Since it is the post-Christmas week and most of us are off work, I am sharing a little of my day with a sketch.
This morning, I was thrilled to take a run with just shorts and a long-sleeve shirt. The temperature was in the mid-fifties when I hit the road. It is something rare for an Ohio, late December morning. It is also something I loved to do in Arizona.
If you listen to the news media for very long, you get the feeling everything is falling apart and everyone is ready to strangle each other. It can leave you with a feeling of fear and despair. You get the impression apocalypse has already come and the only thing left to do is write off the world and call it a day.
But if you unplug, take a drive across the country, and get out into nature, you get an entirely different feeling. The forests are unaffected by news hype. Mountains and valleys care little about the elections and the latest violence to hit the streets. True, what mankind does to nature affects it. But the story mankind tells itself is much scarier than the reality of a quiet trail, or a babbling brook. Just don’t take in some media before you leave. You’ll probably see a story about a man-eating cougar, a rabid bear or a bigfoot sighting.
The news media itself is suffering from downsizing and cutthroat competition. Perhaps the media loves to scare us because the typical news reporter is scared he or she will lose their job next week. Perhaps when you focus on the worse of humanity, you begin to believe your own hype.
It is so much easier to focus on the worst of humanity. It is so much more difficult, but rewarding to balance it with the good of nature as well as the best of humanity. It is out there. You just have to be intentional and escape the 24 hour news cycle once in a while.
My kids love the time at the beach. My son has a bag of shells he collected from our last trip. They always bring back good memories.
When this theme came up this week, I pondered what is the most peaceful time of this year. Last night, we had a candlelight service. It was serene seeing all the candles across the sanctuary. Amazing how something as dangerous as fire can seem so peaceful when it is a tiny flame.
I hope in the frenzy of this holiday season, you will find some peace. It’s late on Christmas day, and I’m feeling it. It’s either peace or fatigue. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell the difference!
Kevin