For the most part I have refrained from diving into the social media hysteria. It’s not that I don’t have an opinion. I do. And it takes a lot for me to clamp my fingers down from typing and my mouth from speaking. I have friends on opposite sides of the spectrum as all of us have. And there are so many issues
- Black lives vs Blue Lives
- Trump supporters vs. Trump protestors
- Pipeline people vs. Native Americans
- Gay people vs. Straight
- Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice
- CNN vs. Fox News
But I’ve realized through all these issues, truth isn’t honored so much anymore. Reason is getting farther and further removed. When emotions and fear take over, truth is blurred so much that no one can see.
It would be easy to judge all this. Except that recently someone I know by their own admission has run a slander campaign against me. In my heart I want to take one of the events where I’ve been wronged that has some gray areas and twist it to make it black and white. Just like a sensationalized headline. When I’ve been unfairly accused and my friends have turned against me it is hard to have in my thought life rational, intellectual, and factual restraint. But if I do not have these I’m just the same as the myriads of others who distort truth to make their point.
Israel too experienced the death of truth in their history. The Israelites rebelled against God and this is what the Lord tells them.
“Therefore say to them, ‘This is the nation that has not obeyed the LORD its God or responded to correction. Truth has perished; it has vanished from their lips.” Jer 7:28
It’s not that truth no longer exists. It does. It’s just that our treatment of it no longer has value.
I once read a missionary book called In Search of the Source. In this tribe all relationships were about finding the source. At one point two men were arguing and the missionary was asked if he knew what it was about. The missionary appropriately described the situation of why they were fighting. But the national said to him, ‘But that’s not the source. The real source is that several weeks ago the other man wronged his sister. This current fight isn’t the source that you see.’
When I think through all these issues that are boiling over right now I think that the source isn’t what we’re seeing. The source runs below the surface. The source is a nation that has lost it’s foundation and feels the building teetering. People are afraid and are reacting wildly because they are besieged with fear.
It’s the fruit of a nation that has quoted, “”You will know the truth and the truth will set you free” John 8:32. But the first part is left out:
“If you hold to my teaching you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth.”
The obedience to the teachings of Jesus are the source. The source of life and strength or if set aside, the source of instability.
We are unstable right now.
Any other basis other than God’s Word will create instability. Otherwise everyone will see truth from their own eyes. And when that happens everyone will do what is right in their own eyes (think Judges).
Therefore while some choose to engage in social media as they are led, this is fine. I’m not sure at this point if it’s fruitful but it’s still possible. But there comes a time where we have to get offline to make sure we’ve connected with the true Source. And drop to our knees asking God that our nation will do the same.
