OD Goofy

The Benefit of Conviction

I ain’t from Brooklyn but it’s in my vocab so Imma say the word.

Some folks are “OD” goofy.

It’s aight to be cute goofy. Heck it’s cool to act like a goofy dog, no Mickey.

But OD goofy is where sincerity becomes a tragedy. Where ignorance becomes denial.

Most of my life has been shaped around the idea of winning the hearts of insolent people. The thought that entertaining discourteous behavior enough in my ministry will impact those of the OD goofy ilk and their hood runs heavy in this second-generation American body and psychology of mine.

Dear Ones, this strategy never works.

And it’ll probably take me years to realize this. I was talking to a friend last night who helped me see that I’m prone to give the benefit of the doubt.

It’s not a bad thing, but the transformation of others is unlikely to take effect on account of us demoting our passion or pretending we lack knowledge to see people truly encounter the love of Jesus.

Placation does not lead to transformation.

Instead of the benefit of the doubt, I’m trying to give my homies and the OD goofy the benefit of conviction. The type of love that doesn’t let my brodie go on his first date with snot dripping down his beard. The sort of passion that sees the humanity in others who struggle to see it in me. Perhaps conviction will lead to where doubt benefits don’t.

But even if not perhaps we’ll find integrity at the site of truthful interaction, especially for someone whose personality type, like mine, wrestles with not being liked.

Photo by Lydia Turner on Unsplash