Hearts of Stone

If you don't usually roam Youtube, or listen to popular vlogs (video logging) or podcasts. You may not know the story I am writing about today; but I do think we need to bring to light two things that need to be covered because of it.

I'm talking about a popular YouTube personality: Logan Paul.

Logan Paul is a teen internet sensation that apparently did not die out, but instead gained massive popularity after creating a YouTube channel. His base is made up of mostly pre-teens, and young adults. Logan amassed a following of 18 million subscribers on youtube. Meaning that 18 million people would be notified (potentially) every time he put out a video of some sort. He has branched out into other social platforms due to his popularity. Over the last few months, because of the continued videos place on youtube, Logan Paul has received harsh criticism due to his own actions in the videos. Making fun of certain people, controversies with his brother (Jake Paul), pranks, etc. Though it is a recent video sparking outrage internet wide. Not to mention, Logan's most loyal fanbase coming to his defense.

The video goes like this...

Logan and a group of his friends are in Japan for some reason (I don't follow him personally). While on the trip, the group goes to an infamous forest called: Aokigahara (Sea of Trees). It is more commonly known as Japan's Suicide forrest, which is located near Mt. Fuji. In the video, you see Logan and his friends find a man, who has taken his own life. Which brings me to a questions.

Why did Logan publish such a video?

We have gotten to a point in our culture, that we have become so desensitized to dramatic, and hard things, that they no longer bother us like they once did. It is a sad, yet present reality. Movies and games have gotten increasingly violent, to the point that you have to push the boundary to even be "relevant". Harsher deaths of characters, more bloody and extreme. Harsher and more evil characters as antagonists. Harsh language has become a norm, and more widely acceptable practice among "better" or more "artistic" dramas. Think of movies like the recently released Bright on Netflix. The movie describes very visually: gang on gang violence, police violence on citizens, racial injustices, etc.

I agree, that to properly display certain ideas and injustices of our times there needs to be some sort of jolting to the spirit. Though to constantly produce content that continues to "jolt the spirit" it begs the question; what happens when one's spirit becomes accustom to it?

You need a larger, more powerful, jolt.

So why does Logan post the video? Honestly, I cannot, from Logan's point of view, give you an explanation of intent. Though judging from viewing clips, and seeing the continued degradation of the human condition. I can, within reason, believe that it was because we have become desensitized to such things like apparent suicide. Logan and his friends joke, and laugh about the man who had taken his own life. Their actions do not even seem to phase their own consciouses that have been seared by the present reality. We have become callous to thing that should sadden us, hurt us, stir us, pain us. How do I know this?

They published the video.

The video has since been taken down after harsh criticism, and Logan Paul has also publicly denounced and apologized for the video. The joking and laughing, and the showing of the man who took his own life. This does NOT excuse his actions. Nor does the continued desensitization of our culture excuse his actions. Even though our culture's conscious has been seared by the continual doses of dramatic tellings and showings, it does not excuse us.

This is the effect of sin on our world.

When sin entered into the world, it gave humanity a jolt, one that killed us. God though, in His divine mercy spared Adam and Eve from instant obliteration. He instead promised that the one that deceived them would be destroyed, along with sin, but we weren't excused for our actions. We still had to die. As time has gone on, we see the effect of sin plaguing the world around us: war, people attacking others, poverty, abuse of powers, sickness, disease, on and on it goes.

Sin has hardened the heart of humanity, because it is a cancer that we are born with. Psalm 51 tells us that we are born with sin in our hearts. We do not have a "clean slate" when we arrive here, we're infected.  As a result of this, our hearts have become darkened. The Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 1 verse 24 says, "Therefore God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts..." (Rom. 1:24 CSB)

As our hearts continue to be darkened by our own desires, our own wants, instead of being enlighten by the creator. God will turn us over to them, eventually to become hard and callous to the one who can give us new life and a new heart.

In the book of Ezekiel, due to Israel's idol worship, God pronounces judgement upon the nation, who will be cast into Babylon. God's judgment seems harsh. He uproots his chosen people out of the land He promises them, he rejects them, even says that He will not hear their prayers. The execution of God's judgement however, does not exclude a promise. It says this in Ezekiel 26:

"For I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries, and will bring you into your own land. I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you form all your impurities and all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances."  Ezekiel 26:24-27 CSB

That promise, is fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ.

It is in the birth, life, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that we can have any hope to change the world, and have any hope for a good future. It is Jesus who, as John says, takes away the sin of the world. That's the Gospel! That God, put on flesh to dwell among man, to cure the cancer that hardens our heart. The sin that has broken the created order, caused wars, cancers, death, starvation, suicide, heart ache and pain. It will be put to death in Jesus. It is Jesus (Emmanuel) who was born to die for us, and we cheer for Easter morning, because that same Jesus rose from the grave. He who knew no sin, became sin, and became our final and all sustaining sacrifice and payment for sin. When He rose from the grave He was showing that He alone has power over sin and death.

We live in a world where the Kingdom of God has declared war upon the kingdom of death, and where the Kingdom of God reigns, so Jesus Reigns and brings life abundantly. He gives his people a new heart, a new life, free from the bondage of sin. In a world that has become callous to the things of God, it is God Himself who offers a way out of the destruction, promising us that He will and is making all things new.

This hope, doesn't replace the hurt all the time. Though it gives us the real hope to cling to, that there will be an end to all the suffering around us. An end to death, to hurt, cancers, and suicide. Although we still live in this world that seems so darkened by sin, it is the Spirit of God who leads us who have accepted Him, preserves our faith in Him, intercedes for us, and seals us in the promise of Jesus Christ. As we hope and pray for the return of Jesus, and a final end to sin. Let us pray for our own idols to be destroyed, and our hearts of stone to be replaced by hearts of flesh.

*Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers.