“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic,
love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.” 1 Peter 3:8
“Impossible” some would
say. The violence and anger in the world
today is driven by man’s quest for power and desire to overcome oppression at
the hands of others in authority. Every
person on this planet has an opinion on what defines peace and goodness. These differences of opinion result in the
fear of being wrong which in turn creates a defensiveness that typically will
strengthen one’s hold on their original opinion.
Escalate this internal battle over hundreds
and thousands of years and we are left with factions and cultural gaps that
cannot be reversed. People dream of the
day that peace will reign in this world, yet none truly believe that it can
exist.
By nature I am not a defeatist, I work hard to be an overcomer and problem solver. As I observe the activities over the last few weeks that are happening all over the world, I shake my head and wonder just how much longer can this existence continue? It’s nearly impossible to be unaware of the turmoil going on in the Middle East, in Pakistan, in Kenya, in Europe and in America. People are taking sides on serious issues and violence ensues in their attempts to resolve the conflicts. There was a time and place when we were compassionate and harmonious with one another. A time when it was okay to be different, or have a difference of opinion on a particular subject. The data was made available and people had to form an intelligent position. With more and more data available today than any time in the history of the world, why are our opinions and positions misaligned more and more frequently? In the attempt to create one Global community through the bond of a cyber world haven’t we actually created more contempt between the masses?
The reality is that yes more and more data exists in today’s world, but less and less of that data has been verified, fact checked and scrutinized. Information is shared and hypothesis are propagated as fact and believed by millions. You could be on either side of an argument and this fact remains: the data you are using to create your position on a given topic is erroneous and error ridden at best. The sources you rely on for truth are positioning and communicating the information in order to support their biasness. I don’t care who you get your data from – CNN, FoxNews, BBC, Sky News, Google, Wall Street Journal, or your favorite blogs (even mine). They all have an agenda, a biasness and a position on the subject matter and their message is going to lean that direction.
So, that’s all pretty depressing, eh?
Here’s where my opinion comes in and I hope that you can agree with me. I’ll be straight with you – I am biased on my opinions – and that biasness is bent towards this statement: The Holy Bible is the authentic word of God and in that decree my bias is formed to trust and believe what it says as the single point of truth in this world. There, now you know from where I come, and that statement in and of itself will be found offensive to some and causation for an argument to ensue. Let me be clear on this. I’m not going to change my mind, regardless of what others might do, think or say about me. This is my foundation for the opinions I share, and yes sometimes I get it wrong, because I am still learning and growing just like you. But, I know where my strength comes from and I envision a day when peace is attainable. We will struggle mightily as we approach that day, because the inevitable is going to come to fruition and there are those that will dispute it, fight against it and claim it as false right up until the end.
The Bible clearly tells us that there are those who are blind to the truth because of the darkness they have chosen to believe and live in. In the end, it is our job to love our brother and to share the saving grace and mercy of our Lord with mankind. It is not our job to save them and if their blindness from the world’s values and demonic spirits hold is keeping them from this grace we cannot force it upon them. The Holy Spirit knows exactly where each individual on this earth is with their spiritual walk. He and only He can invoke the redemption and righteousness of the Father within their spirit. Do not hate the non-believers or those who are different from you. Vengeance is not our role in the salvation plan. We need to pray for them, share the gospel with them and present the loving heart of Christ with humility and compassion; such that their eyes might be opened and their hatred turned into love.
©
Sondove Enterprises, 2012By nature I am not a defeatist, I work hard to be an overcomer and problem solver. As I observe the activities over the last few weeks that are happening all over the world, I shake my head and wonder just how much longer can this existence continue? It’s nearly impossible to be unaware of the turmoil going on in the Middle East, in Pakistan, in Kenya, in Europe and in America. People are taking sides on serious issues and violence ensues in their attempts to resolve the conflicts. There was a time and place when we were compassionate and harmonious with one another. A time when it was okay to be different, or have a difference of opinion on a particular subject. The data was made available and people had to form an intelligent position. With more and more data available today than any time in the history of the world, why are our opinions and positions misaligned more and more frequently? In the attempt to create one Global community through the bond of a cyber world haven’t we actually created more contempt between the masses?
The reality is that yes more and more data exists in today’s world, but less and less of that data has been verified, fact checked and scrutinized. Information is shared and hypothesis are propagated as fact and believed by millions. You could be on either side of an argument and this fact remains: the data you are using to create your position on a given topic is erroneous and error ridden at best. The sources you rely on for truth are positioning and communicating the information in order to support their biasness. I don’t care who you get your data from – CNN, FoxNews, BBC, Sky News, Google, Wall Street Journal, or your favorite blogs (even mine). They all have an agenda, a biasness and a position on the subject matter and their message is going to lean that direction.
So, that’s all pretty depressing, eh?
Here’s where my opinion comes in and I hope that you can agree with me. I’ll be straight with you – I am biased on my opinions – and that biasness is bent towards this statement: The Holy Bible is the authentic word of God and in that decree my bias is formed to trust and believe what it says as the single point of truth in this world. There, now you know from where I come, and that statement in and of itself will be found offensive to some and causation for an argument to ensue. Let me be clear on this. I’m not going to change my mind, regardless of what others might do, think or say about me. This is my foundation for the opinions I share, and yes sometimes I get it wrong, because I am still learning and growing just like you. But, I know where my strength comes from and I envision a day when peace is attainable. We will struggle mightily as we approach that day, because the inevitable is going to come to fruition and there are those that will dispute it, fight against it and claim it as false right up until the end.
The Bible clearly tells us that there are those who are blind to the truth because of the darkness they have chosen to believe and live in. In the end, it is our job to love our brother and to share the saving grace and mercy of our Lord with mankind. It is not our job to save them and if their blindness from the world’s values and demonic spirits hold is keeping them from this grace we cannot force it upon them. The Holy Spirit knows exactly where each individual on this earth is with their spiritual walk. He and only He can invoke the redemption and righteousness of the Father within their spirit. Do not hate the non-believers or those who are different from you. Vengeance is not our role in the salvation plan. We need to pray for them, share the gospel with them and present the loving heart of Christ with humility and compassion; such that their eyes might be opened and their hatred turned into love.
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