It's a great read and it is exactly the book I needed right now. I highly recommend it. Kyle is transparent and his dialog is great.
One thing I came across as I was reading it is a slang term that has arisen over the past few years called a "humbrag".
Yes, that's humbrag not humbug.
A humbrag is defined in the urban dictionary as a "person that wants to be humble, however, takes time to brag about something." Interestingly enough, a humbug is defined as "language or behavior that is false or meant to deceive people".
If you'd like to see some interesting examples of the humbrag phenomena, you can look here. You might have seen some of these hoastings (humble boastings) already if you've seen posts or tweets sporting a #humbrag keyword.
So, let me see if I have this right: there is a thriving aspect of public posting wherein the attempt of illustrating humility is overshadowed by the glaring success of bragging about oneself.
Why am I only hearing about this term now? I must assume it is due in part to my own staggering humility. Delivering Meals-on-Wheels to 50 beautiful, wonderful people from the backseat of a stretch limo would be the most humbling part of my day. and I would most likely do that before breakfast, cuz that is just how I Roll(s Royce). Caught up in such attempts to save my little corner of the world, it is no wonder I miss out on such high-handed manners of conveying one's thoughts to a world that can appreciate all that I am doing for it.
And of course, I do it all without any concern for the safety of my bodyguards.
You're welcome everyone. I assure you, it's the least I could do.
Seriously (sort of), hearing about this has made me look at everything I do, say or write in order to see if I am sprinkling myself in glitter and stage lights while simultaneously depicting a moment of supposed humility.
The beginning of Matthew 6 sounds dangerously close to suggesting that once upon a time, the keyword #humbrag might have been dancing across the bottoms of documents signed by politicians and of course held ever so humbraggartly by the Pharisees.
"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full." Matthew 6:2 NIV
Seems many people might have been giving to others in order to look pious when, according to what Jesus said here, if God didn't give you a comb and a beak, maybe you ought to leave the crowing to those who were given the job.
That's a rooster reference for you city dwellers.
I wonder if any of the disciples might have some similar examples...
"JC dropped the bomb and washed our feet. Feeling the weight of my 30 silver pcs!" #newlandowner #humbrag
"So tough to get warm on the beach after walking on water." #JesusMyLifeSavior #humbrag
"I got to see thousands of people get saved by Jesus when I preached and cast out demons." #HisPowerMyPrayer #humbug
While I'm sure not every example of humbragging is someone intentionally bragging, I would be interested to know how many specifically tailor their messages to be the trite examples they are. Where Twitter is concerned, a misplaced or omitted word expelled to meet the word count could easily cause the tone of one's thought to go from idling humility to revved self-reverence.
Maybe the best way to determine if we're following Jesus' teachings as written in Matthew would be simply to assume that anyone who is truly humble wouldn't be caught in a position to have their sincerity called into question. At the very least, the number of "I"s in your post should be less than the number of "them"s or "Him"s.
Then again, if you find it necessary to crow about what you've done, then I say crow away my friend. The reward is immediate and the gratification as sweet as fresh water to a man in the desert. Just bear in mind, those who seek their honor in this life by their peers may find no one left to hold a candle to when the day is finally done and the One who made it bright returns.
And that's no humbug.
