I'm numb after reading your comments; sorry Steve, not being disrespectful, just numb. Evil exists, there's little doubt of it. Jesus Christ on the other hand is harder to identify; less obvious. The bad news almost always outweighs the good news.
Perhaps there-in is the problem with 24/7 news. Feel good stories are the exception, shit hitting the fan and how ugly life has become dominates and leaves us feeling empty. Depending on what you are watching, results in how we color the ugliness into the bad guys and the good guys.
Christ's message (i'm the last guy who should be touting it), tells us not to judge others. Sadly, that is out of vogue and hating the other side and branding them as evil is the new normal. We are all trapped in a world of our own creation. Ugliness rules.
Damn dude, now you've got me woven into the web of how bad things are. Your/our salvation, waiting for that final judgement day, simply doesn't pack any real meat on the bone. It's too far out there and when it happens (if it happens), each of us waiting will be dead and gone. I know you believe it will matter, i'm not convinced and that's on me.
In the interim, my focus over the last several years is far more simplistic. I'm tired of over-thinking (in spite of this rambling comment), and i want to see the joy in life rather than the ugliness. We/I can be better. We/I can do better. The only question becomes are we willing to do it?
Here's my take; each of us has the capacity for a more civil discourse. You and i don't agree on much Curtis, but we try and respect the other's opinion. That's a good starting point; you know, small steps being what they are.
Each of us has our own reach, though admittedly Steve's is longer and he's way smarter than i am. .
Excellent commentary, Steve.
Thank you Mandy. A good word from you is worth a lot to me.
I'm numb after reading your comments; sorry Steve, not being disrespectful, just numb. Evil exists, there's little doubt of it. Jesus Christ on the other hand is harder to identify; less obvious. The bad news almost always outweighs the good news.
Perhaps there-in is the problem with 24/7 news. Feel good stories are the exception, shit hitting the fan and how ugly life has become dominates and leaves us feeling empty. Depending on what you are watching, results in how we color the ugliness into the bad guys and the good guys.
Christ's message (i'm the last guy who should be touting it), tells us not to judge others. Sadly, that is out of vogue and hating the other side and branding them as evil is the new normal. We are all trapped in a world of our own creation. Ugliness rules.
Damn dude, now you've got me woven into the web of how bad things are. Your/our salvation, waiting for that final judgement day, simply doesn't pack any real meat on the bone. It's too far out there and when it happens (if it happens), each of us waiting will be dead and gone. I know you believe it will matter, i'm not convinced and that's on me.
In the interim, my focus over the last several years is far more simplistic. I'm tired of over-thinking (in spite of this rambling comment), and i want to see the joy in life rather than the ugliness. We/I can be better. We/I can do better. The only question becomes are we willing to do it?
I know the feeling. Big questions with no answers. Maybe Steve has enough reach to influence a few outcomes.
Here's my take; each of us has the capacity for a more civil discourse. You and i don't agree on much Curtis, but we try and respect the other's opinion. That's a good starting point; you know, small steps being what they are.
Each of us has our own reach, though admittedly Steve's is longer and he's way smarter than i am. .
Actually, Chriist admonished us to judge with righteous judgement and not to judge hypocritically or where it is God's place to judge.
"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment" (John 7:24)
"He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD" (Proverbs 17:15).
"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them" (Ephesians 5:11).
So, we can call evil evil and expose the workings of evil. We cannot do better unless we are willing to fight evil and ugliness.