It's been a while since I wrote a new blog post. That's hard to believe since so much has happened in the past several months. This seems like a good place to process some of the things that have been going on, but to be completely honest, it has been hard to know what to say. So many frustrations, so many emotions, a global pandemic, a presidential election that for some still hasn't been settled (it's settled), watching my children work their way through this time, watching how all of it wears on me and the people around me. It has been really hard.
I have opinions about a lot of things, but I have found that debate or sharing of facts or opinions seems to make little difference in others. That is disconcerting to me. It isn't that I think I am right about everything, but to think that honest conversation only causes people to retreat more fully into their pre-conceived notions is scary to me.
How can it be that when confronted with data people would rather rely on anecdotal information that confirms their desires? I mean, sure, it's human nature to question things that don't fit with our desires for reality, but how far can that go? Apparently a lot farther than I thought.
With all that said, I am hopeful for the future. I believe humans are resilient, and I believe that given time we will adjust to the new ways that information is distributed. In time we will learn to discern lies from the truth even on a platform like the Internet that is supposed to be neutral. I believe we will learn who is worthy of our trust and who isn't. I hope that some of the division that we are experiencing right now comes from an inability to know who to trust, who has our best interests at heart, who is telling us things that are proven and who is telling us things that are wished. We will have to figure those things out, because if we don't, the division will continue to widen.
It may be that no one really has our best interests at heart--at least no one in the public sphere. But there must be a way to sort through truth and lies, there must be a way to value data over desires.
2020 taught us a lot of things. One thing is that when tragedy strikes, public officials will often point their fingers at others for blame. But it also taught us that we can get through a lot. we could get through it a lot easier if we valued one another's stories, especially the stories of those who have historically been overlooked in our societies.
It is my prayer that this is the beginning of a time of healing for our world.
A pretty disorganized view from me today...
