My Facebook screen is filled with darkness. And I bet yours is too. What once was the home for pictures of children and puppies and motivational memes has now taken on a decidedly harsher tone.
It’s not just social media. It’s conversations at coffee shops and malls and churches.
“Lock her up.” “Lock him up.”
“Racist!” “Fascist!” “Bigot!”
“..And look at this shocking development!”
“Can you believe this one person did this one terrible thing?”
“Horror!”
Is you start clicking and reading, you’ll start to take on a cynical view of this world. You’ll find that the skies will seem a little darker. You’ll trust your neighbors a little less. Your idea of the future will be decidedly negative.
The foreboding stories that are presented seem to be more out of a Hitchcock movie than reality. Both sides are much better at painting the other side in ugly shades rather than presenting their vision of the future.
I think if reality was anywhere near what we read, there would be no hope. If all were really this grim, we should just draw the shades, gather together friends and family, and divvy up our meager cracker supply and wait out our days.
But things aren’t that bad. And regardless of who does what today, life will go on.
These words from Philippians have never been more necessary.
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
What fills your mind?
I am struck by the last sentence: “Think about such things.”
My thoughts and affections should be filled with much more than the troubles of this world.
Yes there is grief. Yes there is sadness. Yes there is inequity, and hatred, and persecution. Yes there is hunger, and pain, and unfaithfulness. But….
“Think on these things.”
… the truth
… the noble
… the right
… the pure
… the lovely
… the admirable
Whatever is excellent or praiseworthy, think on these things.
“And the God of peace will be with you.”
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