The World We Live In

I wrote a heartfelt blog earlier this morning after one of my sons and I had a conversation that troubled me so much I had to say something to you, my friends, my readers, my world and then when I went to post it, my laptop crashed.  So here I am, three hours later, trying again.

The conversation I had with my son has stayed with me, and it weighs on me because he’s not alone.  He’s not wrong.

My son is afraid we’re being manipulated by powers outside ourselves, setting us up for irreversible damage and harm, conflict that pits us against each other, forcing us to take sides.

I told him we are stronger than these outside forces–whether American politics or world politics–where there are clear signs of power grabs, power not intended to bring us together but to create division.  To create fear.  To take words and turn them into weapons, so that all we see and know is violence.

I told this son of mine that we can’t be manipulated if we come together and stay together.  I told him that I have hope.  And I do.  I spend time with readers and friends outside my suburb and state, and these readers and friends are good people, people with hearts and minds, people who want the best for us all, not just a few.  People who believe in our country as much as I do.  We are Americans, and we crave democracy and justice.  We crave peace.  We crave security.

Let us not let the news, or TikTok, or sound bites from this official or that official, shape us.  Dictate to us.  Confuse us.  Let us not be swayed by voices that aren’t wanting us to be unified, but divided, because divided we can be trampled and broken.  Divided we lack strength and its easier to sow fear.

I won’t let the news tie me into knots.  I won’t let social media make me heartsick this week.  I have muted, and unfollowed, and unfriended so many ‘friends’ in the last week, not because they lie or deceive, but they are amplifying noise that may or may not be the best for this country.  They may or may not realize what it’s like to be on the receiving end of dozens and dozens of negative messages.

We are allowed to feel what we feel.  We are allowed to be hurt, shocked, enraged, grief stricken, afraid, despondent.  We are allowed to be humans, and be overwhelmed and exhausted.  Or livid and loud.

However, each of us is responsible for taking care of our mental health, and our physical health, and making sure we do all the research necessary to ensure the messages we share are complete, and in context.  We need to know what we say is true, and even then, we don’t need to flog each other with what we’ve learned.

I say let us share with love, with hope, with the Peace of God which surpasses all understanding.  (Philippians 4:7).  We don’t have to be torn apart.  We don’t have to be afraid.  We don’t have to be manipulated and played.

We can stand firm, and we can stand together.  You.  Me.  Us.  We.