Good-bye Social Media and Hate

Yesterday, I deactivated my Facebook and Instagram accounts.  While I've thought about doing this for years, yesterday's hurtfulness was my breaking point.  Obviously, the whole world is in turmoil, and this country especially.  First the pandemic made us all nervous about leaving our houses, and then protests and riots made us nervous to say one word about our opinions if they differed in any way from the violent and vocal protestors.  I made the mistake of sending a private message to one of my sons' friends stating that his support of an attack on our church and school deeply disappointed me.  He didn't respond to me privately, but publicly denounced his association with the church and school, pointing at me (although not by name) as part of the reason.  I responded to him again privately, apologizing for sticking my nose into his business and explaining my disappointment more succinctly.  I also sent the whole conversation to his mother along with another apology for causing more negative drama.  She responded privately in kindness.  To be clear, to attack my place of worship is to attack me personally.  To attack the school where my family has worked and given everything they have to support young people is to attack my family personally.

I have always hated double standards, and this time of upset in our country is a huge double standard.  If someone spews hatred and disapproval at my church and school because of mistakes that the people in authority have made or have been perceived to have made, everyone is supposed to agree and support or at least be silent.  If someone stands up for all of the positive things about that same church and school, though, people venomously lambast that person.  If someone speaks against the church, that person "should be" applauded for their right to free speech.  If someone speaks against the church's attackers, though, that person is harshly criticized and called a narrow-minded racist.  This is wrong!  If people have the right to verbally attack, other people also have the right to disagree with the attacks.

I'm earnestly looking forward to the peace of God's reign described in Isaiah:
     Then justice will dwell in the wilderness and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.
     The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.
     My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.

I'm also looking forward to the day when EVERY KNEE WILL BOW before Jesus Christ and when God Almighty wipes away every tear from my eyes!