Facebook has afforded us the wonderful privilege of knowing more about our friends than we ever really wanted to. "I just blew my nose. Thought you all should know." "Status: mad at everybody."
Best of all, we can share our selfies. Pictures of me. Taken by me. Because it's all about me, right?
Actually, no. At least it's not supposed to be.
The video images from the L.A. airport are just plain disturbing.
A human stampede of terrified passengers, fleeing a gunman on the loose in the terminal.
This time it was an airport. Who knows where it will be next time. These explosions of violence have happened in a theater . . . a mall . . . an office . . . a school . . . a church.
The bullets may start flying anyplace. Leaving behind lost and shattered lives.
There are a lot of grumpy prime ministers and presidents in the world right now. Because the U.S. has allegedly been dropping in on their phone calls. Uninvited.
I'm not sure what all prime ministers and presidents talk about, but they obviously don't like being snooped on. But then, who does?
We keep hearing about government agencies listening in on lots of us who aren't prime anythings. Makes you feel kind of violated. Vulnerable.
Four Satanic Strategies
The sign outside the convenience store on Halloween night told me, "Remove mask before entering." Sure, they were probably edgy about a masked thief invading their store.
Fact is, the thief from hell is the master of masks. Jesus said about him, "The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy" (John 10:10). And he's too smart to approach us unmasked - "Hi, I'm the devil. I'd like to take you to hell with me. Wanna come?"
I saw the sign as I drove up to a gas station convenience store on Halloween night.
"Remove mask before entering."
Awww - why can't I have a little fun seeing if they'll sell a Dr Pepper to Chewbacca. Actually, I don't have a mask. At least one I can "remove."
But the idea of removing your mask is worth thinking about a little. Because most of us have at least one. Not a mask made of latex. It's made of pretense.
I watch the world going in circles over the latest Middle East crisis. Precipitated by the massacre of hundreds of innocent people. I'm thinking ... "Our world is really complicated. Impossibly complicated."
Oh, we agree that using chemical weapons is horrific. But we're having a hard time figuring out what to do about it. Even the most powerful nation on the planet. Sometimes power feels so powerless.
"She let us down."
That's what one ten-year-old said about Miley Cyrus' more-than-suggestive performance at the MTV Awards. That little girl nailed it.
Miley's romp - looking all "little girl" - became an obscene public display of stripper moves and sexual suggestion. Unfortunately, now it's popping up on newscasts.
She was once the innocent Disney girl, Hannah Montana. I guess she feels that shedding clothes will shed that image.
As I’m writing, people in 24 states are watching the water rise. Flash flood warnings or watches as the rain keeps falling.
We’ve been in some of those monsoons the past few days. In a nearby community, the water was rising a foot evry ten minutes. Barely time to get out.
Cyber-Bullying
by Guest Blogger Doug Hutchcraft
Another day, another news story that ends tragically for a bullied young person.
This time, her name was Carolina Picchio. An attractive, outgoing 14-year-old Italian girl that made the mistake of posting a video of herself on Facebook where she was drunk. Her ex-boyfriend and “friends” used social media to ridicule, demean, and bully her. Soon after, Carolina took her own life…but not before crying for help multiple times on her Facebook page.
When Healing Seems Impossible
by Guest Blogger Doug Hutchcraft
This is probably not the first or last article you’ll read about the George Zimmerman trial. The questions and confusion can be maddening: Was the shooting racially motivated? Was it self-defense? Sadly, we will probably never know the vital details of that night.
