Self-Regulation - The Name of the Game

I had to delete a post today.  This was the first time ever.  It is a notable moment in the short timeline of this project.

It was something provocative, I knew it would be.  It was an image of the "Egyptian Revolution" juxtaposed with an image from the "Baltimore Riots."  They were essentially the same photo and I was hoping to play on media portrayal and the power of words to distort or inspire something.  It had the word shit in it... and the person who wrote the post devolved into some bull-ish language.  It was not ideal but the sentiment was spot on so I posted it because of trying to be authentic to myself and to messages that I think are important..

I took it down a day later not because I disagree with the message, I took it down because I was just hired as a Curate to a very rich, White church and I was afraid that they would be so utterly offended that they would rethink their decision.

Now, I'm in a weird place that I have never been in before because I have not had an online presence.  I want to be authentic to myself, but I am fearful because the community I have been called to serve is way more conservative than me.  I do feel called to this place, they are great people, do great work and are hungry to know more about God.  I know that we're going to learn a lot from each other.  I am still measured with the congregation as I suspect I always will be with them.  I'm from a different world and I know not to expect the radical liberalism that I am frankly more comfortable with and so  in person and preaching I have yet to push them too hard - but push I have and they have been receptive!   Even so, I am worried about compromising my beliefs and passion too much.

I don't really know how much is too much of either compromise or activism.  I don't want to be benign or have a vanilla online persona.  That is unhelpful and riddled with pitfalls too - being inauthentic and irrelevant the biggest two I can think of.  This feels uncomfortable and frightening and I just pray and hope I don't screw this up.

... This is one of those days that I am wishing that my project was something along the lines of creating an online how-to video of "Braiding for Jesus."