UNCOMMON SENSE

The academy awards are on tonight. There will be lots of talk about sexual predators and politics and guns and racism and prejudice. How screwed up America is, and how the awards aren’t a reflection of real life because of this group or that color that rarely gets recognized and it’s not fair. And I always think how ironic it is because Hollywood [as a people group] is about the last place I would expect to see recognition of what real life is. It’s become a forum for people I don’t know to express their opinions that I don’t care about. I can care deeply about the thing, I just don’t care about what they think about it. There’s an arrogance about someone who uses their fame, assuming everyone wants to hear what they have to say and we’ll probably change our minds about whatever it is, because they’re all knowledgeable and relevant and amazing. For me, that is the polar opposite of someone that I’m going to be influenced by.

I have been trying not to listen to, watch or read as much of the news lately because when I do I fight feeling angry and hopeless. I spend almost no time on Facebook anymore because too many times I’ve read what someone thinks is an anonymous and harmless opinion post but I can feel myself feeling differently about that person than I did before I knew how they felt about EVERYTHING. I hate that. I want to continue to love the people I love because I know that we share values about family and life and important matters of the heart, not whether or not teachers should be armed or if Oprah should run in 2020.

We’re not listening to each other; we’re simply looking at each other’s religious or political affiliation and then shutting down. We get so angry at perceived wrongs because we have gotten to a place where we actually want to believe the worst in people. Whatever negative thing we’re passionate about, we start looking under every rock until we find more of it. We let our passion and our anger allow us to overstate or exaggerate circumstances, pushing the divide further and further and further until the real injustice gets blurred.

GAH.

Being honest, I have enough stuff occupying my brain and heart that these distractions are exactly what I don’t need. I have to distance myself from the gluttony of real and fake news and social media outbursts that are consuming so many of us these days. I have to focus on the things that should be occupying my brain and heart because that’s what makes me a good friend, a loving wife, daughter, sister, mom and grandma.

Today at church one of our pastors talked to us about politics and how we must hold everything up to Jesus, prayer and biblical truth (which really applies to everything, doesn’t it?); it was convicting to me, and a charge to practice grace upon grace upon grace in what I think, say and do. Is how I live my life a reflection of Him in it? I'm not sure it is, always. But refraining from expressing my opinion just for the sake of it is a start.

I won’t be watching tonight, as I’m not even sure what is being celebrated anymore and it’s 3 hours of watching people I can’t relate to and it’s 3 hours I can’t get back. I know there are people who love it and I'm not judging, at all. I just can't.

I have really close friends that have been experiencing rare and debilitating illnesses, cancer diagnoses, life-changing circumstances, fear and uncertainties of what the future holds. I have family and friends who are experiencing personal, health, and financial struggles and I need to not be distracted from caring and praying and being in it with all of them. On the grand scale, I am reminded that this life truly is a breath. It holds more tragedy, injustice and depravity than my empathetic heart can hold. Personally I don’t want to waste it looking under rocks for more.