What a World

There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him; haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man that stirs up dissension among brothers. 

Proverbs 6:16-19

I've been in kind of a weird head space lately, and I'm not quite sure how it can be described. I'm trying to carry on and live my "normal" life, all the while balancing moments of joy and despair within my own personal world with those of the world around me. It's a lot like trying to be happy about a new life being born into a war situation. My heart is in a constant tug-of-war between trying to find the good in every day, and seeing the evil in every day, wondering when the other shoe will drop and which will finally win. I think this is what it feels like not when hope runs out but when circumstances truly are beyond our control. It's not that I don't believe God is in control or that something evil is coming for me. It's just that the world is looking more and more tattered every day and that in itself is so disheartening. It's hard to keep your joy when there is so much pain everywhere and so little you can do to help or foster a change.

I've found myself getting quieter and quieter, which is my classic move when I am beyond overwhelmed. I've been doing a lot of listening and observing and maybe too much in some areas. I've gotten very annoyed with the temperatures of others and I wish they would become quieter too. Today I heard Pastor Rick Warren's podcast titled, "A Faith that Shows Respect to Everyone", and I picked up on why that might be true. Rick says, "when people are under stress for a long time,it tends to bring out the worst in us. We become more irritable, more impatient,more self-centered. We become more protective of ourselves. We look for scapegoats to blame. They become more wary and fearful of people not like themselves. When you're under stress, your natural biases tend to rise." 

 In this divided world we seem to be living in right now, people seem to have taken very clear sides. Whether it is the side of "Covid-19 is a hoax/Covid-19 is real", "Republican/Democrat", or more recently and sadly, "Black/white". None of this is okay with God. Okay, I know His Son personally, and I know He's not okay with all this division! He's not okay with those creating discord among his people at all! God doesn't think any partiality is okay. All partiality is a sin to God. Partiality is what has led to many of the sins in our headlines today. It's why people go around thinking they are better than others. What are some examples of partiality? I'm glad you asked. Rick gave just a few examples:

-are you quick to judge people with hairstyles you consider "weird"?

-how about people with piercings in different parts of their bodies?

-what about people who are fat or skinny?

-people that dress differently than you?

-people with a different religion?

-what if they're an immigrant?

-what about people younger than you? older?

-what about others who make more money? others who make less?

You and I both know this is just a partial list. I can think of many others and I know you can too. Let's not find ourselves on this list. 

Deuteronomy 10:17 

For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of Lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and takes no bribes. 

Chronicles 19:7

Now let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery. 

Rick pressed his point by adding, "God doesn't tolerate such things and we shouldn't either. Why? Because all three are unfair, dishonest, and unloving and the opposite of integrity, generosity and humility."

My friends, I will not tolerate bigotry, injustice, or blind following of anyone who participates in this kind of thinking or life-leading. If God doesn't tolerate it, I won't tolerate it either. If I invite you to a dinner at my home and there is seated at the table an immigrant, a homosexual, a pierced individual, a person with a different religion than yours, and a homeless individual, and you can't be kind and loving at my table, YOU are the one who won't be welcome. That is my position on that. 

Part of what has been bothering me so much lately is all the discord being spread around everywhere I look. All the scapegoating. All the blaming. All the judging. All the hating. All the "it's her fault", "it's his fault", "it's their fault", and it's insane. Do I expect better? I guess I do from certain people, and I am flabbergasted and done listening to the gibberish and the smack talk and the nonsense and the garbage mouth all over social media. None of it is based on actual facts or intelligence and trying to find a news media with a talking head with a non-biased brain is impossible today. They are all showing partiality of some kind and therefore have nothing important or newsworthy to say. 

Thus, my quiet head space. By being quiet, I humble myself to what God wants me to hear and what he wants me to say. Right now the world is noisy and people are hearing what they want to hear and saying what they want to say. It is hard to be heard among those who don't want to hear anything different. As I am reminded daily, "People hear what they want as long as it fits their narrative of beliefs and opinions." I equated at least part of what is going on in the world with a child experiencing a divorce between parents. Mom is pulling on the child, dad is pulling on the child, and in the middle, the child is saying, "you're both ridiculous and I don't want to live with either one of you!" And the therapist says, "He's right, and he shouldn't have to make a choice.You're both idiots. Figure it out and grow up." 

Please grow up, America. Work together and figure it out. For a country based on choices, lately it seems we don't have any worth making. Our leaders are confused and emotional and refusing to comply, leading to people who respond in kind. Until we start using our own brains, minds, and hearts to see what God is asking us to see, we will remain blinded by what we want to see and how it fits our own agendas. The thing is, it's not about us and it never has been. When we all figure that out, what a world it could be.