outward mess could be cleaned, the inner self would undoubtedly be scarred. Oh! Take just a minute to imagine the shame of being publicly plummeted.

Publicly plummeting people with our words is not only just as bad but sadly it’s become acceptable. Our leaders do it, our newscasters do it, our entertainers do it, our friends and family do it and far too often we do it. We throw rotten tomatoes every time we choose in our “right to free speech” to plummet others with nasty words of disapproval hoping to publicly shame them because they disagree with us. Further, we throw our words out like rotten tomatoes from a distance. Rarely is this exchange done in private and face to face.

It's nasty. It’s shameful. It’s damaging. Well, isn’t that the point? I mean seriously, why else would we throw words out like rotten tomatoes?

Why would we choose to do this? 

Truth be told, we take pleasure in it. It makes us feel superior, right, and better informed. I’m pretty sure it’s called being self-righteous because acting this way is offensive and we are oh so smug in our superior, right, better-informed selves.

We can be very strong in our beliefs. We can have very different sets of values, standards, and behaviors. I can want very much for you to agree with me, see things my way, and approve of how I live my life (perform). But when we reach a point of disagreement, what I can NOT do is berate and belittle you by throwing rotten words at you or about you. Especially if I call myself a follower of Christ, which I do.

I am a sinner saved by grace. Apart from Christ, there is no good in me. When there was nothing lovely about me…when I was a sinner, an enemy of God, not right with God, and helpless to do anything about it, that’s when Jesus died for me. He didn’t throw words of shame and condemnation at me, nor does He sit now at the right hand of God and trash-talk me. No! He loved me (and you) so much that He paid the penalty for my sin so that I could have a relationship with Him and live with Him forever. He made me right when there was and often is nothing right about me.

In knowing these truths and experiencing what it means to have a right relationship with God, how and why would I ever choose to bash and trash another person that Christ chose to die for? Who am I to throw rotten tomatoes at anyone when Christ, who has all authority, chose not to throw rotten tomatoes at me? No, He chose to willingly suffer and die for me…for you. He took a public plummeting on my behalf.

I have strong opinions about what I believe is right and wrong. I base my opinions on the study of God’s Word. I sometimes, like now, share my opinions on social media, but I much prefer having deep and meaningful conversations with folks face-to-face over dinner, coffee, Bible study, and the like. My most happy place is sitting with a few and discovering what God has to say about all that’s going on in our world. Discovering His opinions because His words are pure, true, sure, and the final say. It makes me think that sometimes those rotten tomatoes thrown at us when we repeat what we've learned about God are being thrown at Him and His Word. He can take it. No need for us to get huffy or defend God or what He says. What’s of most importance is that we know what it says and live it.

“Your speech must always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” Colossians 4:6