2020.05 The Silent unCivil War

You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? Matthew 7:16

Yes, I said that. It’s going on now. Just take a peek on your favorite social media and you’ll see it. Heck – just watch the news and it seeps out of every corner of the news. The narrative is uncivil. The angry expressions are constant. The negativity is like a syrupy venom only it isn’t reptiles eschewing it…it’s human. Humans who seem to only have selective compassion and all of the very judgement that they themselves fear and hate.

No, I don’t like that phrase, “you’re judging me.” Perhaps that might make me judgmental? Maybe, but I’m more suspect that I have learned to love myself for who I am, who I am not, and accepted my warts and mess-ups with grace and compassion toward myself and therefore am quite unafraid of the opinion and judgement of others. Unless they are someone I have come to have a close enough relationship with where we share honest feedback with one another, any judging by others doesn’t amount to a hill of beans.

Today I’m going to pick on mainstream media particularly. In my years alive, I’ve had my experiences with newspapers and reporters and they often don’t get it or can’t keep facts straight. What is worse is that there is such an obvious agenda now it’s ridiculous. There is no lack of bias – just a lot of emotionally charged blather. It all runs together at some point. They all report the same things on the same topics. They are propaganda machines from the top and have become more like tabloid tattlers than actual agents of news. It’s all about selling ads or getting clicks or the almighty revenue.

Yes, I am being openly critical and judgmental of a service that is shoved down my throat at every turn and constantly nags nastiness about our leaders, flaunts the famous, and fuels anger. When a political donation call came in the other day I was appalled about how the constant slamming of the other side was somehow supposed to motivate me to give. Nope. Don’t care who you are. You are breeding contempt, appear to be trying to get me to live and be a part of your anger. No thank-you. When you can say what you actually believe in and provide me hope that we aren’t all going into the communist handbasket to hell with your party or candidate then I will happily hear you out. Unfortunately your negativity was ruining my good day and so I exercised my right to hang up since you wouldn’t actually stop to have a conversation with me anyway. You only wanted my money and perhaps to rile me up. I’m not riled. I’m just tired of your rhetoric and endless blather about how bad and evil the other side is. The fruit on your tree is looking and sounding pretty ugly these days.

It’s a weird season. My white board is getting fuller of questions about what is really going on behind the convenient Red Herring of NOVID-19. For now it will be whatever it is. We shall take the adventure as it befalls us. Lord, have mercy on all, particularly those unfortunate ones struggling to find health.

blessings on you,

Kiki

Enjoying this magical new song from sage Bob Dylan