Fog of Confusion

The obliteration of symbols that remind us of the past, along with revisionist history, continues to baffle me. Racism is more rampant that I have seen since the 60s (albeit people confuse racism with nationalism, ethnicity, & religious beliefs). Verbal & physical violence has replaced civil discourse. Sexism with a[n imaginary] war on women (the rules of war vary dependent upon your POV) is fluid, esp with current gender confusion --- plus people who flatly refuse to heed reasonable concerns have led to everyone being confused. Logic & common sense have fled, along with the meaning of tolerance, leaving behind people wanting to validate their own beliefs to the exclusion of any other views. Far from a utopian society we are moving toward dystopian. The leadership of our country continues to spiral downward with the selection of candidates who are ill-equipped for the job. Moral decay is destroying our nation (& I mean MORALS, not religious faith & values. A lot of distortion there, too.) and personal responsibility is at an all time low. One of the saddest things about all of this, though, is that there is a new generation of Americans who truly don't remember the good or the progress made to overcome an imperfect past. When we cover our history and refuse to respectfully listen to a viewpoint other than our own, we are limiting their ability to see how far we had come or to avoid mistakes made by earlier generations.

The above was written on June 9, 2016. One year later, we continue to wander through a fog of confusion that both saddens & angers me. People now have such a narrow vision and refuse to believe that there are valid opinions other than their own---or that what they believe may not be truthful. Facts are twisted to fit an agenda, and some may make a compelling argument...unless one is willing to examine the full picture. However, the refusal to admit one was wrong is rampant, no matter what evidence is given. Name calling and pointing fingers without realizing that you are also doing the same has weighed heavily on me. I do try to look at the views of others, but sometimes it only bolsters my POV. I have to remind myself to show compassion to those with whom I disagree. Admittedly, that sounds arrogant, but sometimes an action or words are simply wrong. My prayer is that the Lord will open the eyes of those being deceived---and that includes me. Romans 12 is really speaking to me today. Consider reading it and applying the wisdom to your own life as I hope to do.

I may edit, or add more later, but time for self-examination right now. The words of Matthew 7:3-5, "Why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye." are also on my mind.