Quick To Respond

I have been watching as the world quickly turns on each other in a bizarre attempt to promote its own agenda. In days gone by, the family was the key. Families stuck together, supported each other in good times and bad and the clan was the hub of the village. There are still places in this world where the foundation of the community is still the family but they are eroding quickly. Individualism is replacing community. Now before anyone decides to get up in arms and start claiming I am wrong and feeling offended, sociologists have noted that many modern interpersonal relationships are played out on social media. People tend to wear a mask that will ensure they get the “likes” they need and steer away from controversy unless they know they can garner the support by riding a tide of popular opinion. Once the surge is done, they find a new wave and ride it once again reveling in the power of the tsunami. Quick to jump on, quick to jump off yet rarely cognizant of the destruction left in their wake.

Consider this, the relationships made by this method are as temporary as the first quarrel and unfriending. One comment that offends can end a relationship like a door with only a handle on the inside being slammed shut. Why can we not go back in time and read carefully the wisdom found in Proverbs?

Loners who care only for themselves spit on the common good. Fools care nothing for thoughtful discourse; all they do is run off at the mouth. When wickedness arrives, shame’s not far behind; contempt for life is contemptible. Many words rush along like rivers in flood, but deep wisdom flows up from artesian springs. Proverbs 18:1-4 Msg

The wise stay silent while those bent on being right at all cost leave a wake of turmoil and destruction. The foolish will shout louder and louder until those around either jump on board or turn from the turmoil and stay silent on the sidelines until the fury has passed. The wise will interject in the spirit of love while the foolish will drive forward with blinders on. We yearn for the days where respectful debates allowed for not only wonderful banter but also growth of a community. Today, debates are a rarity, clashes are the norm and the only thing that comes out of it are divisions and broken relationships. What will it take to shift the paradigm from individualism to relationships based on relationship? Love God, love each other. Read the Bible folks, it has all the answers.

We invite you to join us if you can at 10:30 MST on Sunday or watch live online on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MainAvenueFellowship/ ) or view it afterwards on our website (www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca).

Blessings
Pastor Todd