They say it's hard to be humble, but I never really had any trouble with that. In fact I'm quite good at it. But maintaining a consistently gloomy disposition really is hard. There is quite a lot of rather disappointing news coming at us from all sides these days. News that is often presented in a more negative way than would be supported by the actual facts. After all, they need to sell newspapers and radio and tv ads. So the truly disappointing and tragic events are mixed in with the media's default position of taking the most negative tack on every story until it's too late to redeem it to its more factual state. How often are we left basing an opinion of a situation on an intentionally incomplete set of facts because the media isn't as well-served with the truth as with the more extreme notions conjured up by editors whose strengths seem to lie in the art of deception? I would suggest if we could pull the curtain of selfish ambition away from the news media long enough to see the real world we would be pleasantly surprised at how far our society has come in its 236 years. Upon a solid foundation of a constitution that balances and limits the government's power, which helps insure the people's continued freedoms, our society has moved into and beyond many difficult and troubling issues. We are still somewhat free, and we are more tolerant and accepting than we've ever been and moving in the right direction all the time. Lest you feel obligated to offer a disparaging word about those nasty intolerant Christians please allow me to interject a quick word. I hang around a lot of these "Christian" types and if I may, they are much more tolerant and loving than most of the people who find it so easy to criticize them. Yes, the media are fond of finding someone who calls themselves a Christian but whose mouth seems to run in opposition to that claim. Or they will edit responses from respected Christian leaders in such a way as to see that no one's prejudice is negatively impacted. Jeepers Wally, where have all the good reporters gone? The news is what it is, but they seem to want to make it what it isn't. Alas, I digress. Negativity, often within my own life, seems to abound and find a quick friend within the human spirit. There is something that wants to move me in negative directions and pull me out of earshot of the love of God. This morning, with a near full moon in the West and soon rising sun in the East, we sang songs and read scripture about the most blessed event this earth has ever encountered. It distracted me long enough to catch a refreshing, positive, uplifting song from Calvary's tree. A profoundly blessed moment that is there for the taking each and every day. May we all look more intentionally for God's love in every day.
So heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss
(David Crower Band from the song How He Loves)
May God surprise you with a kiss this day.
