I haven’t written a blog in a while. Apologies to those of you who read them and maybe even care a little when I step away. It’s not that there is nothing to say. Maybe it’s that there is so much that needs to be said, one doesn’t know where to begin. Or maybe it’s because at some point we who observe life and write about it just get exhausted. Even overwhelmed.
The wars keep on going and going, like evil energizer bunnies. Ukraine. Iran. Almost the whole middle east, actually. Sudan. The Republic of Congo. Global conflict is at its highest level since World War II. As of early in this calendar year, there were over 120 armed conflicts going on globally (wars, civil wars, and insurgencies). Pope Leo was correct when he recently observed that for those who profess allegiance to a “Prince of Peace,” there is no such thing as a “holy” war. He based his remark on biblical and Church history. From the time of the Babylonian Exile and throughout the entire New Testament, the wars we wage have not been considered “holy.” As a matter of fact, that concept wasn’t even introduced until 1095 AD when Pope Urban II developed it in order to justify the Crusades. Jesus said there would be “wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6), but He never called them “holy.”
The global economy is in a nosedive. My wife has a compact car. Yesterday while refueling it, I stopped the gas pump at $65 not because the car was full but because that’s all the cash I had on me at the moment …. Hate-speech and Hate-posting have been accepted as norms, even among people from whom we have a right to expect better …. Racism has always been a tragic reality. But now, for the first time in many decades, in some quarters there are attempts to re-institutionalize it …. People distrust science and instead invest confidence in myths and online folklore. 1,720 people a day die of cancer. Incident rates for the most common cancers (breast, prostate, and colon) are rising. But, financial allocations for cancer research (including pediatric cancer) have been reduced by 31% …. How about this one? “Come you blessed of my Father, for I was hungry, and you fed me.” (Matthew 25:34-35) 20% of America’s children are hungry (the figure globally is 23%). Undernutrition is linked to nearly half the deaths of children under five years of age worldwide …. Twenty years ago, 42% of Americans attended church regularly. Now the figure is 30% and declining. Sociological studies done by firms like Barna and The Alban Institute suggest that those leaving church (many calling themselves “spiritual but not religious”) are disillusioned by what they perceive to be institutional greed, exclusivity, and the politicization of religion …. Children are sexually abused and then later are abused a second time by being castigated and vilified simply for sharing their stories …. On the other end of the spectrum, age-related bias often makes people of years objects of derision or dismissiveness rather than respect.
I could go on with all this, but you are already aware (plus, I really don’t want to become Eeyore). The point is that it’s not always easy for any of us to be Mr. or Ms. Positivity in a world that seems to be unravelling before your eyes. It’s not easy to be a cheerleader amid pain, suffering, idolatry, and malignant anger. “How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?” (Psalm 137:4)
Okay, Michael, it’s time for the surprise ending – the big turnaround – the sudden explosion of light that overcomes all these laments of darkness – a kind of literary “Just kidding” to tidy it all up. I guess that’s why I’ve been remiss in writing lately. Sometimes you just don’t feel the surprise ending. Instead, what you do feel is what the psalmist must have felt when he wrote: “On the willows (of Babylon) we hung up our lyres.” (Psalm 137:2) That being said, the time comes to take the lyre off the tree and start strumming. And, there are reasons to do so.
I have an app on my cell phone called “Good News Network.” Numerous times a day it delivers stories of human interest, true heart-warming stories about good people doing good things to make a bad world better …. I teach at a nearby university. This week as each student walked to my desk to turn in her/his final exam, I asked: “What are your plans for the summer?” Many of them talked about seasonal jobs or internships designed to help people. They will be working in health care clinics, volunteering in nursing centers, operating summer camps for children, assisting in crime prevention efforts, or supervising community gardens to provide food to the hungry …. I heard two former presidents (one GOP and one Democrat) say last week that they remain positive and hopeful about our country, each referring to America’s resilience and how historically we always emerge from periods of crisis as a stronger nation …. A preacher friend said a few days ago: “It’s up to us as people of faith to make wrong things right. We can’t wait on governments. We have to do what true believers have always done – step forward and show the world what love looks like” …. Additionally, I’m nurturing myself emotionally by watching TV shows that lift the spirit, things like “Call the Midwife,” “Finding Your Roots,” and anything featuring Jamie Oliver and food. In short, there are still reasons to be positive. I just needed a booster shot. So, though it’s a mixed metaphor, I think I’ll take the lyre off the tree and start writing again. Maybe I was just tired.