I have a teenage daughter that likes to speak into my life. She often shares what she learned in high school with us and how messed up the world is. She will often make suggestions in how we should do things, or even at our church. Recently she informed me that if I would not bring up sin during my sermons and the need to repent, more people would come to our church. A few more lights here, a free chick-fil-a sandwich and Italian soda and this church would be packed. Often, I want to tell her that my soul is not for sale for a chick-fil-a sandwich and Italian soda. I wonder how much she really listens when I preach. I wonder if she has a pre bias opinion?<\/p>\n
The Struggle Is Real<\/strong><\/p>\n As she informs me about how great her experience was at another youth ministry. There is part of me that wonders if she has truly heard one sermon I have preached. As she tells me about her experience, I wonder if she has learned a single thing from one of my sermons or the example I am trying to live as a follower of Christ and not of this world. I wonder if she will truly understand that sacrifice of leaving the mainline church and planting a small rural church in obedience to Christ. Saving money over a couple months to purchase a stapler. Where I preached, fasted, prayed, sacrificed so a church can be born and now I am listening to my daughter on how a pink drink and free sandwich can change the world and our ministry. As I listen to her, I want to ask her if the couple thousand people we feed each week in our food ministry is not enough anymore?<\/p>\n Making Connections<\/strong><\/p>\n Pragya Agarwal Sway: Unveiling Unconscious Bias<\/em> is a great reminder to us to be teachable, to listen, learn, and grow. [1] We realize that unconscious bias (self) is when we make quick judgments or decisions from our past experiences. From our earlier learning in Thinking, Fast and Slow,<\/em> by Daniel Kahneman we can see the dangers of system 1 thinking and thinking 2 system.[2] Peter Scazzero in The Emotionally Healthy Leader<\/em> also makes the connection of past experiences can have an unconscious bias effect on our decision making process.[3] If we are not careful we can fall into autopilot of our decision making and make poor decisions without gathering all the facts. This can become a pattern in our lives and over time a stronghold.<\/p>\n On page 54 of Pragya Agarwal Sway: Unveiling Unconscious Bias<\/em> we see how much sensations can and will affect our experience in the brain.[4] We also learn from this how much social cognition influences how we analyze or process experiences or events. We can learn from this why many christians go from ministry event to ministry event without having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ or spiritual growth.<\/p>\n Going Deeper<\/strong><\/p>\n Going one page further on page 55 we see that psychologists widely accept that one of the main reasons for biases is because of self and identity, because we are all basically selfish and self-focused. Turning further to the right on page 56 we can see that unconscious bias by social status and hierarchy. We can come to the same conclusion that ego, dopamine, system 1, emotional health impact us and how we handle and process new information.<\/p>\n Sigmund Freud’s theory suggests that human behavior is influenced by unconscious memories, thoughts, and urges. This theory also proposes that the psyche comprises three aspects: the id, ego, and superego. The id is entirely unconscious, while the ego operates in the conscious mind. We can then come to a conclusion on how much the environment is impacting our experiences even in church.<\/p>\n Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n As my daughter encourages me to go back to what I left. I listen to her, I try to find the positive and I am thankful she still wants to even share with me. Even though she is not involved in our church as much, and feeding the poor, I am thankful she has a group of friends eating a chick-fil-a sandwich and a free drink and hearing about Jesus. Sometimes, an unbiased perception towards a person or leader, can allow for a new experience with Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n Lord, let me truly die to self.<\/p>\n [1] Pragya Agarwal Sway: Unraveling Unconscious Bias, 2020<\/p>\n [2] Daniel Kahneman, Thinking Fast and Slow<\/em> (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2013).<\/p>\n [3] Peter Scazzero The Emotionally Healthy Leader<\/em>: How Transforming Your Inner Life Will Deeply Transform Your\u00a0Church<\/em>, Team, and the World Zondervan, 2015.<\/p>\n [4] Pragya Agarwal Sway: Unraveling Unconscious Bias, 2020<\/p>\n [5] Freud, Sigmund, 1856-1939. Beyond the Pleasure Principle. New York :Liveright Pub. Corp., 1961.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I have a teenage daughter that likes to speak into my life. She often shares what she learned in high school with us and how messed up the world is. She will often make suggestions in how we should do things, or even at our church. 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