Jeff Goins is a bestselling author, podcaster, blogger, marketer, speaker, (and, according to this website) “a few other things”. As such, he offers ongoing encouragement to would-be authors to stay by the stuff, complete their manuscripts, and hopefully change the world.
Anyway, he posted the following poem today, the day after Halloween. In my opinion, it speaks volumes, not just to me, but to anyone who would really make a difference in this world. With his blessings, I repost it here.
We were told to fear ghosts.
To not look under the bed
and face the darkness within.
So we walked through life,
pretending to be good
instead of daring to be real
and we missed the phantasms
we could have been.
As soon as you crossed the street
after seeing some shadowy character
who reminded you of your own monstrosity--
choosing instead to keep more pleasant company--
you became a ghost
One who haunts the world
in the worst way possible:
with skin and blood and musculature,
a being wearing the mask of human.
You gave up the fight to be what you are.
And, I suppose, so did I.
For me, this poem is more than a little convicting. Remember, it was posted the day after Halloween - the day which is supposed to be, above all others, scary. And to many, perhaps, it is.
But in all sincerity, there are many things in this world that are far scarier. One of those is on display here.
After all, to take the path of least resistance and simply hide behind a mask of conformity rather than to reveal one’s true desire to be known as an individual willing to take on and change the world is clearly to miss out on what could have been!
Where would the world be today if this had always been the case?!
Seriously…
Where would the world be today if the Allied powers had chosen simply to conform rather than to take a stand against the despotism of the Axis alliance of World War Two, and not given all they had to give in order to secure complete and total victory?!
Where would the world be today if America’s Founding Fathers had chosen simply to conform rather than to take a stand against the tyranny of the King of England, and had not boldly produced the Declaration of Independence?!
Where would the world be today if Christopher Columbus had chosen simply to conform rather than to take a stand against the ignorance of those who held that the earth was flat, and had not boldly chosen to sail westward across the Atlantic ocean?!
Where would the world be today if the medieval barons of England had chosen simply to conform rather than take a stand against the depredation of their rights under King John of England, and had not boldly produced the Magna Carta?!
More to the point, where would we be if the early followers of Jesus Christ had chosen simply to conform rather than to take a stand against the religious pressure of those who rejected their Master, and had not spread the message of the Gospel?!
Given all this, I am forced to ask myself whether or not I, too, have chosen simply to conform rather than to stand up, make myself known, and take a clear and visible stance against the powers of darkness in this world?!
Let’s face it… At the end of the day, it is far, far easier to put on the proverbial mask of conformity, and then proceed to hide among the axiomatic crowd, than it is to stand boldly for all those things you truly, truly believe in and support.
In the New Testament Book of Acts (chapter 28, verses 30-31), we read: “For two whole years, (the Apostle) Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ - with all boldness and without hindrance!”
Here, Paul proclaimed the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ “with all boldness and without hindrance”. May those of us who claim to follow Jesus Christ today do exactly the same!
That is to say – may we be willing to be fully and completely “unmasked” for the Kingdom of God!
POEM SOURCE:
https://jeffgoins.substack.com/p/the-phantasms-that-could-have-been?publication_id=1214650&post_id=138503037&isFreemail=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxMTcwNzI1MjksInBvc3RfaWQiOjEzODUwMzAzNywiaWF0IjoxNjk4ODc1MjgzLCJleHAiOjE3MDE0NjcyODMsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0xMjE0NjUwIiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.zGpMoFZz5QYwFW-Q4JgBEW_7jN7mRZx7Rri0NI2dp-w&r=1xp9qp.
SCRIPTURE SOURCE:
https://biblehub.com/niv/acts/28.htm.
Anyway, he posted the following poem today, the day after Halloween. In my opinion, it speaks volumes, not just to me, but to anyone who would really make a difference in this world. With his blessings, I repost it here.
We were told to fear ghosts.
To not look under the bed
and face the darkness within.
So we walked through life,
pretending to be good
instead of daring to be real
and we missed the phantasms
we could have been.
As soon as you crossed the street
after seeing some shadowy character
who reminded you of your own monstrosity--
choosing instead to keep more pleasant company--
you became a ghost
One who haunts the world
in the worst way possible:
with skin and blood and musculature,
a being wearing the mask of human.
You gave up the fight to be what you are.
And, I suppose, so did I.
For me, this poem is more than a little convicting. Remember, it was posted the day after Halloween - the day which is supposed to be, above all others, scary. And to many, perhaps, it is.
But in all sincerity, there are many things in this world that are far scarier. One of those is on display here.
After all, to take the path of least resistance and simply hide behind a mask of conformity rather than to reveal one’s true desire to be known as an individual willing to take on and change the world is clearly to miss out on what could have been!
Where would the world be today if this had always been the case?!
Seriously…
Where would the world be today if the Allied powers had chosen simply to conform rather than to take a stand against the despotism of the Axis alliance of World War Two, and not given all they had to give in order to secure complete and total victory?!
Where would the world be today if America’s Founding Fathers had chosen simply to conform rather than to take a stand against the tyranny of the King of England, and had not boldly produced the Declaration of Independence?!
Where would the world be today if Christopher Columbus had chosen simply to conform rather than to take a stand against the ignorance of those who held that the earth was flat, and had not boldly chosen to sail westward across the Atlantic ocean?!
Where would the world be today if the medieval barons of England had chosen simply to conform rather than take a stand against the depredation of their rights under King John of England, and had not boldly produced the Magna Carta?!
More to the point, where would we be if the early followers of Jesus Christ had chosen simply to conform rather than to take a stand against the religious pressure of those who rejected their Master, and had not spread the message of the Gospel?!
Given all this, I am forced to ask myself whether or not I, too, have chosen simply to conform rather than to stand up, make myself known, and take a clear and visible stance against the powers of darkness in this world?!
Let’s face it… At the end of the day, it is far, far easier to put on the proverbial mask of conformity, and then proceed to hide among the axiomatic crowd, than it is to stand boldly for all those things you truly, truly believe in and support.
In the New Testament Book of Acts (chapter 28, verses 30-31), we read: “For two whole years, (the Apostle) Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ - with all boldness and without hindrance!”
Here, Paul proclaimed the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ “with all boldness and without hindrance”. May those of us who claim to follow Jesus Christ today do exactly the same!
That is to say – may we be willing to be fully and completely “unmasked” for the Kingdom of God!
POEM SOURCE:
https://jeffgoins.substack.com/p/the-phantasms-that-could-have-been?publication_id=1214650&post_id=138503037&isFreemail=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxMTcwNzI1MjksInBvc3RfaWQiOjEzODUwMzAzNywiaWF0IjoxNjk4ODc1MjgzLCJleHAiOjE3MDE0NjcyODMsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0xMjE0NjUwIiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.zGpMoFZz5QYwFW-Q4JgBEW_7jN7mRZx7Rri0NI2dp-w&r=1xp9qp.
SCRIPTURE SOURCE:
https://biblehub.com/niv/acts/28.htm.