A friend posted something that made me think of a great song.

"This World" by Caedmon's Call

There's tarnish on the golden rule And I wanna jump from this ship of fools Show me a place where hope is young And a people who aren't afraid to love

This world has nothing for me and this world has everything All that I could want and nothing that I need

This world is making me drunk on the spirits of fear. So when he says who will go, I am nowhere near.

And the least of these look like criminals to me So I leave Christ on the street

This world has held my hand and has led me into intolerance But now I'm waking up, but now I'm breaking up But now I'm making up for lost time

It says so many important things about the state of our world. With everything that is happening around us, it's so easy to be in constant fear. Fear of war, fear of flying, fear of terrorism....fear of global warming, fear of pesticides...fear of the suburbs? The list could go on and on. One of the reasons I don't watch TV news is because I feel that it creates unnecessary fear. Why do I need Fox News to tell me something 5 times an hour for 24 hours? Their goal is to suck you in, create fear, and get you to keep watching. And watching and watching. Just in case something might happen. TV news makes me feel crazy just watching all the fires, sirens, murders, plagues...and all the flashy colors and reporters with their scary voices. Aaaah! Enough!

I much prefer READING the news on an alternative news source. Of course, it's very difficult to find unbiased reporting...maybe because everything is owned by just a few people. If you don't believe me, check it out for yourself. Here and here. Follow the money. I prefer to read at the BBC News and other international sites. I really like Sojourners, but that has a bent as well. I used to only search out Christian news and Republican sites, but have since realized that Jesus is neither of those things, so I'm not concerned about that. I'm more concerned with getting the truth and loving people.

Even if you don't agree with everything I'm saying here, just be aware that you are being brainwashed if you are listening and reading mainstream media. Try...just for once, to search out your own answers about things you are interested in. You'll be glad you did. But be careful...when you start to question one thing, it will lead to another. And another. Pretty soon, you'll find that there is so much that you "learned" growing up that isn't true.

Let's not be drunk on the "spirits of fear", but instead, use knowledge of our world for good. Make a difference! Talk to someone you wouldn't normally talk to. Make someone's day. Give a compliment. Fear God only and think for yourself.