Things Fall Apart

We live in an age of misunderstanding, distrust, and animosity. How are we going to get along with each other in the world if we have the same conflicts with our next-door neighbor?  

We are as divided as no time that I can ever remember. Politically and religious differences were always there. But in the 1950s, it seemed to start to unravel. First, by 1964, we had race riots and then anti-war protests. This chaos all seemed to culminate in 68 (hey, that rhymes; it could be a slogan) with the assassinations of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. Then it blew up at the democratic convention. 

The summer of  69' took the heat of things for a while. Maybe the race to the moon and Woodstock unified us somewhat. That didn't last long. It seemed we settled down a little for the next 30 years: no significant upheavals and the like. Things were not smooth, but it wasn't quite the wild rollercoaster ride. The boomers were too preoccupied with growing up. 

Then 9/11 hit at the beginning of the new millennium. Again, the U.S. had a common enemy. They were the Dixie Chicks and Sadam Hussain. Even those two mentioned had nothing to do with the terrorist attacks (a good misdirection always quiets the masses). 

Lately, Trump has helped call attention to the great divide we formed. President Obama had little interest in uniting us; he only agitated the divide and used it to his advantage. He learned from the feat of his masters, Jeremiah Wright and Saul Alinsky. 

Now we are at polar opposites, and no compromise seems possible. The middle has eroded, and things are going to boil over. We can't agree on basics like what is a life, what is a person's sex, and what is a pandemic. 

I took the blog title from the novel Things Fall Apart One of Chinua Achebe's many achievements in his acclaimed first novel, Things Fall Apart, is his relentlessly unsentimental rendering of Nigerian tribal life before and after the coming of colonialism. First published in 1958, just two years before Nigeria declared independence from Great Britain, the book eschews the obvious temptation of depicting pre-colonial life as a kind of Eden. Instead, Achebe sketches a world in which violence, war, and suffering exist, but are balanced by a strong sense of tradition, ritual, and social coherence.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus! Revelation 22:20.

Live with intention.

Make an impact in the world. Don't sit back and wait until tomorrow. The time we live in is exciting and adventurous. Of course, it's scary, but put that in perspective, when has it not been a scarry time since the garden of Eden. 

There is no time to take action and make your mark like the present. Just do something, try, fail, or succeed, and you will be moving forward. Be proactive and live your life to its fullest. The Lord Jesus had a lot to say about the wise use of your talents and abilities. 

Make your time on this side of eternity count for something. Find your purpose and make it happen. I said purpose, not find your passion. Following passions is dangerous and transitory. Passion follows a good purpose. 

Independence Day 2022

 The price of freedom is costly. Whether it be freedom from sin, it cost God the death of His Son, the patriots to a man lost everything they had. If you want to be free of a boss and a J.O.B.(just over broke) you have to start your own business, it will cost you plenty, lack of security, risk, and many other challenges you have to pay for to be free. 

You can't say give me liberty or death and still want the government to be your nanny. You can't have it both ways; you can't have your cake and eat it too. 

There ain't no such thing as a free lunch; there ain't no such thing as government "entitlements." You are fooling yourself if you think free health care will not eventually be tied to bureaucrats in your business telling you what you can eat and drink, how much you can weigh, etc.

This fourth of July, declare independence and take a free stance whenever and wherever possible. 

The information super-highway

We are getting so much information coming at us rapidly; at what point will it be too fast and too much? Digesting information is like drinking from a fire hose. 

There is also the issue of trust. Do we trust the sources of the information we are getting? Is it biased? What is the agenda of the writer, blogger, news anchor, etc.?

 How are we to decide which is real and which is fake? I, for one, certainly don't want a government agency overseeing disinformation: it is Orwellian. 

Censors on social media have already exposed their biases. A faceless panel can regulate content, and that is dystopian.

Maybe we need to think for ourselves. 

Uncertain Times

We think we are living in uncertain times. We are not. All times in human history since the fall of man have been uncertain. They all had their challenges, and we are here at this point in history by divine appointment. 

Acts 17:26  ESV

And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,

So buckle up, buttercup, and get ready for the ride. 

When the crossover is detrimental.

I have been a devotee of self-improvement/motivational/self-improvement books and material all my adult life. I am a constant learner and wholly believe in physical and mental self-care and improvement. However, I also know that our spiritual life is the essential discipline. 

These studies and disciplines bleed into each other. Man is a three-part being: body, soul, and spirit. So as unified as one is, these areas of life's studies seem to segment and compartmentalize. We should have a time for each. 

My problem is when religion and the other areas overlap. Like Yoga at the gym. Like self-improvement from the pulpit. The bible teaches lessons in all areas of life. But there is a difference in the focus. The messages sometimes bleed over, but sometimes they get deluded when they cross over. 

Virtual vs physical communication

What do you say online that you won't usually say in person? Social media has a level of protection or at least separation that is missing in face-to-face conversation. As a result, we tend to be more direct and confrontational than we would be otherwise.

Well, does the same thing apply when you are on a voice call? How about a video call? Different behavior or not? Still, it is direct person to person but still lacks that physical presence. Maybe it's the fear of physical violence or that you can't runway as you can hang up or disconnect as with the aforementioned situations. The fight or flight syndrome is a reality in both. But one is harder to extricate and disengage. 

Think about your confrontations and how they differ and why.