SONG: MY GENERATION

This is a poem about our 'Image' focused culture, with Selfies, Instagram, Snapchat and other social media by Neethu Sebastian.

I remember a time, just a few years back, 
when a "selfie" meant nothing, 
and that was all that. 
When a filter was a thing 
used to purify water 
and when Photoshop was literally 
a photo shop. 

Now when I look at the world today - 
What do I see? 
A 12 year old girl - eyes painted
with kajal.
Instagram, snapchats, selfies, filters galore!
Why so much focus on a face that
will soon be no more?
We take 50 photos, 49 displeasing and then
finally, one good enough to post.
Duckfaces, winks, weird hand gestures -
who knows?
So much time has been wasted, spent
looking at myself.

A slave to this camera?? Some would say,
"Yes."
But why? Question why, why am I like this?
For I do not do the good that I want, but the
evil that I do not want, is what I do.

And now just pause, take a few steps back.
When was the last time I had a true laugh?
I mean a time so great I didn't even
jump to capture it, to add a check-in.
I just wanted to live, be free, be me without
anybody knowing.

Because you see, it seems to me
We are lost in our own image.
In a pursuit to convince others
That we are happy ourselves.

The whole thing is a Lie!
The image that you see is not me.
It is simply the person I want you to see.
But this is not about you. This is about me.
I don't like what I see.

That is why I need you
to hit ‘like’ for me.

And every time I post,
I start to check my phone,
because each ‘like’ that you give me
makes me feel good.
Like, I'm worth liking to somebody.

But Oh my Dear! Did you not know??
The Truth about you was spoken long ago!
By the Word that gives Life and
life in abundance.
Listen as I speak from the Word that
spoke into being all creation.

You! Yes, you! You are altogether
beautiful my love.
There is no flaw in you. You are
God's masterpiece.
He knit you together in your
mother’s womb
and when he was done He saw
that you were good.

So, let us praise him for you are fearfully
and wonderfully made!
And more than that, even the hairs on your
head are all counted,
for that, is what He said.

It is important that you know, that you
know the TRUTH.
You are made in the image,
in the Image of God.
You are God's temple and God's
Spirit dwells in you.
That is why one day you will say,
it is no longer I who live
but Christ who lives in me.

So that is the conclusion.
My image must be of Christ.
My heart must be as pure as His.
For the Lord does not see as mortals see.
They look at outward appearance but the
Lord looks at your heart.

This is my aim, to go back to the
place from which I came.
My citizenship is in heaven and from
there I want to gain a ‘like’ above all ‘likes’,
a 'Like’ from God.
Amen!