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Recent conversations have led me to decide to publish a weekly “blog” with thoughts about how we navigate these times.  Some of what I share will be my own musings, but a lot will come out of conversations with you and others.   Please let me know what you are thinking and the ways you are "coping".

And... Let us strive to think and speak with care, thought, wisdom and patience in these days.  May we find pathways together that benefit the greater good.

 

Post # One - Follow the Right Leader

 

The Bible is a great source of wisdom and I find it particularly so in these days.  If you are struggling to cope with the news cycle and the information being shared, I invite you to ponder some of these ideas for how to keep sane, hold your head above water, and find places of hope.

The apostle Paul wrote to the divided and conflicted community in Corinth:

For it has been made clear to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. What I mean is that each of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?  1 Corinthians 1:11-13

No one leader - in the church or in politics - has it all right.  But Jesus, for those of us who proclaim a Christian faith, is a leader who is fully trust-worthy. 

That said, we often hear Jesus teachings through the interpretation of scholars, priests and increasingly strange and mysterious sources on the internet.

Case in point:

One of the more troubling things I’ve stumbled upon recently was a YouTube video (which popped up on my feed).  You may have seen it too.  It is an AI generated video about a young girl, “Emily” who has a near death experience.  In this experience she encounters Jesus and he tells her that Trump is his ordained leader for our times.  That Trump will endure hardship and opposition, but this is all a part of God’s greater plan.

Hopefully, most people who happen upon this video will be discerning enough to know that it is not based on any true story.  However, we know many will believe it. 

What do we do when the places we’ve sourced our information from - news, commentators, friends and even priests - are saying things that don’t make sense, or leave us feeling some how confused and unsure?

I suggest we go to the source.  Go to the gospels and read about Jesus.  Spend time reading and then thinking about the stories you’ve read.  Then, engage in conversation with people you trust, whose wisdom is evident and has stood the test of time.  Bible study is a great place to start!

People have always taken Jesus’ own words and used them for purposes that couldn’t be further away from the heart of Christ.  Such “false teachers” have long been a part of our world. 

“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive opinions.” (2 Peter 2:1)

We may feel very much like sheep sent out amongst wolves these days, so let us take Jesus’ words to heart -

“…so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”  (Matthew 10:16)

And let us pray for wisdom and discernment.